Could The Buffalo Bills Trade Dawson Knox?

Training camp opens for the Buffalo Bills tomorrow. It is a 9:45 a.m. first practice. Pretty standard stuff over at St. John Fischer University.

As per usual, everyone will be talking about Josh Allen, his new weapons, the upgrades to the defense, and of course, the punter battle that we're all just *so* excited to witness (he said sarcastically). But camp is always fun. It also creates a lot of interesting conversations about what the roster will look like when the regular season gets here and training camp is over.

Could the Bills make a trade? Brandon Bean, the Buffalo Bills general manager, has never been shy to make a trade in order to improve his roster, or just give himself some cap space while preparing for the future. And if the Bills were going to make a trade, and we're speaking in hypotheticals here, who could they end up sending out and why? And might that player be a beloved tight end on this team?

The Buffalo Bills Tight End Predicament

It's no secret the Bills want Dalton Kincaid to take the reins as the number one tight end on this team. He's extremely athletic and has the ability to be a game breaker. However, he struggled last year in a season he was supposed to break out in. He never had that dominating performance we were all waiting for and then, unfortunately, had a drop that ended the Bill season in Kansas City. Now, was it fair to criticize him for that drop? Maybe, maybe not. Depends on how you view it. But ultimately, the confidence in Dalton Kincaid is not at an all-time high. We did find out that he was playing through an injury all last year, and that can really affect any player's performance, let alone a pass-catching tight end. So, while some may be down on Kincaid, many believe he still has a very high ceiling and the ability to become the player the Bills drafted.

But that puts them in an interesting predicament because the number one tight end on this team right now is Dawson Knox. Dawson is beloved by Bills Mafia, not only for his play on the field, but also for his wedding antics and bringing us Mr. Brightside as a bit of an unofficial anthem for fans. He's also very tight with quarterback Josh Allen. So many would say there's no chance that Dawson Knox would ever be moved off this team. However, I don't think it's an impossibility that the Bills trade him before the regular season starts. And here's why.

Why The Buffalo Bills Could Trade Dawson Knox

According to Sportrac, the Bills are currently over the cap by approximately $810,000. Dawson Knox has the third highest cap hit on the team this year. The only people with a higher cap hit are Dion Dawkins and Josh Allen. Dawson Knox has a cap hit of $14,568,000. He is 5.22% of the actual total cap the Bills have, and he has a dead cap of over $21 million. So cutting him is not really going to be in the cards. Trading him, however, could be. He's a good player. A lot of teams would find value in Dawson Knox, and getting that number off of your books would help the Bills not only in the immediate sense of getting under the cap but also to make other moves. Perhaps for a legitimate number one receiver, although some would debate they don't need that, maybe for more help on defense, or maybe just as a cushion in case injuries happen and they need to sign some people.

What About James Cook Being Traded?

Some people would argue that the number one trade candidate on this team is probably running back James Cook, who wants a new contract. He is allegedly going to be in training camp, but might hold in, meaning not practice, but be there. If the Bills value Cook and want to give him a new deal, one way to make room would be to trade Dawson Knox to fit Cook into the budget and give him the raise he's been looking for.

The question is, do the Bills value a running back that highly, and would they want to trade away a beloved figure in the locker room, community, and, quite frankly, a good player in Dawson Knox? We'll have to wait and see.

I want to make this very clear: There is nothing to indicate the Bills are going to do this. I am not rooting for them to do this. I'm just simply pointing out that if they were going to trade somebody, I could see why that player could be Dawson Knox.

Do you think the Bills will make any trades? Who should it be and why? Let me know. Pat@WBUF.com.