Quintin Morris' injury opens up a roster spot for rising young TE

The Buffalo Bills' top two tight ends are locked down, that’s been clear since the team drafted Dalton Kincaid in 2023. But what about the third, and most likely final, tight end spot on the roster? Well, Zach Davidson and Quintin Morris have been battling for that job all summer. With both players neck and neck in this battle, the only thing that would force one of them out is injury. And that’s exactly what happened to Quintin Morris. 

Morris was having a great summer, and it seemed like his experience in this system, coupled with his special teams ability, would be enough to help him make the team. Morris has been in Buffalo for the past two seasons, and going into his third year now, it seemed like there wouldn’t be any competition for the TE3 spot. But Davidson, right behind him on the depth chart, has been making plays since early July. With the all-around summer that Davidson has had, it would be tough for him to clear waivers next week and sign to the practice squad. 

Morris has made a name for himself on special teams since signing with Buffalo, with him and fullback Reggie Gilliam being key contributors there every week. But that may change this year. Davidson played a good amount of last week's game on special teams, finishing the game with seven special teams snaps and 25 offensive snaps. 

The fourth-year tight end has been praised by his offensive teammates and coaches, with offensive coordinator Joe Brady telling reporters, "Understanding his growth in the run game, being able to understand angles and hand placement. You know what he can do in the passing game. You can see the growth in his understanding of how to play the position and not just be an athletic tight end," said Brady.

It’s interesting that Brady specifically mentioned his blocking in the run game. Buffalo’s top two tight ends, Dalton Kincaid and Dawson Knox are known more for their pass-catching. Having someone on the field like Davidson, who’s listed at 6’7 251 lbs on the field blocking for James Cook is something that the Bills value. David Edwards, the team’s sixth offensive lineman last year, assumed the starting guard position this off-season. Davidson’s main role will likely be run blocking, taking Edwards’ role, as they beef up their line in short-yardage situations. 

Both Davidson and Morris are still neck and neck in preseason games as well. Neither of them caught a pass in the Week 1 game against the Chicago Bears. In Week 2, Davidson caught one pass for 27 yards, while Morris had two catches for 20 yards. Unfortunately for Morris, as we mentioned earlier, he’s dealing with a shoulder injury and will miss “multiple weeks”, head coach Sean McDermott announced. 

While Morris misses the important preseason finale, Davidson’s snaps are going to increase as the starters won’t be playing either. That leaves just Zach Davidson and Tre McKitty available for the entire game. Without any definitive word on how long Morris will miss, one thing is clear. Morris missing this week's game is critical in how the active roster will shape out. What once was considered Morris’ job may become Davidson’s job for the foreseeable future. 

Roster cutdown day is August 27th at 4:00 PM, and we’ll finally get to see who the third tight end is. There’s a strong chance it becomes Zach Davidson’s job seeing he has many fans in the building.