Buffalo Bills 2021 Offseason Position Preview: Tight End
The Buffalo Bills didn’t make many changes to the tight end position prior to the 2020 season. The hope was that Dawson Knox, entering his second season, and a healthy Tyler Kroft could be a boost to a position that has been an issue for a few years now.
That isn’t what happened and the tight end position could see some significant changes this offseason. Let’s take a look at the players under contract and who is a free agent entering this offseason.
Under Contract for 2021
Dawson Knox
Lee Smith
Tommy Sweeney
Reggie Gilliam
Nate Becker – Reserve/Future Contract
The Buffalo Bills have five tight ends under contract this coming season but at this point, Dawson Knox is the only one without questions in regards to availability. The veteran of this group is Lee Smith, but after the season he hinted that he could be calling it a career after 10 seasons in the NFL.
The same year the Bills drafted Knox, they also selected Tommy Sweeney in the seventh round. However, he missed the entire season last year after starting the year on the PUP list but then was diagnosed with a heart condition around the time he was expected to return. It remains to be seen if he will be able to return to the NFL.
Reggie Gilliam was on the active roster the entire season but was primarily a special teams player. He finished the regular season playing 8% of the offensive snaps and didn’t play more than 14 offensive snaps in a single game.
He was an undrafted rookie and had made the switch from fullback to tight end. Gilliam showed some flashes but still needs time to develop as he learns a new position.
As for Nate Becker, he spent most of the season on the practice squad but was activated for Week 17 against the Miami Dolphins. He is primarily a blocking tight end and could potentially replace Lee Smith in that role if he does retire.
Free Agents
Tyler Kroft – Unrestricted Free Agent
The Buffalo Bills only have one player from last year’s team that is a free agent and that is Tyler Kroft. He was signed as a free agent prior to the 2019 season and expected to be the starter.
However, the Bills drafting Knox and Sweeney, combined with a foot injury that forced him to miss the start of the year, never really gave him a chance to develop a role in this offense. This past season, Knox suffered an injury and Kroft was the starter and had a big game against the Los Angeles Rams with 4 receptions for 24 yards and two touchdowns.
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This wasn’t enough for Kroft to hold on to the starting job and once Knox returned, Kroft’s snap count dropped significantly and he was a healthy scratch for most of the second half of the season. He will likely be playing for a new team next season.