As we discussed over the weekend (and a bit on Monday), the Buffalo Bills will be hosting free agent tight end Fred Davis of the Washington Redskins tomorrow at One Bills Drive. The Bills, who have been quiet in free agency thus far (signing only SAM linebacker Manny Lawson at this point), also dined with Davis in Washington this past Sunday, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.
It's not exactly a secret as to why the Bills are interested in the 27-year-old Davis; Buffalo has needed a reliable pass-catching tight end for years, and though Scott Chandler has had his moments over the last two seasons, he does not provide the team with much athletic ability from that position. The 6'3", 247-pound Davis is one of the more versatile and athletic receiving tight ends in the league, though there are concerns about his health coming off of an Achilles tear.
More to the point, the Bills are interested in Davis because they generally lack NFL-caliber weapons on offense. In terms of established players, Buffalo really only has four among the various offensive skill positions. Our question for you to discuss in this post, therefore, is this: where do you slot Davis among the rest of the Bills' skill players?
C.J. Spiller, running back: He turns 26 in August and is coming off a season where he produced 106 yards of offense per game on an average of just over 15 touches. A 2012 Pro Bowl alternate, the sky is the limit for Spiller - and he'll hopefully see an increased workload with a new coaching staff in town.
Stevie Johnson, wide receiver: There aren't many receivers in the NFL that have as consistently produced as Johnson has over the past three seasons. In those 48 games - many of which he played dinged up - he reeled in 237 passes for 3,123 yards and 23 touchdowns.
Fred Jackson, running back: Jackson is 32 now, and he's had each of the past two seasons cut short by injuries. Statistically, Jackson hit a wall in 2012 (notably dropping to just 3.8 yards per carry), but the injury issues leave doubt as to how empty his proverbial tank is. For now, he's among a very small group of Bills skill players that have proven that they can produce at the pro level, and you're likely to see Jackson used a lot next season.
Scott Chandler, tight end: The 12 touchdowns he has supplied over the past two seasons have been a breath of fresh air, even if they've come in bunches with long stretches of inactivity. Chandler is not a dynamic athlete (nor a great blocker), however, and there are concerns about his recovery from a late-season ACL tear. Still, 81 catches in two years is a heck of a lot better than what the rest of the roster can boast.