TE Position

[Apocalypse Nuts]

20 hours ago, Binghamton Beast said:

Knox will be back and competing next season but to not look for an upgrade would be silly. Lots of drops and he was manhandled on the Allen fumble.

 

The kid should get better but you can’t just assume that’s a sure thing.

 

I can assume anything I want to assume, sir!

 

(jk  What you say makes sense)

Edited December 10, 2019 by Distorted One

[Rc2catch]

1 hour ago, BuffaloBill963 said:

Pretty silly and short sighted take. You ever consider maybe we might use the TE position more with better pass catching TEs? 

Kroft caught 60+ passes his one good season in Cincinnati. Guy can’t catch now? Broken foot issues slowed him down even more he’s never open? None of the tight ends last season could catch or get open? 
Other teams don’t seem to have this issue. 
Guys like Blake Jarwin and Darren Fells and Ryan Griffin are better than all of buffalos tight ends since they catch more balls? 

 

[N.Y. Orangeman]

4 hours ago, Kelly the Dog said:

He did score a game-winning TD in his first game.

And has 2 catches since then...

[Kelly the Dog]

36 minutes ago, N.Y. Orangeman said:

And has 2 catches since then...

You asked what he has done. I don't think he is a great player or even necessarily an every down player. But I also don't think that we used him at all as we should have while he was in, and I think he should be active, even if he is going to catch one or two balls a game.

[Rc2catch]

23 minutes ago, Kelly the Dog said:

You asked what he has done. I don't think he is a great player or even necessarily an every down player. But I also don't think that we used him at all as we should have while he was in, and I think he should be active, even if he is going to catch one or two balls a game.

The key is active for sure. If the offense struggles you need all hands on deck. Yeldon and duke need to be active, if we lose a special teams player or two so be it. 
Does no good to have special teams exclusive players active when Bojo kicks it 35 yards or 70 yards either of which to not get returned. 

[Ethan in Cleveland]

Too soon to give up on Kroft. I didn't like the money spent on him but he will be back next year. Give Knox time to develop.  They will have too many holes on front 7 and at WR (maybe add RT) to address TE early in the draft.

[Dopey]

On 12/9/2019 at 10:56 PM, BrownNgold said:

Could of had Hollister for league minimum.

Are you saying you had your eye on a TE who had a total of 4 receptions for 0 TD's the previous 2 seasons? 

 

[Rick 'r Mortis]

On 12/9/2019 at 7:21 PM, Nester said:

i like our current young TE's and i think we should let them develop.

 

Knox will be a beast, but its only his first year.

I agree.

 

People here act like he drops every other pass. Some idiots even post that he should be let go.

[Hapless Bills Fan]

On 12/9/2019 at 6:16 PM, ngbills said:

Looking around the league there are a ton of productive TE's. What do the Bills do here? I like Knox but the drops are alarming. Kroft seems to be a flop and contract we will be getting out of in the offseason. Looking at the past drafts you have a high correlation of 40 time and NFL success. This includes Engram, Fant, Howard, Kittle as the 5 fastest in the past 5 drafts. Slightly lower you have guys like Hockenson, Smith, Andrews, Samuels, Goedert, Gesecki, Njoku, Everett, Hooper, Henry, Higby.

 

Point is seems easy to hit on a fast TE being successful than a fast or tall WR. Tons of good TE's have come out and still dont see how Kittle was a 5th rounder...one of the best blockers in the draft and a 4.5 40 time. 

 

Upcoming draft:

Albert Okwuegbunam Missouri

Jared Pinkney Vanderbilt

Hunter Bryant Washington
Mitchell Wilcox South Florida

NFL combine fastest TE's here

 

I don't think 3 good TE on the roster is too many.  Neither do the Ravens :)

 

Kroft appears to be able to block.  Knox is "developing" as a blocker.  But both are at the "not quite" stage.  Kroft has been invisible in the passing game unless in a bad way.  Knox has been maddeningly inconsistent - he may develop consistency, he may not.  Give them both a full off-season to improve, AND add a new TE in FA and the draft for competition.

 

I would be all-in with drafting a promising TE, but not necessarily high.

[Putin]

On 12/9/2019 at 6:29 PM, Process said:

Kroft is useless and should be cut this off-season. That signing was a head scratcher from the beginning. 

 

Knoxs drops are a huge concern. Even if he ends up getting over it and becoming a good player for us, plenty of teams use two TEs.

 

Bills should go all out for Hooper this off-season.

 

Sign Hooper, sign a young RB, draft a WR in the first round. Offense set.

 

I agree with adding another TE and a # 1 WR 

draft , free agency or via trade . I think will probably go DE , LB in the draft 

[Hapless Bills Fan]

On 12/10/2019 at 12:42 AM, OZBILLS said:

We don't even target TE's. What's the point?

Every other team gives them lots of looks and ours get a few targets a game

 

First of all, if you watched the all-22 of the final pass in the Ravens game you would not question the point.

The blocking ability of Kroft and Singletary on that play were key to letting Allen make the pass.

The whiffed block of Knox on the strip sack was key to giving the Ravens great field position.

So even without a TE who makes a single pass play, it's still important.

 

Second, perhaps if we had a TE who didn't run a 1 in 5 drop rate - not a 1 in 5 incompletion percentage, scored drops by conservative measures - perhaps we would target them more.

 

 

[Hapless Bills Fan]

2 hours ago, Rick 'r Mortis said:

I agree.

People here act like he drops every other pass. Some idiots even post that he should be let go.

 

He doesn't drop every other pass and as stated elsewhere, I am not for letting go of either Kroft or Knox, but TE are normally high catch percentage guys.

A good TE - a Kittle, Higbee, Henry, Whitten, Hooper type - typically has a catch % of 70% or more and a drop % of <5%.

 

Knox is running 57.8% - and with 20% drops, that's simply not good TE receiving.  Will he improve?  I don't know. 

People say all kinds of stuff about what can or can't be fixed, but the unmeasurable aspect is what's between the guy's ears and how badly does he want to improve?

[BrownNgold]

3 hours ago, Dopey said:

Are you saying you had your eye on a TE who had a total of 4 receptions for 0 TD's the previous 2 seasons? 

 

In a biased way yes I had my eyes on him but in reality No, it's all hindsight.  But someone rolled the dice and got a decent TE out of the deal at least this year any way.

[OZBILLS]

7 hours ago, Hapless Bills Fan said:

Second, perhaps if we had a TE who didn't run a 1 in 5 drop rate - not a 1 in 5 incompletion percentage, scored drops by conservative measures - perhaps we would target them more.

 

Chicken and Egg scenario with Fort Knox

[BananaB]

On 12/10/2019 at 3:11 PM, Boatdrinks said:

Good point. Another question would be what has Foster done this year ? This offense is lacking playmakers, so if one thing isn’t working they need to try another to generate some scoring. 

He does average .3 catches a game. ?

[3rdand12]

12 hours ago, Rick 'r Mortis said:

I agree.

 

People here act like he drops every other pass. Some idiots even post that he should be let go.

hers i the thing about Knox.

 I can tell who watches the game from their opinion about his 
"drops"

he has made the same Rookie mistake multiple times. and then show great hands and feet. and he s beast with the ball. love his upside

 ( i find it forgivable ) for now.

He takes his eye off the ball and turns to look upfield. Done it multiple times.

That is where that negative stat gets spiked upward. Drives ya nuts. But he will overcome it and learn to look the ball in. He has good hands considering he was rarely used in college for moving the chains we should believe he will develop ! : )

 

 Kroft

that injury thing. Delayed his synergy developing in this offense and Allen. Still not a fan yet

 Sweeney. I think he just plain got pushed out when Money Kroft was ready to play. I like him from what i saw.

 

Lee Smith.

 well , if you are going to line up Dimarco and Gore and a third tackle and grind it? I want this guy. IHe does block the snot out of players
He is one heck of an aggressive and thorough blocker. Follow him one series and tell me different.

 

Croom ?? what is this all about guys? Lets move on and pickup someone like him as UDFA next year.
do we need to find one in the draft? Hmmm. Let the rooks develop and see what satf thinks of Kroft end of season.

 

I think it comes down to, as mentioned many times. Bills just do not use the TE position as much as perhaps they should.

Running around with smallish wrs and not using these big bodied fellows might suggest why Duke Williams is not on the field as well.
 

there is my rant

 your'e welcome 

 3rd

10 hours ago, Hapless Bills Fan said:

 

He doesn't drop every other pass and as stated elsewhere, I am not for letting go of either Kroft or Knox, but TE are normally high catch percentage guys.

A good TE - a Kittle, Higbee, Henry, Whitten, Hooper type - typically has a catch % of 70% or more and a drop % of <5%.

 

Knox is running 57.8% - and with 20% drops, that's simply not good TE receiving.  Will he improve?  I don't know. 

People say all kinds of stuff about what can or can't be fixed, but the unmeasurable aspect is what's between the guy's ears and how badly does he want to improve?

Watching Raven plays last two weeks? 

 Thats what i want from TE and FB position here in Buffalo territory

[Cripple Creek]

On 12/10/2019 at 2:14 PM, Kelly the Dog said:

I would play and feature Foster more. And I would activate Duke instead of a ST guy like Perry or another and just play him 6-10 plays a game like in the red zone.

DiMarco please? As a personal protector on kickoffs I didn't see him doing anything special.

[Hapless Bills Fan]

9 minutes ago, 3rdand12 said:

he has made the same Rookie mistake multiple times. and then show great hands and feet. and he s beast with the ball. love his upside

 ( i find it forgivable ) for now.

He takes his eye off the ball and turns to look upfield. Done it multiple times.

That is where that negative stat gets spiked upward. Drives ya nuts. But he will overcome it and learn to look the ball in. He has good hands considering he was rarely used in college for moving the chains we should believe he will develop ! : )

 

The same reason you find it forgiveable is the reason I'm being all "will this guy GET IT?  I don't know!".  I do like him.  I hope you're right.

 

9 minutes ago, 3rdand12 said:

do we need to find one in the draft? Hmmm. Let the rooks develop and see what satf thinks of Kroft end of season.

(....)

Watching Raven plays last two weeks? 

 Thats what i want from TE and FB position here in Buffalo territory

 

So...I want the latter.  Or Kittle-type play. 

 

And that's why I don't think we should "wait and see".  I think we should go for it.  If the rookies develop AND Kroft gets in sync with the offense and stays healthy AND the new guy looks good...the worst thing that could happen is we have a piece we can trade.

[MrEpsYtown]

I like Knox a lot. To me he is the closest thing to a  game breaking tight end that we have had here. But we have to remember that he is raw so it is going to take some time. He just did not get teh training necessary to be ready for the pro game. Heck if he went to Iowa or Stanford he might be better than some of the top guys in the league. I think he has #1 potential for sure. I also really like Tommy Sweeney and I thought he was pretty good early in the season. I'd like to see him get a shot to play again.