Coming into this offseason there was plenty of speculation about the future of tight end Lee Smith with the Buffalo Bills. At first, the rumors were that Smith was exploring the option of retirement. Then after time had passed, people began to speculate that the Bills should release Lee Smith to create cap space. Instead, according to Adam Schefter, the Buffalo Bills traded Lee Smith to the Atlanta Falcons for a 2022 late-round pick. By making a trade, the Bills created cap space getting Smith off the books but also acquired draft capital.
Even if the Buffalo Bills did plan on bringing back Lee Smith for the 2021 season, depth was needed at the position whether that be through the draft or free agency. Now that it’s confirmed that Smith won’t be on the Bills in 2021, that need for depth became a higher priority.
As of right now, the Buffalo Bills are heading into 2021 with Dawson Knox, Reggie Gilliam, Tommy Sweeny, and Nate Becker as their tight end options. I’d argue that there’s potential for only Knox to contribute to the Bills offense at the tight end position in 2021. The future for Tommy Sweeney is uncertain given his pre-existing health condition, Gilliam is more of a full back with the versatility to provide some snaps at tight end, and Becker is ideally just practice squad depth.
After this trade, I would expect that the Buffalo Bills dip into both free agency and the draft to address their need for reliable depth at the tight end position. There have been rumors surrounding the Buffalo Bills and their interest in free agent Gerald Everett. Additionally, there are rumors that the Bills are interested in trading for Zach Ertz. Either of the two options would be sufficient for the Bills as it would allow them to focus on other areas of need early in the draft.