Buffalo Bills don’t need to add Greg Olsen this offseason

The Carolina Panthers released Greg Olsen on Monday. With Free Agency right around the corner, should the Buffalo Bills kick the tires on the star player?

Greg Olsen may have many suitors in the coming weeks, but two of the most obvious ones are the Buffalo Bills and the Washington Redskins. Both organizations have former coaches whom Olsen is familiar with, as reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

However should the Buffalo Bills sign Olsen to a role like Frank Gore had with Devin Singletary?

Taking a look at the tight end position, the Bills have Lee Smith, who signed a three-year $9 million contract last May. Next is Tyler Kroft, who signed a three-year $18.75 million contract last March. These two veterans were joined this past season by rookies in seventh round pick Tommy Sweeney, who showed promise in the last game of the season, and third round pick in Dawson Knox who, despite his drop issues, is the tight end of the future for the Buffalo Bills.

The two veterans from this past season are likely on the roster bubble entering this offseason as Lee Smith is older at 34 years of age and doesn’t provide much in the passing game. Meanwhile, Kroft could provide the Bills with cap savings of over $5 million if released.

The other concern with Kroft is his durability. He missed all of preseason with a broken foot that he obtained during OTAs. The best ability is availability, but with that being said it’s too soon to write off Kroft as a forgotten asset. He can also fill the role as a mentor for Dawson Knox. With Knox taking a backseat role to Kroft next year, it might help him develop more as a player.

Dawson Knox became a fan favorite when he trucked a poor Bengals defender in September. He quickly grew up before our eyes, but unfortunately, his drops started to become a problem. Decent growth in Year Two would solidify his place as the long time answer as the future tight end.

Tommy Sweeney, as a 7th round pick, might have to battle back on to the roster when cuts start to happen this spring. He showed a lot of promise and like Dawson Knox, should grow a lot more in his second year but may need to find other ways to provide value, possibly on special teams.

With all this said and done, the Buffalo Bills don’t need Greg Olsen. He’d be welcomed with opened arms, but he’s not needed at One Bills Drive. The state of the tight end position is in good hands for the future with Dawson Knox and Tyler Kroft hopefully becoming a formidable duo in the League for years to come.