The Bills have made the tight end position a priority in their roster construction — both in philosophy and practicality.
Brandon Beane and company traded up to draft Dalton Kincaid in 2023 and already had veteran starter Dawson Knox in the fold on a sizable contract (a 4-year, $52 million extension in 2022). But with changing faces in the wide receiver room, will that position be counted on even more in 2024?
The Bills spent much of the 2023 offseason touting the possibilities of an offense that featured “12 Personnel,” or two tight ends on the field at the same time with one running back and two wide receivers. That grouping can provide versatility in the run-and-pass games. That did happen some of the time, but less frequently once the Bills made the change from Ken Dorsey to Joe Brady at offensive coordinator.
As a rookie, Kincaid totaled 73 receptions for 673 yards and two touchdowns during the regular season. His production ramped up as the season unfolded, as Josh Allen looked his way more regularly and further down the field. A smooth route runner, Kincaid finished second among Bills pass catchers in both targets (91) and receptions (73), behind only Stefon Diggs.
With Diggs traded to the Houston Texans, and Gabriel Davis joining the Jacksonville Jaguars in free agency, that leaves 241 targets to be filled by someone in the Bills 2024 offense. Only Khalil Shakir returns as a regular contributor from last season among the wide receivers.
It all likely means Kincaid is poised to have an even greater role in the offense. It’s fair to think Kincaid has a good chance to lead the Bills in catches this season. Is a 100-reception, 1,000-yard campaign in the offing? It’s certainly possible. While it’s unfair to compare anyone to Chiefs’ star tight end Travis Kelce, the Bills could look to the Super Bowl champs for a blueprint when it comes to making a tight end the focal point in their attack.
But what does that mean for Dawson Knox? The veteran had career lows in targets (36), receptions (22) and yards (186) in 2023 while missing five games because of injury. He was used much more an in-line blocking tight end, as opposed to Kincaid who is better suited split out in the passing game.
Knox wasn’t necessarily happy about his production and usage last year, but has expressed a positive outlook about his role moving forward under Joe Brady. However, with Kincaid likely to continue surging, one might wonder if Knox’s numbers will remain lower than he’d like, or his contract signifies.
If Knox can still be a reliable option for Allen, especially in the red zone, it could give the Bills one of the better tight-end duos in the league with the ability to keep defenses guessing while Kincaid enjoys a breakout season.