The tight end position has been an issue for the Buffalo Bills for a while now. The hope was that Dawson Knox could be that answer when they drafted him in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft but he has yet to produce consistently.
However, the team seemingly had the answer on their roster the year prior to drafting Knox when Logan Thomas was with the team. Thomas, a former quarterback at Virginia Tech, started his career with the Arizona Cardinals in 2014.
He had stops with the Miami Dolphins and New York Giants on their practice squads before switching to tight end and joining the Detroit Lions in 2016.
He was on their practice squad when the Buffalo Bills signed him during that season. Thomas remained with the team through the 2018 season. This was the first time he saw significant playing time as a tight end and played in 24 games, started five games, and had 19 receptions, 144 receiving yards, and one touchdown.
Logan Thomas breaks out after leaving the Buffalo Bills
After a one-year stop with the Detroit Lions, where he appeared in all 16 games and had 16 receptions, 174 receiving yards, and one receiving touchdown, Thomas joined the Washington Football Team in 2020. This was his first true opportunity at being a full-time starter and had an incredible season with 72 receptions, 670 receiving yards, and six touchdowns.
This season, Thomas has once again been productive with eight receptions, 75 yards and one touchdown through two games. On Sunday, the Bills will get to see firsthand how much he has improved when they face the Washington Football Team.
It remains to be seen if Thomas would have broken out with the Buffalo Bills but showed some positive things early in his career as he was still learning the position. He was a sure-handed pass catcher with a catch rate over 70%, which is something that Dawson Knox has struggled with early in his career.
The tight end position was one of the clear weaknesses for this Buffalo Bills offense during the offseason but that may not have been the case if they had brought back Logan Thomas instead of letting him test free agency.