Buffalo Bills need to address the tight end position before draft

With the first wave of free agency almost in the books, the Buffalo Bills have been relatively silent. However, they have done a great job retaining key talent like Matt Milano, Daryl Williams, Jon Feliciano, and Levi Wallace. These re-signings made by general manager Brandon Beane were very calculated as all four players took small discounts to stay in Buffalo.

On the other hand, re-signing all four of these players has taken the Buffalo Bills out of the market for some of the other available free agents. That isn’t to say the Bills have been submitting offers to some of the recent free agents that have been signed, but they can’t really compete in bidding wars.

With that being said, there is still a way for the Bills to create more cap space, but it would require pushing some money down the road on contracts for players like Tre’Davious White, Dion Dawkins, and maybe even Stefon Diggs. I’m sure the Bills are doing everything they can to avoid pushing money into the future to mitigate risk, but these three players are almost guaranteed to be key contributors for years to come.

Given the moves that the Buffalo Bills have made this offseason, one position that needs improvement and sticks out like a sore thumb is the tight end spot. After trading Lee Smith to the Falcons for a 2022 seventh round draft pick, the Bills are very thin at the tight end position. As of right now, the Bills have Dawson Knox, Tommy Sweeney, Reggie Gilliam, and Nate Becker on their roster. However, when breaking down the room Knox is the only certainty and even he has some struggles with consistency. Sweeney has potential but was diagnosed with a heart condition that could keep him off the field for another year. Gilliam is more of a fullback, and Becker is a practice squad player.

These points should emphasize the need for adding a tight end to the team before the draft. Considering the rumors about the Bills being involved in trade negotiations with the Eagles for Zach Ertz, it’s obvious that they see this position as a priority as well. Some may say that Zach Ertz is washed up and his best football is behind him and that may be true, but his veteran experience would still be valuable for the Bills to add to their tight end room.

If the Bills want to draft a tight end in round 1 of the draft or anywhere else, he and Dawson Knox would be leading the room. It’s concerning to think that a tight end like Dawson Knox would be teaching the rookie a thing or two when Knox is still developing. Knox is a converted quarterback that is entering his 5th year of playing the tight end position, he should be focusing on his own development and not taking a rookie under his wing to mentor.

The Buffalo Bills can still draft a tight end in this upcoming draft, and I would actually invite that, but I don’t think they will optimize production from Knox and a rookie without a veteran presence in the tight end room. Some free agent tight ends that are still available include former Buffalo Bills tight end Tyler Kroft, Delanie Walker, Jordan Reed, Trey Burton, Jacob Hollister, Tyler Eifert, Jesse James, and Richard Rogers. Any of these guys wouldn’t have to come into Buffalo to be key contributors, but rather key locker room guys that can help with the development of the younger tight ends on the roster.