Buffalo Bills: What the team could do with no salary cap restrictions

Trey Burton – Tight End

25 years old (2014 undrafted free agent – Philadelphia Eagles)

2017 Stats (Philadelphia Eagles): 15 games played, 1 game started – 23 receptions, 248 yards, 5 touchdowns)

Contract Offer: 3-years, $16.5 million ($5.5 million/year)

This signing is purely to run the “Philly Special” against the Patriots over and over and over until the team forces Tom Brady into retirement.

In actuality, Trey Burton is more than just a quarterback turned tight end. He is a talented athlete that has shown he can perform in a leading role.

Against the Los Angeles Rams in the divisional round of the playoffs this year, Burton stepped in for injured tight end Zach Ertz as he had to sit out due to a concussion. In that game, Burton went for 71 yards on five catches and two touchdowns. Yes it is one game, but that sort of production being thrusted into the lineup is impressive.

Charles Clay is a good tight end, but he is aging and has been injury-riddled for years. He is by no means a bad option, but Burton is a better athlete, younger, and can grow with this offense as they move into the future. His production has taken an upswing in the last two seasons and he is ready to be a number one tight end.

If you aren’t familiar with Burton’s story, he was recruited to play quarterback at the University of Florida. Once there, he played multiple positions and ultimately became a tight end and signed with the Philadelphia Eagles as a free agent after going undrafted in 2014.

Ready to take on the role of TE1, Burton could come into the Bills offense and be just that. If the team were to move on from Clay, they could get younger and save money on the cap.

Giving Burton a three-year deal gives him a chance to continue to grow and prove himself, and at $5.5 million a year, he earns a fair wage and gets a significant bump from his previous salary. It also leaves him the opportunity to earn another big contract before his prime passes him by.