What to do with Dawson Knox

[Hapless Bills Fan]

On 12/29/2020 at 10:13 AM, Success said:

I guess I'm in a minority, but I love Knox.  He's a true football player - tough & resilient, and he has all of the skills you want in a TE.

 

Obviously, it's been a mix of good & bad so far, but this is a young player.  He made an early mistake last night, but more than made up for it with great play the rest of the game, including a couple of very key plays.  That 4th down catch was great.

 

He'll only get better. 

 

So FWIW...I didn't see this linked above.  Brian Daboll presser from yesterday.  About 8:50 in, asked about Dawson Knox.  Said that "he's a lot like the younger players that we have, he's getting better every week.  It was good to see ..he had that drop down there (in the end zone) we came back to him a few plays later and he made a big catch on a seam ball, it's important to have confidence in your guys, we have confidence in him, he's done a good job improving these last few weeks, and we're going to need him to continue to do that."

 

Press Conferences Video | Buffalo Bills - buffalobills.com

[WideNine]

On 12/29/2020 at 7:07 AM, Rocky Landing said:

It's worth noting that they kept Knox on the field after that egregious drop, and that Allen threw to him shortly after, and trusted him with a very difficult catch on fourth down. 

 

Also, while we're on the subject of TEs, at some point color commentators are going to have to stop referring to Lee Smith as "blocking tight end Lee Smith."

 

 

...perhaps they do that to make sure no one in the audience is confused and thinking the Bills were throwing to an eligible tackle😁

 

Lee has got to be happy that he is a serious red-zone threat...doesn't even have to block down there for a few games. If he releases, he is going to take a guy or two with him....hmmm maybe another red-zone wrinkle Daboll is cooking up.

 

 

 

[Billznut]

I don’t need Knox off the team next year.  He’s fine as a 2nd or 3rd string TE. But hopefully Beane can find a 1st string capable TE somehow, most likely through free agency or maybe even trade. 

[GunnerBill]

8 minutes ago, Billznut said:

I don’t need Knox off the team next year.  He’s fine as a 2nd or 3rd string TE. But hopefully Beane can find a 1st string capable TE somehow, most likely through free agency or maybe even trade. 

 

Money is the issue for bringing a vet in. I could see something like the trade the Falcons did to bring Hayden Hurst across from Baltimore with him still on a rookie deal. Don't know who that guy is though. You are not getting Fant and Hock would probably cost too much in compensation.

[Saxum]

On 12/29/2020 at 10:55 AM, MarkyMannn said:

Lee Smith catches that sideline pass and is "running" down field.  I'm like did I hit slo-mo on my remote?  😃

 

Just your mind like in last Green Hornet movie

 

[machine gun kelly]

On 12/29/2020 at 9:40 AM, billsfan1959 said:

In the immortal words of Homer Simpson: "Doh!"

 

Did you notice his hand positioning.  That’s a bad habit.  Coaching kids on my team, I used to like we were all taught have them in the moon position as he did, but articulated forward as much meaning closer to the palms facing each other.  The easiest way to teach a kid to catch is to have them pretend to clap.  Not completely because of the way you shape you’re them  to fingers.  He had his palms faced forward and a lot of passes are dropped with that habit.

That is a teachable skill, but much easier for little kids as if this is his go to, he’s been doing it for 15+ years.  As has been brought up before, if he is thinking I have to keep my feet in bounds so he’s distracted from the art of the catch, that is a problem.

 

Now as far as the OP, I don’t mind another conversation on Knox.  He is cheap labor, so he’s you keep him, but I would pick up a TE next year as it is a deep TE draft.  Some of the draft gurus are projecting better than 2017, 18, and 19 was relatively weak for TE’s.  There is nothing wrong with 12 and 13 personnel as an option.  Baltimore lived on this last year, amd not suggesting we adopt it as our WR’s are too good, but we can be even more elite if we add again the draft as they are cheap another TE.  Sweeney, and Kroft are probably gone.  The coaches like Smith so I can see depending on how high we draft one as the first, then Knox, then Smith.

 

Anyway, good topic Bobo.

[JaCrispy]

I do not trust Knox in any situation in a big game...and that’s not a good feeling to have- especially when you’re as far along as the Bills are...he is simply a liability far too often...

[JMF2006]

On 12/29/2020 at 9:26 AM, golfball323 said:

The Bills need their Kelce. Go get him...

 

Find out which TE Walter Football hates this year

 

They absolutely said TK would be wasted draft pick and suck.🙄

4 minutes ago, JaCrispy said:

I do not trust Knox in any situation in a big game...and that’s not a good feeling to have- especially when you’re as far along as the Bills are...he is simply a liability far too often...

 

Maybe we can buy the fix....drops open pass.....with some Madden points

[JMF2006]

On 12/29/2020 at 10:40 AM, Nester said:

Cut him and stick with Lee Smiths hands of gold!

 

I remember his first go round here.

 

Holding penalties every other play....dropped passes when he was wide open.  

 

Now he grinds it out I love watching him drop to H Back behind the tackle/guard and help pass block he is very good at it.

[BobbyC81]

On 12/29/2020 at 6:36 AM, LABILLBACKER said:

Pitts....get it done. 

 

He’s probably on Belichick’s radar.

[Doc]

1 hour ago, ColeB said:

 

He’s probably on Belichick’s radar.

 

For sure.  Hopefully he takes him in the 1st and keeps ignoring QB.

[Wsam4031]

On 12/29/2020 at 10:46 AM, Ya Digg? said:

I want to make sure I am understanding this right-you want him let go as in cut him? Right now? After the season? When? I’m guessing you mean after the season, if that’s the case who is the immediate upgrade (keep in mind he is still on his rookie deal and will be that way for 2 more years)? If you mean right now, what’s the benefit this late in the season?

no im not advocating to dump him this very minute. Im advocating for drafting or signing another Te next year and not giving Knox a free pass as the starter. I would much rather see Kroft for the rest of the year than knox though

[DCbillsfan]

I agree with Daboll that Knox appears to be improving lately.  Still room for improvement but he's only on year 2 of rookie deal.  I suspect Bills will draft a TE in a few months.  This offense could be scary good with a playmaking TE.

[Call_Of_Ktulu]

Knox has elite athletic ability above average hands and will Develop into a solid blocker. Josh seems to trust him and that’s all that really matters. I see Knox in the pro bowl next year, TE’s always make a leap in the 3rd year. I feel like Knox easily has the ability to be at the level of Hockenson next year.

[BuffaloBill]

On 12/29/2020 at 9:22 AM, bobobonators said:

I know this topic has been touched upon numerous times but here we go again. 
 

Knox has been more involved in the offense since the SF game - it has been great to see. This offense has been rolling. A top tier pass-catching TE is what this passing attack needs to be consistently elite in my opinion. It’s impossible for an opposing defense to account for Diggs, Beasley and a TE threat. A team with an elite corner like the Dolphins may be able to shadow Diggs and somewhat take him out of the game, but with Beasley and a TE threat the offense would still be dynamic. 
 

Knox has all the tools to be that threat we need in the redzone and over the middle of the field but this dude continues to raise question marks. How does he drop that TD last night? His hands can be too unpredictable for my liking. 
 

This upcoming draft has a couple of really good TE options. Do we stick with Knox as the starter one more season to see if it all clicks at some point? Do you guys want to spend a first or second round pick on a TE next yr? 

 

 

The answer to this is simple and timeless BPA. You do not reach in early rounds. If you are in the fourth or fifth maybe a little bit to fill a need. I know this will come as a downer for most but I see the bills taking a lineman (O or D) and a CB in the 1st three rounds. If they do I would not be disappointed. You build the trench capabilities and do everything you can to shut down the pass. Look how quickly CB depth evaporated this year.

[Ralonzo]

6 minutes ago, Call_Of_Ktulu said:

Knox has elite athletic ability above average hands and will Develop into a solid blocker. Josh seems to trust him and that’s all that really matters. I see Knox in the pro bowl next year, TE’s always make a leap in the 3rd year. I feel like Knox easily has the ability to be at the level of Hockenson next year.

Knox was the Josh Allen of TE’s in his draft, physically gifted but extremely raw. The errors I see from him are primarily mental errors. These are solved with coaching and reps, not cutting and replacing. Legit #1 receiving TE ala Greg Olsen or Mark Andrews is his upside. Not a world-beater or dominator but how many of those exist.

[Doc]

1 minute ago, Ralonzo said:

Knox was the Josh Allen of TE’s in his draft, physically gifted but extremely raw. The errors I see from him are primarily mental errors. These are solved with coaching and reps, not cutting and replacing. Legit #1 receiving TE ala Greg Olsen or Mark Andrews is his upside. Not a world-beater or dominator but how many of those exist.

 

It's still a concentration issue with him.  Again, he'll drop some of the easy passes thinking he has it, but the difficult ones he'll make an amazing grab because he's focused.  I was hoping he'd correct it over the off-season.  Hopefully this next one.

[BBills88]

He is the TE version of Josh Allen.

He is getting better weekly, just need consistency. 

[thenorthremembers]

Right now Knox is a 1st string player who has the output of someone like Will Dissly or Jeremy Sprinkle, guys who are 2nd or 3rd options on their teams at tight end.   His hands are just not good enough to have him as the 1st option at tight end.   The Bills will probably give him another year to determine whether he can outgrow his issues because he is a high pick.  But if the option to upgrade is sitting there during the draft they for sure have to look into it.  

[wjag]

I said it upthread and I’ll repeat it again. Knox is growing on me.  If for no other reason he gave us the meme of the century with his toe-drag in front of Belichick and then Billy’s verbal and physical phone assault.  That was THE moment in the Bills season where us fans knew the tides had turned.