The Buffalo Bills will have an interesting decision to make less than a year from now when it comes to the future of wide receiver Gabe Davis.
Entering his fourth and final year of that rookie contract, Davis is set to bet on himself. By most accounts, the Bills haven't talked about an extension for Davis just yet. But, what he does in this coming season will speak volumes about a possible future in Buffalo.
Playing in an offense like the Bills' and catching passes from Josh Allen, there is plenty of potential for Davis to reach his first 1,000-yard season. Last year, he got close, as Davis finished with 836 yards on 48 receptions, while also catching seven touchdowns.
The problem hasn't been lack of talent for Davis in an ultimate breakout, but a lack of consistency. Davis has been known to be more of a boom-or-bust type, and has had some enormous booms over his first three seasons.
One area people can't knock his consistency, though, is in the weight room. Davis' mother recently shared, via her Twitter account, that her son was given the team award for Lifter of the Year.
Awards were given out to players after camp yesterday and Gabriel won lifter of the year AGAIN!! 💪🏾 One thing NO ONE can EVER take away from my son is how hard he works! It’s KNOWN!! Is it football season yet?! He’s ready! Lfg!! 😤 pic.twitter.com/fbmsr9tzHN
— Alana Davis (@AlanaShaeD) June 15, 2023
Let's hope Gabe Davis' award translates into a breakout season with the Buffalo Bills
Bills beat reporter Sal Capaccio retweeted Davis' post and said that the wide receiver has the exact "Bills DNA" that the team looks for.
If anything is clear, it's that Davis is one of the hardest workers this team has on its roster. Again, Davis' true breakout is still coming and it isn't for lack of talent. He's always had the talent to become a legitimate WR2 in this league, especially with less pressure on him from playing next to Stefon Diggs.
Davis' physical profile, speed and strength is all there for a lengthy career in the NFL. The only question is, will it be with Buffalo? His 6-foot-2, 210lb frame is your prototypical wide receiver body, but he packs the strength and breakaway speed into it as good as anybody in the league.
From here, it's all about on-field production. It's the consistency that's been lacking, especially when it comes to dropped passes. Last season, Davis finished with a career-worst 9.7 percent in dropped passes, per Pro Football Reference.
Can he take his weight room work ethic and translate it into a better mental, on-field consistency? For his sake and the sake of the Bills, let's hope so.