Getty New York Jets wide receiver Corey Davis has retired from the NFL.
The Buffalo Bills have added some veteran pass-catchers to bolster a changing wide receiving corps, boosting a group that lost both of its top two receivers from 2023.
There could still be one more surprise addition, an analyst suggests.
Alex Ballentine of Bleacher Report named the Bills among the candidates to sign veteran Corey Davis, the former New York Jets receiver who made a surprise decision to retire just before the start of last season. Ballentine noted that Davis applied for reinstatement in March and the Jets released him from the reserve/retirement list, making him a free agent.
“Now the 29-year-old is still waiting to find out what team is going to be willing to have him for his comeback tour,” Ballentine wrote, suggesting the Bills could be that team.
Veteran Receiver Can Still Be ‘Functional Weapon’
Davis had been a consistent contributor since coming into the league in 2017 with the Tennessee Titans. He hit a high point in 2020 with 65 receptions for 984 yards and five touchdowns and took on a significant role with the Jets in 2021 and 2022.
Ballentine suggested that the 29-year-old could still have something to contribute on the right team
“The potential is still there for Davis to be a functional weapon in the right offense,” Ballentine wrote. “He never lived up to his billing as the No. 5 overall pick in the 2017 draft, but he became a good enough vertical threat to be a second or third option.
#Falcons were named as one of the “best potential landing spots” for WR Corey Davis, per @BleacherReport
The Bleacher Report analyst added that the Bills could still be in need of talent after losing Gabe Davis and Stefon Diggs. Despite drafting the big-bodied Keon Coleman, Ballentine wrote that the Bills “have a relatively smaller group of receivers outside of the rookie” and could find a place for the 6-foot-3 Davis.
Bills Making Changes After Stefon Diggs Departure
The Bills have already added some veterans to their wide receiving corps after losing both Diggs and Davis early in the offseason. The team signed former Kansas City Chiefs receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling and also added Chase Claypool, who is turning heads with his performances at the team’s early practices.
Syracuse.com reporter Matt Parrino noted that Claypool has been the standout of the bunch so far, burning defensive backs including rookie safety Cole Bishop.
Some analysts believe the team may need to lean more heavily on the veterans while Coleman gets up to speed in the NFL. Sam Monson of Pro Football Focus warned that the rookie will likely not be ready to fill the big shoes vacated by Diggs, though he has the potential to grow into the team’s No. 1 receiver one day.
“Coleman is an intriguing prospect, but his profile had a lot of red flags and he would seem to be one of the riskier answers to a team that intends to install him as their X receiver and essentially replace Diggs,” Monson wrote. “Coleman has size and exceptional body control and hands — traits that Diggs possesses — but he doesn’t have the route-running chops or ability to separate against man coverage that Diggs does.”
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Bills Urged to Pursue Veteran WR Returning to NFL After Surprise Retirement