The Buffalo Bills lost their top two receiving targets, Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis, this offseason, but part of the equation in the pass-catching reshuffle in Western New York includes the expectation that second-year tight end Dalton Kincaid will see his role increase.
“I wouldn’t say I’m the guy. I think we have quite a bit of weapons on offense,” Kincaid said last Tuesday, via Bills Wire. “You know, we’re going to open everybody up, and with Josh (Allen) back there, he’s going to get everybody the ball. I think definitely a couple more targets this year, which will be nice.”
Kincaid finished second on the Bills in 2023 with 73 catches and third with 673 yards with two touchdowns. They’re solid numbers for a rookie tight end, a position notoriously difficult to transition from college to the pros, but there is room to grow for the 24-year-old.
The departure of Diggs and Davis leaves the Bills’ WR room with a cluttered mixture of youth and question marks. Second-round pick Keon Coleman was drafted to play a hefty role. Khalil Shakir is the top returning receiver. The club added Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Curtis Samuel, Mack Hollins and Chase Claypool to the mix.
“Obviously, the room looks a lot different this year,” Kincaid said. “Just a lot of selfless guys. I feel like that transition has gone really well.”
With question marks at receiver, Kincaid’s fellow tight end Dawson Knox and running back James Cook are expected to play more prominent roles in Allen’s passing attack under coordinator Joe Brady.
After taking over midway through last season, Brady leaned on the run game. We expect a similar set-up to spill over into 2024, but with a full offseason and new weapons, Brady has a chance to put his stamp on the offense.
“I wouldn’t say [it changed] a ton, but there’s a lot of tweaks we’ve made since last year,” Kincaid said of the offense under Brady. “I think the creativity and kind of freedom he has right now in terms of just testing things out is super helpful.”
We’ll better see Brady’s plans with his reworked pass-catching corps during training camp and preseason action.
