HC Doug Pederson says free-agent addition will be 'Swiss Army knife' for Jaguars

Many believed that the Jaguars' addition of free-agent wide receiver Gabe Davis this offseason was a downgrade from Calvin Ridley, who went on to sign with the Titans.

However, head coach Doug Pederson has big plans for his new 6-foot-2, 225-pound playmaker.

"We can put him in positions to block, we can put him in positions to run, he's a good route runner, he's strong, he's big...Gabe is, to me, like a Swiss Army knife," Pederson said via Demetrius Harvey of the Florida Times-Union. "He can obviously run routes...He's a big part of the offense in Buffalo."

Davis has yet to have a season like Ridley did in 2023 (1,016 yards, eight touchdowns), but he has been a productive player for the Bills since being drafted in the fourth round of the 2020 NFL Draft.

The 25-year-old's role seemed to only grow throughout his four-year stint in Buffalo as he saw 174 targets the past two years compared to the 125 in his first two seasons. As a result, Davis has posted 93 catches for 1,582 yards and 14 touchdowns from 2022-23.

Davis is joining a bit of a crowded receivers room in Jacksonville that already includes wide receivers Christian Kirk and Zay Jones as well as tight end Evan Engram, who had the second most receiving yards (963) on the team behind Ridley last season.

However, the three-year, $39 million contract Davis received mixed with Pederson's recent comments supports the idea he'll be a primary piece in the offense.

Davis has proven to have big-play ability, averaging 16.7 yards per catch over four seasons. He has also played his best in the biggest moments, averaging 21.5 yards per catch and six touchdowns in the postseason.

How Jacksonville plans to exactly use him is up for debate, but the team is clearly hoping he'll help it in all aspects from the running game to the passing game, and maybe help the sting of losing Ridley hurt a little less.