Buffalo Bills TE Dalton Kincaid ranked low among 2024 NFL peers, media reports

A recurring theme in NFL coverage this offseason has been the lack of confidence in almost everything about the Buffalo Bills. Whether it’s the team’s ability to repeat as AFC East champions, its viability as a playoff team at any level, or quarterback Josh Allen’s ability to take the next step in his career, doubt has crept into the periphery of many.

It’s interesting to see what a mass exodus of players can do to an NFL team. It seems that general manager Brandon Beane’s decision to say goodbye to several key starters on both sides of the ball has had some negative repercussions, with many paying attention to One Bills Drive.

Longtime members of the Bills Mafia are all too familiar with the practice of roster cuts, having experienced the decisions made by the team’s late original owner, Ralph Wilson Jr., in one fell swoop to part ways with nearly every key player on Buffalo’s famed Super Bowl teams.

In what we’ll call “interesting” content from the annals of national sports coverage, a betting company (which rhymes with Sand School) recently ranked the starting tight end for every NFL team. Aside from failing to include starting tight end Dawson Knox, there may be other reasons why Bills fans are taking offense to this labor of love.

Tight end Dalton Kincaid doesn’t figure very well heading into the 2024 NFL regular season, according to them. But where exactly does Kincaid fit into this list?

Kincaid doesn’t make the top five or top 10 tight ends. Instead, Kincaid falls to No. 18 on the list among 31 other starting tight ends.

Their list is as follows:

1. George Kittle (San Francisco 49ers)
2. Travis Kelce (Kansas City Chiefs)
3. Sam LaPorta (Detroit Lions)
4. Mark Andrews (Baltimore Ravens)
5. TJ Hockenson (Minnesota Vikings)
6. David Njoku (Cleveland Browns)
7. Dallas Goedert (Philadelphia Eagles)
8. Trey McBride (Arizona Cardinals)
9. Evan Engram (Jacksonville Jaguars)
10. Cole Kmet (Chicago Bears)
11. Hunter Henry (New England Patriots)
12. Dalton Schultz (Houston Texans)
13. Kyle Pitts (Atlanta Falcons)
14. Noah Fant (Seattle Seahawks)
15. Jake Ferguson (Dallas Cowboys)
16. Brock Bowers (Las Vegas Raiders)
17. Pat Freiermuth (Pittsburgh Steelers)
18. Dalton Kincaid (Buffalo Bills)
19. Luke Musgrave (Green Bay Packers)
20. Tyler Conklin (New York Jets)
21. Tyler Higbee (Los Angeles Rams)
22. Chigoziem Okoonkwo (Tennessee Titans)
23. Jonnu Smith (Miami Dolphins)
24. Juwan Johnson (New Orleans Saints)
25. Cade Otton (Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
26. Mike Gesicki (Cincinnati Bengals)
27. Jelani Woods (Indianapolis Colts)
28. Zach Ertz (Washington Commanders)
29. Daniel Bellinger (New York Giants)
30. Adam Trautman (Denver Broncos)
31. Tommy Tremble (Carolina Panthers)
32. Will Dissly (Los Angeles Chargers)

It’s a list, for sure. Is it a great list? Not really. One has to wonder right off the bat how much of a study Kincaid’s rookie year has been given. Dalton Kincaid broke several franchise records as a rookie. He now holds the record for most receptions by a Bills rookie receiver (at any position), finishing last year with 73 receptions for 673 yards and two touchdowns. In doing so, he broke Pete Metzelaars’ 30-year-old record for receptions by a Bills tight end (68).

So why does Kincaid rank so low on this list? I can only offer my opinion. He split time with Knox, while playing for an offense that seemed to impose his presence on receiver Stefon Diggs. His touchdown numbers paled in comparison to his usage as a chain player between the 20. Kincaid entered his rookie season already well-honed and diverse as a route runner, but the team seemed reluctant to showcase him outside of his downfield and distance prowess.

Kincaid’s red zone involvement should increase in 2024. On a team lacking a true WR1 due to the Stefon Diggs trade to Houston, some believe Kincaid will assume the role of star receiver in Buffalo’s offense. Despite the handcuffs he was given too many times last season, Kincaid can He plays most of the receiving positions and should serve as a downfield threat more often in Year 2. While he plays tight end, think of Kincaid as a receiver who isn’t easily defined by traditional roles in the Bills’ system.

Let’s look at some more nuggets related to these rankings, shall we? An unproven rookie in Brock Bowers is two spots ahead of Kincaid. Bowers could absolutely be a big hitter, but he’s yet to prove his skills… and his quarterbacks are Aiden O’Connell and Gardner Minshew II.

Whoever compiled this ranking doesn’t seem to care that quarterback Sam Darnold (not Kirk Cousins) will now be throwing passes to TJ Hockenson. Cousins ​​gets to throw footballs to Kyle Pitts, at least for a little while.

Even with Trey McBride in mind, one would imagine that starting receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. will take a hit on his production. As for Cole Kmet, he’s going to have a brand new quarterback heading his way. Will it work? Many believe it will, but we don’t have any facts to base that on. Should we even bother discussing Hunter Henry’s situation, with him coming in at No. 11?

If this list is to be taken seriously, then one must believe that considerations of quarterback and offensive systems were part of the decision-making process. Unfortunately, there is no specific reasoning behind it, nor a named writer. All we can do is shake our fists at the screen in defiance of such an oversight, and ponder Kincaid’s ranking.

Perhaps this will serve as a fuel for Dalton Kincaid in 2024. It’s fair to say that many would bet that Kincaid is already set to serve league-wide notice regardless of his ranking.