Jacob Hollister
The biggest surprise among the roster cuts was the team releasing Jacob Hollister. The veteran tight end was signed this offseason as a free agent to compete for the starting job with Dawson Knox.
While Hollister did deal with some back injuries during training camp, he had an impressive performance against the Chicago Bears. In that game he three receptions for 53 yards, including a 26-yard reception.
Meanwhile, Dawson Knox had an up and down preseason with drops once again showing up during the games, specifically in the game against the Bears.
The Buffalo Bills now enter this season with Dawson Knox the clear starting tight end with Tommy Sweeney as the primary backup. This leaves only two tight ends on the 53-man roster, along with Reggie Gilliam who could play but has shifted to being more of a fullback.
They also have two tight ends on the practice squad with Quintin Morris and recently signed Kahale Warring. However, the lack of depth should be a concern for this team.
General manager Brandon Beane was asked about Hollister after the 53-man roster was announced. While he is still unsigned it didn’t sound like the Buffalo Bills are planning on bringing him back any time soon.
Beane: Jacob Hollister release was a numbers thing. If we had kept another TE, he's probably on the roster. We went heavy at DL & you've got to cut somewhere else. We wish Jacob the best, my expectation is he'll sign with another team shortly. #Bills
— Chris Brown (@ChrisBrownBills) September 1, 2021
However, the absence of Hollister’s experience could become an issue if the team were to lose Knox or Sweeney for an extended period of time. It seems like this is a risk for the Buffalo Bills entering the season.