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How many TEs should the #Bills keep?
Buffalo Bills 2022 training camp kicks off on July 24. With camp just around the corner, Bills Wire will examine Buffalo’s roster position-by-position. We’ll analyze the new additions and departures to each position group, and provide a glimpse into the future for the team.
Next up is the tight end unit:
11 players to watch at #Bills’ minicamp from rookies to vets:
The Buffalo Bills are getting after it as minicamp starts on Tuesday. To this point, spring practices were voluntary, but now we’re at the stage of a few mandatory workouts.
Since all players are supposed to be in the building and on the field working out, here are 11 players to watch for during the Bills’ minicamp:
Winners, losers from the #Bills’ offseason so far:
The inital wave of free agency from the 2022 NFL offseason is over. The Buffalo Bills were players in that pool.
Looking ahead, the Bills will be at the upcoming NFL draft as well. Buffalo holds seven totals picks there and some of them will change how we look at the team’s roster.
But for now, here are winners and losers from the Bills’ locker room so far this offseason:
Tunnel Vision – a look back at Sunday for fantasy free agents, injuries and notable performances.
| SUNDAY SALUTES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Quarterbacks | Pass-Rush | TD |
| Tom Brady | 375 – 2 | 4 |
| Mike White | 405 – (-1) | 3 |
| Josh Allen | 249 – 55 | 3 |
| Justin Fields | 175 – 103 | 2 |
| Jimmy Garoppolo | 322 – 4 | 2 |
| Running Backs | Yards | TD |
| Michael Carter | 15-77 rush 9-95 catch |
1 |
| Joe Mixon | 14-33 rush 4-58 catch |
2 |
| Austin Ekeler | 11-64 rush 6-60 catch |
1 |
| Aaron Jones | 15-59 rush 7-51 catch |
1 |
| Darrell Henderson | 14-90 rush 1-3 catch |
1 |
| Wide Receivers | Yards | TD |
| A.J. Brown | 10-155 | 1 |
| Michael Pittman | 10-86 | 2 |
| Chris Godwin | 8-140 | 1 |
| Robert Woods | 3-57 | 2 |
| Cooper Kupp | 7-115 | 1 |
| Tight Ends | Yards | TD |
| Pat Freiermuth | 4-44 | 1 |
| Brevin Jordan | 3-41 | 1 |
| Jesse James | 3-38 | 1 |
| T.J. Hockenson | 10-89 | 0 |
| Geoff Swaim | 4-23 | 1 |
| Placekickers | XP | FG |
| Zane Gonzalez | 1 | 4 |
| Joey Slye | 1 | 4 |
| Jake Elliott | 5 | 3 |
| Nick Folk | 1 | 4 |
| Randy Bullock | 4 | 2 |
| Defense | Sack-TO | TD |
| Eagles | 6 – 1 | 1 |
| Saints | 3 – 3 | 1 |
| Patriots | 3 – 2 | 1 |
| Titans | 1 – 3 | 1 |
| Broncos | 5-2 | 0 |
QB Sam Darnold – Concussion
QB Jameis Winston – Knee
RB Damien Williams – Knee
RB James Robinson – Ankle
RB Justin Jackson – Quad
RB Derrick Henry – Foot
TE Robert Tonyan – ACL
TE Rob Gronkowski – Back spasms
WR Denzel Mims – Finger
WR T.Y. Hilton – Concussion
WR Jalen Reagor – Ankle
WR Calvin Ridley – Stepping away
PK Chris Boswell – Concussion
QB Sam Darnold (CAR) – Suffered a concussion in the win over the Falcons and entered the league protocol. P.J. Walker will be the starter this week when the Panthers host the Patriots if Darnold remains out.
QB Jameis Winston (NO) – Believed to have suffered a torn ACL, but an MRI will confirm the damage. Taysom Hill is expected to clear the concussion protocol by this week so he’ll likely be available. But then do the Saints use Hill as a starter? Will they stick with Trevor Siemian? Or will they pick up Cam Newton? They’ll be adding a quarterback if Winston is out for the year, the question is if it will just be a warm body at the bottom of the depth chart or will they look for someone with the potential to be the starter?
Oh yes, and the NFL trade deadline is Tuesday afternoon. That suddenly gets interesting. The Saints host the Falcons this week, so there’s a chance for someone to step in and look good.
RB James Robinson (JAC) – Injured during the loss to the Seahawks, head coach Urban Meyer said that Robinson bruised his heel. The extent of the injury and length of time to recover won’t be known until Monday at the earliest. Carlos Hyde took his place in the game and would do so this week when they host the Bills if needed.
RB Derrick Henry (TEN) – Left the field and had his foot examined but later returned. He gained just 68 yards on 28 carries so his huge workload continues, but he’s been so indestructible that it’s the first sign that maybe he is getting too much work.
TE Rob Gronkowski (TB) – Only lasted for two series before he was pulled from the game with back spasms. He’s battled back issues at times in his career but the prognosis won’t be made until Monday. It is concerning that he’s going from one injury to the next so quickly, but it could be related to his previous rib injury.
TE Robert Tonyan (GB) – Tore his ACL in the Thursday night win at the Cardinals and is lost for the season. The Packers have Marcedes Lewis and Josiah Deguara who caught two passes in the game. There is speculation that they could trade for another tight end, but it is more likely they’ll stand pat on their roster. The tight end position hasn’t been very productive this year anyway.
WR T.Y. Hilton (IND) – Speaking of the often injured, Hilton returned from his neck injury and just picked up a new concussion. He contemplated retirement already, and this string of injuries don’t confirm that he made the right choice to return.
WR Jalen Reagor (PHI) – Was carted from the field with an ankle injury in the blowout win over the Lions. Reagor hasn’t been productive this year, and his absence won’t leave any major hole to fill. J.J. Arcega-Whiteside is his backup, but if he misses games, it would most likely just result in a couple of more targets for Quez Watkins or Devonta Smith.
WR Calvin Ridley (ATL) – Was inactive for personal reasons on Sunday, and then he tweeted during the game that he was stepping away from football to focus on his mental wellbeing. We wish him well and respect the tough decision that he felt was in his best interest. Tajae Sharpe took his place and led the Falcons with five receptions for 58 yards in the loss to the Panthers. This could make Russell Gage as the primary wideout now though he had no targets on Sunday. It makes Kyle Pitts likely to be the No. 1 receiver if he can handle it. The Falcons play at the Saints this week and have to figure out how they want to juggle their receivers.
Trade Deadline – With all the injuries, the trade deadline may be more active than originally expected. The deadline is Tuesday, November 4 at 4 PM EST.
Falcons receivers – The Panthers secondary had no problem handling the Falcons wideouts and now that they are officially without Calvin Ridley, they have to reinvent this unit. They went from 2020 with Ridley and Julio Jones, with Russell Gage in the slot, to Tajae Sharpe and Gage who is now miscast as an outside receiver. The Falcons have one of the kinder schedules but there’s no certainty any of these receivers can step up. Gage was active, was on the field, and never had a pass thrown to him. Sharpe has never been more than depth on any team. And Olamide Zaccheaus totaled eight catches on the year. Gage may seem to be the best bet, but his success was last year as the No. 3 between Ridley and Julio Jones. He doesn’t seem capable of stepping into a primary role.
WR DeVante Parker (MIA) – Returned after missing three games and led the Dolphins with eight catches for 85 yards. Parker collected 11 targets which were second only to Jaylen Waddle (12) with just four catches for 29 yards in the loss at the Bills.
TE Tommy Sweeney (BUF) – The Bills lost Dawson Knox in Week 6, and Sweeney takes his place. Dawson broke his hand and is out for an indeterminant amount of time. Sweeny caught a touchdown in Week 6 on his only catch that extended the Bills’ tight end scoring streak to five games. That streak ended on Sunday, but Sweeny accounted for three catches for 30 yards for his best game.
QB Justin Fields (CHI) – Maybe it was because head coach Matt Nagy was out with COVID or maybe it was something else. But while the Bears lost the game, Fields looked more dangerous than in any previous week. He completed 19-of-27 passes for 175 yards and one score and ran for a season-best 103 yards on ten rushes. He still hasn’t connected well with Allen Robinson, but using his legs more adds a needed element to the offense.
Eagles Backfield – This is getting hard to track. Miles Sanders is on injured reserve with an ankle issue, and the Eagles called up Jordan Howard from the practice squad. They split all the rushing work up almost perfectly between the three backs of Boston Scott (12-60, 2 TD), Howard (12-57, 2 TD), and Kenneth Gainwell (13-27) who was given almost every carry during the mop-up time in the fourth quarter. And yet, none registered a catch but it was a blowout win over the Lions. This week the Chargers show up with a below-average defense against running backs, and there’s no telling what to expect.
WR Brandin Cooks (HOU) – He was a Top-12 wideout this week and he’s one of those fantasy rarities that produces nearly all of his production at the end of games when the opponent is already substituting players and trying to just go home. This week, Cooks had two catches for 16 yards by midway through the fourth quarter but then logged four catches for 67 yards and a touchdown in the final minutes. It all counts.
TE Brevin Jordan (HOU) – The Texans’ fifth-round pick was this rookie out of Miami who generated some hype in the summer. He’s been inactive until Sunday when he caught 3-of-4 targets for 41 yards and a touchdown in his debut. This is more notable because the Texans are 1-7 and will look at new players for the rest of the season and for next year.
QB Mike White (NYJ) – The first start in his three-year NFL career was one for the record books. He threw for 405 yards and three touchdowns in the win over the Bengals. Zach Wilson’s best effort so far was only 297 yards and two scores against the Titans in Week 4. White mostly used his two starting running backs that combined for 14 catches and 166 yards, but he connected with ten receivers, and eight had at least two or more catches. He’ll start next week at the Colts, but there will be a little game film on him for the Colts to study.
WR Jamal Agnew (JAC) – On a day that Trevor Lawrence mostly looked for tight end Dan Arnold (8-68) and running back Carlos Hyde (6-40), it was notable that Agnew continues to expand his role in the offense. He caught six passes for 38 yards and the lone touchdown, and his 12 targets led the team.
RB J.D. McKissic (WAS) – The third-down back started the season with fewer catches but led Washington with eight catches for 83 yards in the loss to the Broncos. That makes two of the last three games with eight receptions.
WR Jerry Jeudy (DEN) – He injured his ankle in the season opener and just this week was taken off the injured reserve. He only caught four passes for 39 yards in his return, but that was a team high for receptions in the win over Washington. The Broncos play at the Cowboys this week and Teddy Bridgewater will need to throw more than 26 passes in that game.
RB Mark Ingram (NO) – His first game back with the Saints saw Ingram run for 27 yards on six carries and catch two passes for 25 yards. That was impressive for just arriving there and he’ll offer more in the coming weeks. Alvin Kamara still ran 19 times in the win over the Buccaneers, and needs to scale that level of work back so he can last the season.
QB Cooper Rush (DAL) – His first NFL start after four years in the league couldn’t have gone much better. Rush passed for 325 yards and two touchdowns and produced two 100-yard receivers in Amari Cooper (8-122, TD) and CeeDee Lamb (6-112). Dak Prescott is likely to return this week, but Rush pulled off the win at the Vikings to extend the Cowboys’ winning streak to six games.
Michael Carter – The Jets’ rookie started the season locked into a maddening three-way committee but eventually became the primary back on a bad offense with a bad offensive line during a bad season. No matter – Carter ran for 77 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries in the win over the Bengals and caught a team high nine passes for 95 yards.
Salute!
| Comedy | Yards | TDs | Tragedy | Yards | TDs | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| QB | Mike White | 405 | 3 | QB | Kyler Murray | 295 | 0 |
| RB | Ty Johnson | 86 | 1 | RB | James Robinson | 39 | 0 |
| RB | Boston Scott | 60 | 2 | RB | Nick Chubb | 69 | 0 |
| WR | Cole Beasley | 110 | 0 | WR | Devonta Smith | 15 | 0 |
| WR | DeAndre Carter | 51 | 1 | WR | Mike Williams | 19 | 0 |
| WR | Jamal Agnew | 38 | 1 | WR | Allen Robinson | 21 | 0 |
| TE | Pat Freiermuth | 44 | 1 | TE | Kyle Pitts | 13 | 0 |
| PK | Zane Gonzalez | 1 XP 4 FG | PK | Ryan Succop | 3 XP | ||
| Huddle Fantasy Points = 129 | Huddle Fantasy Points = 31 | ||||||
Now get back to work…
Sean McDermott: ‘Full confidence’ in #Bills TE Tommy Sweeney vs. #Dolphins:
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The Buffalo Bills have a couple of ways they can fill in for tight Dawson Knox.
Knox, who was in the midst of a breakout year, broke his hand. He’s reportedly going to miss a few weeks.
At the tight end position, next in line is Tommy Sweeney. The Bills aren’t going to flinch at all with the untested player in the huddle on Sunday against the Miami Dolphins.
“Full confidence, yeah, full confidence in Tommy, and I know the players feel the same way, as do the rest of the coaches,” Buffalo head coach Sean McDermott said via video conference.
Like McDermott, Bills wide receiver Stefon Diggs dusted off the same words. Just with his own flare.
“I have 100 percent confidence in T-Sween,” Diggs said via video conference. “He brings that route running, that technician, that hard worker, that blocker. He brings that mindset that we love on offense and just on our team in general. I love me some T-Sween.”
While Diggs might be pumping Sweeney’s tires with McDermott, observers of the team might be hesitant to.
In his career, Sweeney has 12 catches for 118 yards and a touchdown (which he only just scored in Buffalo’s last game).
Such a stat line looks more like Diggs in one game.
But the Bills still want Sweeney to do well. He’s come a long way.
“We’re happy for him. Albeit at someone else’s expense, seeing a guy go down in Dawson. That’s not what we want, but it’s next man up,” McDermott said.
In his response, McDermott referenced how Sweeney worked to get back to full health. Due to COVID-19 complications and myocarditis, he missed the entire 2020 season.
It’s a rare and serious heart condition but now Sweeney is good to go and chomping at the bit.
Perhaps most importantly, Bills quarterback Josh Allen feels he can trust Sweeney, too.
“He’s awesome to be around. He’s one of those guys that just consistently worked, kept his head down, never complained. Doesn’t have a whole lot of opportunities in the passing game, but when his number’s called, he usually ends up making the play,” Allen said on Wednesday.
Time will tell how much Sweeney is used in the playbook this week.
While he certainly could be a viable option, the Bills could also lean more on wide receivers like Cole Beasley and Gabriel Davis.
Regardless of which route Buffalo goes, that’s a lot of things keeping the Dolphins on their toes.
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Stock up, stock down following the #Bills’ loss to the #Titans:
The Buffalo Bills fell in heartbreaking fashion against the Tennessee Titans, 34-31, on Monday. Following that loss and now heading into the bye week, here is Bills Wire’s Week 6 stock report:
Stock up, stock down following the #Bills’ preseason win over the #Lions (via @mckennamiddle):
The Buffalo Bills kicked off their preseason with a dramatic 16-15 win over the Detroit Lions. The Bills controlled the game early, but a fourth quarter push from Detroit needed to see a late field goal from Tyler Bass to win the game for Buffalo.
Let’s see which of the preseason performers for the Bills excelled (and which didn’t) against the Detroit Lions in Bills Wire’s stock report:
The Bills have lost TE Tommy Sweeney to myocarditis, a side-effect of COVID-19
There has been much discussion that COVID-19 can lead to a heart condition known as myocarditis.
The disease has surfaced in an NFL player as Buffalo Bills coach Sean McDermott said Monday tight end Tommy Sweeney is out for the rest of the season with myocarditis.
Bills TE Tommy Sweeney has myocarditis and will miss the remainder of the season.
Sean McDermott says as far as he knows, that's a condition connected to COVID-19
— Marcel Louis-Jacques (@Marcel_LJ) November 23, 2020
Sweeney was placed on the COVID-19 reserve list Oct. 24.
Myocarditis is an inflammation of the heart muscle that can affect the heart’s ability to pump and cause rapid or abnormal heart rhythms.
The 25-year-old Sweeney was a seventh-round pick of the Bills out of Boston College last year.
Sweeney had eight catches in 2019.
The Bills announced a few roster moves earlier Friday, which was highlighted by fullback Patrick DiMarco landing on the team’s injured reserve list, ending his season. One of the other included tight end Tommy Sweeney. The second-year pro was said …
The Bills announced a few roster moves earlier Friday, which was highlighted by fullback Patrick DiMarco landing on the team’s injured reserve list, ending his season.
One of the other included tight end Tommy Sweeney. The second-year pro was said to be coming off of the team’s physically unable to preform list, but the Bills apparently changed their mind or something went wrong.
The team now reports that Sweeney will stay on the PUP list. He’s missed the Bills’ entire 2020 training camp with a foot injury.
Here’s the original piece on all of Buffalo’s Friday roster movement ahead of the NFL’s cut-down day on Saturday:
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Buffalo Bills have cut fullback Patrick DiMarco and released two players from their roster, Vosean Joseph, Corey Thompson. Tommey Sweeney on
The Buffalo Bills have placed fullback Patrick DiMarco on the injured reserve list, ending his season. The team announced the move on Friday. DiMarco had a neck injury.
Because DiMarco was added to the team’s IR list prior to the start of the regular season, the fullback’s season is over. DiMarco was a early signing by the team under head coach Sean McDermott in 2017. His on-field production was low, however, DiMarco was coveted as a team leader by the coach. Without him, undrafted rookie free agent Reggie Gilliam, listed as both a fullback and tight end by the team at times this offseason, could have a strong look at the roster now.
DiMarco was entering the final year of his contract.
In addition to DiMarco, two linebackers went out the door as well, Vosean Joseph and Corey Thompson. Both players were released by the Bills as the team begins to trim their roster down to 53 players ahead of the NFL deadline to do so on Saturday by 4 p.m.
Releasing Thompson and Joseph bodes well for both Andre Smith and Tyrel Dodson. Smith, mostly a special teamer in his two-year career, was traded for earlier this week. Dodson was a UDFA of the Bills prior to 2019, but had off-field issues and never suited up for the team.
In a move in the opposite direction, the Bills have sent another player’s status toward making the final roster. Tight end Tommy Sweeney, who’s missed the entirety of the team’s training camp, was activated from the physically unable to preform list (PUP). Sweeney had a foot injury throughout training camp.
Sweeney likely joins Dawson Knox and Tyler Kroft as the team’s 2020 tight ends. But there’s also Lee Smith to consider. Like DiMarco, Smith was coveted as a leader, but his focal point in Buffalo was as a blocking tight end and had little playmaking upside.
Stay tuned to Bills Wire throughout the weekend as the Bills continue their roster movement.
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