Tag: lee smith

Former two-time Bills TE Lee Smith retires from NFL

Former two-time #Bills TE Lee Smith retires from the NFL:

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Former Buffalo Bills tight end Lee Smith has retired from the NFL.

Smith, an 11-year pro, most recently played for the Atlanta Falcons in 2021 after he was traded there by the Bills last offseason.

After being drafted by the New England Patriots in 2011, he was cut at the end of training camp.

From there, Smith started his first stint in Buffalo as he signed with the team. That lasted until 2014. Then he came back to the Bills in 2019 until he was shipped out for a seventh-round pick.

In between his two times in Buffalo, Smith played for the Oakland Raiders.

Smith had a bit of a mixed relationship with fans while with the Bills. His up-and-down production as a playmaker did that but Smith was known as perhaps one of the NFL’s best blocking tight ends in his career.

That intangible, plus his leadership, made Smith a beloved teammate during his time in the Bills locker room. That’s something even fans acknowledged.

As a pass catcher, Smith hauled in 73 catches for 523 yards and 11 touchdowns in 149 games played.

Here’s the video the Falcons released on Tuesday regarding Smith’s decision to hang ’em up:

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Falcons TE Lee Smith retires after 11 NFL seasons

Primarily a blocking tight end, Smith finishes his NFL career with 73 catches, 523 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns.

Last March, the Falcons traded a 2022 seventh-round pick to the Bills for tight end Lee Smith, and after one year in Atlanta, Smith is officially retiring. 

The 11-year veteran was a fifth-round pick by the New England Patriots back in 2011 and spent his first four seasons in Buffalo. Smith went on to play for the Raiders from 2015-2018, then returned to Buffalo for two more years before landing in Atlanta in 2021.

Primarily a blocking tight end, Smith finishes his NFL career with 73 catches, 523 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns. In 2021, Smith had nine catches for 65 yards and one touchdown for the Falcons.

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Falcons list 3 players as doubtful for Sunday’s game vs. Cowboys

The Falcons released their final injury report of the week following Friday’s practice and listed three players as doubtful for Sunday.

The Atlanta Falcons released their final injury report following Friday’s practice and three players were listed as doubtful for this weekend’s matchup against the Dallas Cowboys.

Tight end Lee Smith (back), outside linebacker Steven Means (knee) and defensive lineman Jonathan Bullard (concussion) are unlikely to suit up in Week 10, while cornerback Kendall Sheffield has been ruled out and defensive lineman John Cominsky is listed as doubtful.

As for linebacker Dante Fowler, the Falcons will determine his status on Saturday. Fowler practiced this week but is still technically on the injured reserve list.

Here’s a look at the team’s complete injury report ahead of this Sunday’s road matchup in Dallas.

Player Injury Wed Thu Fri Status
Lee Smith Back DNP DNP DNP Doubtful
Steven Means Knee LP LP DNP Doubtful
Jonathan Bullard Concussion LP LP LP Doubtful
Kendall Sheffield Hamstring DNP DNP DNP OUT
John Cominsky Shoulder – – LP Questionable

 

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Falcons Week 10 injury report: Kendall Sheffield out again

On Thursday, the Falcons practiced without tight end Lee Smith and cornerback Kendall Sheffield.

The Atlanta Falcons have a huge NFC matchup this weekend against the 6-2 Dallas Cowboys. Not only will the team get to see former head coach Dan Quinn, Atlanta has a chance to defeat a playoff contender for the second consecutive week.

On Thursday, the Falcons practiced without tight end Lee Smith and cornerback Kendall Sheffield. Both Smith and Sheffield were out Wednesday as well. As for defensive lineman Jonathan Bullard, he was limited but remains in the NFL’s concussion protocol. Steven Means practiced again but also remains limited with a knee injury.

Here’s Atlanta’s Week 10 injury report with Thursday’s practice updates.

Player Injury Wed Thu Fri Status
DL Jonathan Bullard Concussion LP LP
LB Steven Means Knee LP LP
TE Lee Smith Back DNP DNP
CB Kendall Sheffield Hamstring DNP DNP
LB Dante Fowler Knee (IR) (IR)

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Giants lose to Falcons: Instant analysis

Analyzing the New York Giants’ embarrassing loss against the Atlanta Falcons on on Sunday afternoon in Week 3.

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On a perfect day for football in Northern New Jersey, the 0-2 New York Giants hosted the 0-2 Atlanta Falcons in a matchup between two teams not expected to make much noise in the NFC this year.

They didn’t make much noise in this game, either. Atlanta came into the game allowing the most points in the league (80) over the first two weeks and many expected the Giants to take advantage of that. Quarterback Daniel Jones was operating with this full complement of weapons for the first time in his Giants career.

But that wouldn’t last very long.

Wide receiver Darius Slayton left the game in the first quarter with a hamstring issue and was ruled out. Sterling Shepard hobbled off the field in the second quarter with a hamstring strain and was also ruled out. Running back Saquon Barkley went off for treatment on the Giants’ third possession but returned.

The Giants’ defense opened the game by forcing punts on the Falcons’ first three possessions but could only muster a pair of field goals on two long drives. The Giants were plagued by injuries and penalties in the first half and fell behind 7-6 with 1:33 left in the second quarter when Matt Ryan hit Olamide Zaccheaus for a four-yard touchdown. The scoring drive was aided several plays before when Giants safety Xavier McKinney was flagged with a questionable personal foul penalty that gave the Falcons the football on the New York seven.

On the Giants’ next possession, tight end Evan Engram, making his season debut, caught a pass in the seam on a second-and-10 for 14 yards but fumbled the football away. Atlanta took possession on the Giants’ 36 but the defense got the football back when rookie Azeez Ojulari stripped Ryan on a third and nine. The ball was recovered by Lorenzo Carter preventing any further damage as the half ran out with Atlanta leading, 7-6.

In the second half, the Giants opened with a seven-play, 29-yard drive that led to another punt. The defenses continued to rule as both teams went scoreless in the third quarter. But the Giants put an end to the frustration early in the fourth quarter when Barkley scored on a one-yard dive at the 12:33 mark. Jones followed that by running in the two-point conversion for a 14-7 Giants lead.

Atlanta came right back and tied the game on a one-yard Ryan-to-Lee Smith touchdown connection to end a 15-play drive that was buoyed by an Adoree’ Jackson dropped interception in the end zone and a Logan Ryan pass interference penalty.

The Giants took possession with 4:13 remaining but a holding penalty on second down put Jones in a 3rd-and-19 situation that led to another Giants punt with 1:58 left on the clock.

Ryan, starting from his now 20, drove the Falcons down the field quickly and efficiently down to the Giants’ Pro Bowl kicker Younghoe Koo, who had never kicked a game-winning field goal in the fourth quarter or in overtime, belted a 40-yard attempt right through the middle of the uprights with :03 left on the clock for the Atlanta victory.

The Giants are 0-3 for the third time in five seasons.

Notes

  • Inside linebacker and defensive captain Blake Martinez was helped off the field on the Falcons’ opening drive with a non-contact knee injury and did not return. He was replaced by Reggie Ragland. Tae Crowder took over calling the defensive signals.
  • Collin Johnson was the next man up at wide receiver after the injuries to Slayton and Shepard and had a solid day catching five passes for 51 yards.
  • Daniel Jones did not throw a touchdown but did complete 24 of 35 passes for 266 yards and rushed for 39 more.
  • Saquon Barkley scored his first touchdown since Week 17 of the 2019 season. He rushed for 51 yards and caught six passes for 43 yards.
  • Former quarterback Eli Manning had his No. 10 retired at halftime and was also enshrined in the Giants’ Ring of Honor. It was one of the few times the crowd cheered.
  • The Giants outgained the Falcons 346-296 and won the time of possession, 31:51 to 28:09.
  • The Giants went 7-14 on third down but just 1-3 in the red zone. They 3-9 on the season in the red zone.

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Falcons TE Lee Smith placed on NFL’s Reserve/COVID-19 list

A total of 15 players were placed on the NFL’s Reserve/COVID-19 list on Tuesday, including Atlanta Falcons tight end Lee Smith

A total of 15 players were placed on the NFL’s Reserve/COVID-19 list on Tuesday, including Atlanta Falcons tight end Lee Smith, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.

Smith, 33, was acquired by the Falcons in an offseason trade with the Bills. Atlanta sent Buffalo a seventh-round pick in exchange for the 270-pound blocking tight end. The Falcons still have Jaeden Graham, Hayden Hurst and rookie Kyle Pitts on the roster, so hopefully Smith’s absence doesn’t hurt the team very much.

Expect head coach Arthur Smith to utilize two and three tight end sets this season as he attempts to improve one of the NFL’s least efficient rushing attacks.

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Falcons send seventh-round pick to Bills for TE Lee Smith

It was reported Tuesday night that the Falcons had acquired veteran tight end Lee Smith from the Buffalo Bills for a late-round pick, but Atlanta wasn’t able to confirm the move until Wednesday.

It was reported Tuesday night that the Falcons had acquired veteran tight end Lee Smith from the Buffalo Bills for a late-round pick, but Atlanta wasn’t able to confirm the move until Wednesday afternoon when the new league year began.

Now that the deadline has passed, the team officially announced the trade over Twitter.

Atlanta gave up a 2022 seventh-round pick for the 33-year-old tight end. At 6-foot-6, 265 pounds, Smith has primarily been used as a blocker over his 10 NFL seasons. In 133 career games, he has 64 catches for 458 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns.

Smith began his career in Buffalo, spending four years there before signing with the Oakland Raiders in 2015. After four seasons in the silver and black, he’d return to the Bills in 2019 and play two more seasons.

Buffalo was likely going to release Smith but Atlanta was willing to pay a small price to acquire his services in order to add some depth to one of the NFL’s thinnest rosters. The Falcons re-signed TE Jaeden Graham last week, and have Hayden Hurst under contract for at least one more season.

According to OverTheCap’s projections, Smith’s $2.25 million salary leaves the Falcons with $2.1 million in cap space.

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Falcons trade for Bills TE Lee Smith

The Atlanta Falcons have acquired a new tight end on Tuesday, sending a late-round pick to the Buffalo Bills for tight end Lee Smith.

The Atlanta Falcons were quiet on Monday when the NFL’s free-agent tampering period began, but things picked up on Tuesday. After restructuring Matt Ryan’s contract in the afternoon, the team acquired a new tight end later on Tuesday evening.

Per a report from ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Falcons have sent a 2022 late-round pick to the Buffalo Bills for TE Lee Smith.

Smith was drafted by the New England Patriots in the fifth round of the 2011 NFL draft, but ended up in Buffalo as a rookie. He would play four seasons for the Bills, then four with the Oakland Raiders, before returning to Buffalo for two more years.

Over his 10 NFL seasons, Smith has played primarily as a blocking tight end. In 133 career games, he has 64 catches for 458 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns.

The Falcons re-signed tight end Jaeden Graham earlier in the week, and with Smith’s acquisition, the team has addressed what was somewhat of a need. Smith’s salary cap hit is $2.25 million, which isn’t bad, especialy after Ryan’s restructure.

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Bills trade TE Lee Smith to Falcons

TE Lee Smith traded from Buffalo Bills to Atlanta Falcons.

The Buffalo Bills have struck a trade during the early stages of the NFL’s free agency period as tight end Lee Smith has been shipped out.

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Smith, 33, was sent to the Atlanta Falcons for a late-round pick in 2022.

Smith previously said he was contemplating retiring from the NFL earlier this offseason. One would expect that the Bills confirmed with Smith that he wanted to continue playing in 2021 before trading him, but the move was more so made as a salary cap cut, anyway.

In moving on from Smith, the Bills save $2.25 million against the cap. His contract, which had one year remaining on it, also carried no dead cap hit, so it appeared one way or another that the tight end was going to be moved this offseason.

Smith, who was in his second tenured with the Bills, was a team captain and on the field known more as a blocking tight end. In 10 games last season, he only caught four passes… but two did go for touchdowns.

With Smith gone and Tyler Kroft a pending free agent, one way or another the Bills will have some free blood in their tight end room in 2021.

Dawson Knox is still under contract as well.

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B/R suggests TE Bills should target in free agency

Buffalo Bills should target TE Jared Cook in free agency says Bleacher Report.

The tight end position is a lightning rod for attention for the Buffalo Bills. In an offense that did nothing but impress in 2020, the tight position group did anything but.

Second-year pro Dawson Knox never hit his stride. Behind him, the Bills have little playmaking talent. Additionally, Buffalo general manager Brandon Beane already said that tight end production can stand to improve this offseason.

If the Bills do decide to find an upgrade, Bleacher Report suggests one name to get there: Jared Cook.

In tabbing the best destination for the 33-year-old, B/R says the Bills are his “best fit.” Here’s why:

Best fit: Buffalo Bills. The cap-strapped New Orleans Saints might not be able to afford to keep him around, while the Bills are a contender who could take advantage of his experience right away in a platoon role with young incumbent Dawson Knox.

Bringing Cook into the fold with Knox is a concept the Bills have actually already tried to pull off. Last offseason, Buffalo was connected to then-free agent Greg Olsen who opted to sign with the Seattle Seahawks instead.

From there, the Bills decided to roll out Knox at tight end and he had a bump in the road. His production dropped as he only caught 24 passes for 288 yards and three touchdowns in 12 games played this year. Knox might be better suited in a No. 2 role, or at least with less pressure on him until he develops more. Enter Cook?

In 2020 alone, Cook put up comparable numbers to the ones Knox has in his two-year career. Cook hauled in 37 catches for 504 yards with seven touchdowns. In the past, Cook has pushed upwards of 900 receiving yards and he’s probably not going to do such a thing in a role with the Bills. He also isn’t exactly a highly-touted blocker.

Still, the veteran could be a short-term solution at the position to pair with Knox.

In regard to the rest of Buffalo’s tight ends, Tyler Kroft is a free agent while Lee Smith has already suggested he might retire this offseason. There would easily be room for Cook in Buffalo.

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