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Focusing on players still signed to their rookie contracts, NFL.com pegged a key “homegrown player” on every team’s roster in the league.
For the Bills, some might think quarterback Josh Allen would be that guy, but there’s a surprise in store for another who thought that. Instead, tight end Dawson Knox is selected.
Here’s why Knox is the Bills’ key homegrown talent:
With a name like a Varsity Blues character and a scandalous propensity for splash plays, Knox is built for Buffalo stardom. He should have had his breakout moment Week 16 in Foxborough, when he was this close to three scores, but an outrageous 33-yard grab was marked down at the 1-yard line, and Josh Allen missed Knox for two more potential scores. Knox easily beat Patriots safety Patrick Chung in both matchups last year, typical of a rookie season where Knox was open all the time. Overthrows by Allen and a few drops limited Knox’s final stats (28-388-2), but he was often the biggest mismatch on the field. Allen just has to find him.
A few knocks on Allen are found instead of him being picked, but plenty are fair. Allen improved his mid-range accuracy last season, but it’s his deep ball, such as passes near those 33 yards downfield, that will help Knox and others in Buffalo’s offense potentially become breakout homegrown players in 2020. On the tight end himself, Knox has to improve his hands a bit as well. What the breakdown does not mention is Knox’s problems with drops, at times, as a rookie.
But there’s another reason why Knox could improve aside from Allen’s potential better accuracy. There’s also Stefon Diggs to consider. With him now in the fold, there should be a trickle-down effect to the rest of the playmakers on offense since Diggs will garner the most attention from opposing defenses in 2020.
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