Bills Predicted to Part Ways With $52 Million TE in Midseason Move
The Buffalo Bills have found a surprise star in rookie tight end Jackson Hawes, who has quickly become one of the team’s best blockers and a steady goal-line target.
His emergence could push the Bills to part ways with another veteran tight end, with one insider predicting the team will move him at the upcoming trade deadline in exchange for some NFL Draft capital.
Bills Could Say Goodbye to Dawson Knox
Analyst Matt Verderame of SI.com proposed trades for all 32 NFL teams, suggesting the Atlanta Falcons could look to the Bills for another piece on offense. Verderame proposed the Bills trade tight end Dawson Knox to Atlanta in exchange for a fifth-round pick, getting rid of the veteran and his four-year, $52 million contract.
The Panthers find themselves in a peculiar position,” Verderame wrote. “They should rebuild again, but it might be too soon to pull the plug on what coach Dave Canales has built the past season and a half. It’s the slowest rebuild in the NFL, but they’re at least trying to move forward, unlike a few other organizations.
Verderame wrote that if the Falcons try to make a push behind their young quarterback, they could use a veteran like Knox.
The Panthers should see this through with Bryce Young for at least the entirety of this season,” Verderame wrote. “Knox, 28, has gotten lost a bit in Buffalo since the team drafted Dalton Kincaid in the first round two years ago. Also, the Bills are starting to utilize rookie tight end Jackson Hawes.
Knox was once a favorite target of quarterback Josh Allen, but saw his role shrink after the team used a first-round pick on tight end Dalton Kincaid in 2023.
Knox had just 22 receptions for 186 yards and two touchdowns in 2023 and followed it with 22 receptions for 311 yards and one score last season. Knox continues to play a small role in the offense, making four receptions for 39 total yards this year.
Trade Would Clear Path for Rookie Tight End
The Bills may be comfortable trading Knox thanks to the rise of Hawes, who quickly grew out of his role as a primary blocking tight end. He has four receptions for 54 yards and one touchdown so far this year, outpacing Knox in terms of playing time.
The Athletic’s Joe Buscaglia called Hawes an emerging star, which could force the Bills into a decision on Knox’s future in Buffalo.
“Hawes has outplayed Knox by quite a bit to begin the year,” Buscaglia wrote. It’s also worth noting that the Bills have a decision point with Knox in the upcoming offseason. The tight end only has one year left on his deal, and the team can save almost $10 million on the 2026 cap to move on.”
Buscaglia added that the Bills must decide after this season whether to pick up the fifth-year option on Kincaid, which is projected at an $8.7 million salary.
At best, given their cap structure, the Bills can only afford to keep one of Kincaid or Knox past 2026, and that might even get fast-forwarded to this offseason should the Hawes’ arrival continue to excel,” Buscaglia wrote.
Browns QB Shedeur Sanders Gets Bad News Ahead of Week 1
Shedeur Sanders will open the season as the Cleveland Browns’ No. 3 quarterback, with no plans for him to see the field this season.
Sanders will function as the No. 3, emergency quarterback for the Browns. He’ll sit behind 40-year-old starter Joe Flacco and fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel, who is the primary backup.
The Browns quarterback situation over the years always features some unexpected twists and turns. But if all goes according to plan, Sanders will not play this season, per Dianna Russini of The Athletic.
“Don’t plan on seeing the fifth-round pick on the field this season unless things get really weird,” Russini said. “Cleveland believes in Joe Flacco’s experience and Dillon Gabriel’s development as the backup.”
Russini added that there’s no grand conspiracy keeping Sanders on the sideline, which is what some have voiced online. He is a fifth-round pick and the Browns view him as a developmental prospect who needs work.
“For all the football conspiracy theorists out there trying to decode the real reason the Cleveland Browns drafted Shedeur Sanders, here’s the truth: There is no big secret. The pick wasn’t some master plan from ownership,” Russini said. “It was GM Andrew Berry’s call, rooted in his belief that Cleveland’s coaching staff could bring out the best in Sanders and help him grow into an NFL quarterback. It will be a process, and the Browns want to keep developing him.”
Browns QB Shedeur Sanders Had Rough Preseason Finale
If anything, the Browns have been clear on how they view Sanders based on his reps and opportunities. He received no first-team reps during training camp, while Flacco, Gabriel, and the now-departed Kenny Pickett did.
Sanders capitalized when he got his first preseason start and the spotlight against the Carolina Panthers. He passed for 138 yards and two touchdowns. Sanders suffered an oblique injury in practice, which prevented him from building on the momentum from his strong performance.
Sanders’ final preseason outing was rough. He completed just three passes and was sacked five times. The Browns also decided to pull Sanders for a two-minute drill situation late with the game on the line.
“Obviously, I feel like I can improve in a lot of areas, like the same thing I said last time. I’m just excited for the opportunity to get out there and play,” Sanders said after the game. “Every day was a new day, every day you learn different things and life lessons that you learn in every situation. I’m coming out of training camp happy that I got the opportunity.”
Joe Flacco is Confident Ahead of First Starter
Flacco is 40 but is feeling fresh heading into the season after seeing limited reps in training camp and the preseason. He only appeared in the team’s final preseason game, playing for around a quarter.
The quarterback competition resulted in a lower workload for Flacco but he’s embracing being in the top spot now.
“There’s so many things about every training camp and every situation that you’re in that aren’t necessarily ideal, but that’s not necessarily what’s ideal for the team. I think the best thing for this team was to kind of have the process that we had,” Flacco said. “And even though I may personally not feel like that was the best thing for myself, I can get on board and see how that was important for the team to go through this process.
“Therefore I’m willing to, and I have been willing to, play that role and go through that process and just be the best version of myself I can be. And now heading into the season, I feel like there was plenty of time for me to make sure that I got the reps and felt comfortable with all the guys around me.”
Flacco and the Browns are a 5.5-point home underdog against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 1.
