Ignoring 2017? I don't think so. Davis ended up as a starter alongside Felipe and Adams, which is what Dax would do as well. Maybe we don't lose in play-offs then? Yeah, I guess he was fine next to Adams in 2018, wonder how good Dax would be with him. And with Davis bolstering the bench. Or the following year when Davis was bad again. Not a good deal, and that's not even in hindsight, but especially so.
When Felipe, Adams, & Davis were all starting, Felipe was the lone deep CM, Adams a wingback, and Davis a wide mid. That was at the end of the season, after our CB situation wasnt working out. They didnt go into the season planning to play that formation, it was out of necessity.
There were a lot of games before that where Felipe & Adams played as a deep CM tandem. Those are the guys that Dax probably would have been on the bench. He was not as good as Adams at that point. You can argue about Felipe, and Id probably agree Dax was better, but its been pretty well established that Marsch preferred the Brazilian.