The news that veteran wide receiver Gabe Davis is set to visit the Pittsburgh Steelers later this week wasn’t all that surprising. It was expected that the Steelers would show some interest in the big, physical, downfield threat after he was released earlier in the offseason by the Jacksonville Jaguars while recovering from a knee injury.
With the visit set to take place on Thursday, it’s a move that the Steelers need to make because his skill set is something that their receiver room is missing.
That’s how the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Brian Batko sees it. Appearing on the 93.7 The Fan Joe Show Tuesday morning, Batko explained why believes Davis would be a better fit with the Steelers than others free agent wide receivers, notably Amari Cooper and Keenan Allen.
“I think he’s got a little bit more size and maybe he can run a little more than those guys [Cooper and Allen] at this stage of their careers,” Batko said, according to video via the 93.7 The Fan YouTube page. “So, he was the big-play guy. I’ll always remember the 97-yarder in Buffalo happened right in front of us in the press box. Well, I should say the beginning of the play I think happened right in front of us because 97 yards later, he was all the way at the other end of the field in the other end zone against those Steelers.
“So, that’s what he is when he is at his best. And I think that is sort of the piece that’s missing from this receiving corps.”
It was actually a 98-yarder from Davis against the Steelers during the 2022 season. And it was part of a dominant day for the big receiver, who finished that 38-3 win with three receptions for 171 yards and two touchdowns.
In his career, Davis has torched the Steelers. Across three games, Davis has eight receptions for 230 yards and four touchdowns. So, the Steelers know all about him and how he can give defenses fits.
Throughout his career, he’s been a big-play weapon, averaging 16.2 yards per catch, including two seasons north of 17 yards per reception.
While the Steelers have a big, physical, big-play threat in DK Metcalf after trading for him this offseason, they don’t have that anywhere else in their wide receiver room, as the receivers on their roster include Robert Woods, Calvin Austin III, Roman Wilson, Ben Skowronek, Scotty Miller, and more. None of those guys could adequately replace — or even complement — Metcalf as that downfield weapon who can win in contested-catch situations and create after the catch with his size and strength.
Things didn’t go well for Davis in Jacksonville after signing a big three-year deal after a strong career in Buffalo. He wasn’t healthy, with a knee injury, and wasn’t a great fit in the offensive scheme in Duval. But with the Steelers, he’d make sense in the downfield passing attack under Arthur Smith and would provide much-needed size and strength in the receiver room.
We’ll see if he ultimately winds up signing with the Steelers.
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