The Bills May Already Be Planning for Life After Dawson Knox

The Buffalo Bills' decision to keep four tight ends on their 53-man roster might not seem like a major story on the surface. Dalton Kincaid, Dawson Knox, Jackson Hawes, and Keleki Latu all bring something different to the position, and carrying four gives Buffalo plenty of flexibility.

But there could be a little more to the decision than that.

Knox is still under contract and remains an important part of the Bills' offense, but Kincaid has become the clear long-term piece at the position. At the same time, Latu showed enough during the offseason camps and preseason to make the Bills want to keep developing him, while Hawes gives the team another young player to work with.

That combination could eventually make Knox the odd man out.

It doesn't mean Buffalo is sure to move on from him after this season. The Bills have no reason to make that decision right now, and Knox can still play an important role in the offense. But when a team keeps four tight ends despite having roster needs elsewhere, it's worth looking at who could still be around a year or two from now.

Kincaid is obviously going to be part of that future. The more interesting question is whether Latu can develop into another reliable option.

Latu's preseason performance—six catches on seven targets for 53 yards— gave Buffalo plenty to like, and the team now has an entire season to see what it has in him. If he continues to improve and eventually earns a larger role, the Bills could head into next offseason feeling much better about their options behind Kincaid.

That's where Knox's situation could become more complicated.

Knox has been with Buffalo since 2019 and has played a significant role throughout the team's rise into a perennial contender. But NFL rosters are constantly evolving, and younger players eventually force teams to make difficult decisions about veterans who have been around for years.

For now, there is no reason to assume Knox is on his way out. If Buffalo were to do anything, they'd either take an $8 million dead cap hit or, as a post June 1 designation, clear $5 million in space. That said, the Bills clearly still value what he brings to the offense, and having four tight ends could simply give Joe Brady more ways to use the position.

Still, this could be the beginning of a transition.

If Kincaid remains healthy, Latu continues developing, and Hawes shows he can contribute even more than last year, Buffalo may have the pieces it needs to move forward without Knox whenever that time comes. And considering how much the Bills value developing young players, keeping all four tight ends around could give them the chance to find out exactly what they have before making that decision.