The Buffalo Bills are making more moves on offense, this time bringing in a target who has a history with Josh Allen.
After adding a key weapon through the air in the form of wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders, the team made a move in the tight end group by signing former Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots target Jacob Hollister. As Pro Football Talk reported, he will be coming to Buffalo on a one-year deal.
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Hollister and Allen Go Way Back
Hollister will be a familiar target for the Bills quarterback. Before breaking into the NFL, Hollister and Allen were teammates on the Wyoming Cowboys in 2016, Allen’s first year as starting quarterback there.
As the Buffalo News noted, the 6-foot-3, 245-pound Hollister appears to move into the No. 2 tight end spot behind Dawson Knox. The outlet pointed out that he could be a versatile addition to the Bills offense.
“Hollister, 27, plays in-line, next to a tackle or in the slot, and is a capable blocker,” the report noted. “He also was used as an H-back in the backfield, like a fullback, on 29 plays for Seattle last season. He also was a core special teams player for Seattle.”
Coming to the #Bills next season: Josh Allen ➡️ Jacob Hollister.
Hollister notched 74 catches for 652 yards and six touchdowns across his four NFL seasons with the Patriots and Seahawks.
Bills Could Make More Tight End Moves
Hollister may not be the last tight end that the Bills add. The position was seen as an area of need going into the offseason, with the team not getting much production out of last year’s group. The trio of Tyler Kroft, Lee Smith and Dawson Knox combined for just 442 yards and eight touchdowns last season, and the Bills have already lost Smith in a trade to the Atlanta Falcons.
The Bills had also been linked to a pair of former Pro Bowl tight ends. As Mike Silver of NFL Network noted, Buffalo was in the running for Kyle Rudolph before he ultimately signed with the New York Giants. The Bills have also been linked to Philadelphia Eagles tight end Zach Ertz, who had reportedly been on the trade block.
Agreed to terms with TE Jacob Hollister on a one-year deal.
There are other insiders who believe the Bills could mostly stick with the same group but look for more contributions out of Knox. Sal Maiorana of the Democrat & Chronicle wrote that the team should stick with Knox through some early struggles. He added that bringing in Ertz would cost too much for the Bills.
“Many people are all over the Bills making a trade to acquire Zach Ertz from the Eagles,” he wrote. “He’s 30 years old, coming off an injury-plagued season, and his cap hit in Philly is scheduled to be $12.1 million. Overpaying him to play in an offense that lines up mostly in three-wide sets with a back and one tight end wouldn’t be a great use of limited resources.”
Ertz may no longer be a target, with ESPN’s Marcel Louis-Jacques reporting that the price tag of a third-round pick was too high for the Bills.
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Bills Snag New Offensive Weapon, Familiar Target for Josh Allen