Buffalo Bills: Jacob Hollister was the smart move to address tight end
After the season, Buffalo Bills general manager Brandon Beane made it a point that he wanted to improve the tight end position. The Bills were just coming off the AFC Championship Game and saw firsthand what a tight end like Travis Kelce can do for an offense.
The challenge is that the players of Travis Kelce’s caliber usually don’t make it to free agency and when they do, they command a substantial contract. Since the team had limited cap space, it seemed unlikely they would be able to sign a top tight end like Hunter Henry, who signed a three-year deal worth $37.4 million with the New England Patriots.
The Buffalo Bills instead elected to sign Jacob Hollister, who recently was with the Seattle Seahawks, and in the end while there is some risk it could end up being the best route to take.
The move to sign Jacob Hollister doesn’t necessarily hinge on Hollister but in fact on Dawson Knox. The Buffalo Bills drafted Knox in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft due mostly to his athletic profile after he didn’t produce much at Ole Miss.
In his first two seasons in the league, Knox had some great moments and fans caught a glimpse of what many in the organization thought he could be. However, the problem is they have just been glimpses and he has not been a consistent presence in this offense.
The reason the signing of Hollister makes sense is that Dawson Knox could potentially break out this coming season. He has shown signs of improvement, like a drop rate going from 20% his rookie season to 9.1% this past season, and if everything comes together it gives Brian Daboll another playmaker to attack opposing defenses.
However, what if Dawson Knox doesn’t break out or doesn’t continue to develop in 2021? The Buffalo Bills now have a veteran tight end in Jacob Hollister, who can step in and provide some improvement.
He has been a rotational player the past two seasons with the Seahawks and has played around 40% of the offensive snaps and had 66 receptions for 558 receiving yards and six touchdowns. However, as a full-time tight end in a pass-heavy offense, he could certainly be more productive.
The additional opportunity, combined with the fact he played college football with Josh Allen, could give Hollister the opportunity to have a career year in Buffalo.
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While it would have been great to see Hunter Henry or Jonnu Smith in this offense, this is another smart move by Brandon Beane. It gives Dawson Knox the opportunity to win the starting job but if he doesn’t perform, they have a great backup option in Jacob Hollister to step in as the top tight end.