The Pittsburgh Steelers acquired D.K. Metcalf in a blockbuster trade with the Seattle Seahawks, but since they traded George Pickens away soon after, they have the same problem they've had for years now. They have an established WR1, but little behind him. Signing Gabriel Davis would change that for Pittsburgh, but unfortunately, the odds of him leaving for an NFL bottom-feeder just skyrocketed.
According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, Davis is on his way to visit with the New Orleans Saints. He noted that he had previously visited with the Steelers, but the fact that he didn't sign with Pittsburgh and is now visiting with another team, especially one with as much opportunity for him as New Orleans, suggests that a deal might not ever come to fruition with the Steelers.
Steelers can ill afford to lose Gabriel Davis to Saints
I'm not going to pretend that Gabriel Davis is Jerry Rice. He had 20 receptions and 239 yards in the air in 10 games for the Jacksonville Jaguars last season, and ultimately, remains available in June for a reason. Still, he feels like an ideal complementary piece for the Steelers, given that they have Robert Woods and Calvin Austin III as their best receivers after Metcalf.
Davis had a rough season with Jacksonville to the point where he was released by the team just one year into his three-year, $39 million deal, but with the Buffalo Bills, he impressed as a complementary piece. He racked up over 500 yards in each of his four seasons with Buffalo and averaged 47 receptions, 791 yards, and seven touchdowns in his final two campaigns with the Bills. He even had some great postseason moments, including a four-touchdown game.
How well Davis would perform coming off a lost season remains to be seen, especially when he's currently less than 100 percent, but on a better team and while still being just 26 years old, there's reason to believe he has a good year in him.
At this point, the Steelers can't do much better than Davis on the open market. Losing out on him would hurt, but watching him sign with a Saints team that might end up being the worst in the NFL this upcoming season would make it sting even more. Hopefully, he has another visit to the Steel City planned, or Omar Khan has a solid offer on the table for Davis. The Steelers really can't afford to let this one get away.