The Buccaneers will regret waiving Khalil Davis.
The Buccaneers and their supporters may say they didn’t have a choice but to waive Khalil Davis to keep Rob Gronkowski from going to injured reserve, but this decision could come back to haunt them.
Davis never popped during his time with the Bucs, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t making strides. The second-year lineman from Nebraska was just starting to take the next steps towards improving behind a dominant defensive line. Now, Tampa won’t see more development from their former sixth-round pick.
Keeping Gronk off IR makes sense at face value, but if he struggles with injuries for the rest of the season because he comes back too soon, this decision starts to look even worse.
While some fans would point to the Bucs’ incredible recent string of signings and roster decisions that put them in their current position, the rest of the NFL thought differently about Davis and his future as a player.
Davis was a hot commodity on the waiver wire, according to Field Yates on Twitter. The Colts were the team that won Davis’ services, but the Steelers, Titans, and Chargers also made claims for the young defender. All four of these teams have high ceilings when healthy, and if they saw an upside in Davis with their current defenses, the Bucs could’ve done the same as well.
Davis wasn’t turning many heads yet, but he was still a big add even with no playing time. That should tell you everything you need to know about Davis as a player and his potential.
The Buccaneers decided that keeping Gronk available was the better decision, but it still feels like Tampa could’ve made some other moves to ensure Davis remains on the roster with some potential departures coming up in the next few years.
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