Tight end Dawson Knox has been with the Buffalo Bills since 2019, when he was a third-round pick out of Ole Miss.
But after the addition of Dalton Kincaid, some analysts believe the Knox has become more expendable. In February of 2024, Bleacher Report’s Joe Tansey listed Knox as a prime trade candidate, and the folks at B/R are at it again.
On June 25, Brent Sobleski of Bleacher Report put together four three-team trade proposals that he believes would turn the “NFL upside down.” His idea? a three-team trade proposal in which the bills would send Knox to the Atlanta Falcons, the Falcons would send quarterback Kirk Cousins to the New Orleans Saints and the Saints would send All-Pro safety Tyrann Mathieu to Buffalo.
Whew. That’s a lot. Let’s unpack it.
Bills Trade Proposal Would Land Them a Solid Veteran Safety in Tyrann Mathieu
GettyA new 3-team trade proposal has the Buffalo Bills landing safety Tyrann Mathieu.
To his credit, Sobleski acknowledged a trade like this — the Falcons sending a QB to a divisional rival in the Saints — is a bit far-fetched.
“To start with the obvious, yes, Atlanta trades a potential starting quarterback within the division. It’s rare, but it happens,” Sobleski admitted, before explaining why he thinks this would be a good move for all involved:
Tyrann Mathieu is a New Orleans native and wants to play in his hometown. However, a trade to a perennial Super Bowl contender should be enough to get him on board, even if it’s in Buffalo. The Bills can use the three-time first-team All-Pro all over the field as a defensive chess piece. At 33, he’s still a better safety than Taylor Rapp and Damar Hamlin. Buffalo needs the type of players who can push the team over the top. Mathieu can be one of those individuals.
Mathieu, nicknamed the “Honey Badger,” is now heading into Year 13. He entered the NFL as the Arizona Cardinals’ third-round pick in 2013 after a decorated college career at LSU. He spent five seasons in Arizona, before heading to Houston to play for the Texans in 2018.
He then joined the Kansas City Chiefs in 2019 and played a pivotal in their Super Bowl 54 win, earning First‑Team All‑Pro honors that season. Following three strong seasons with the Chiefs, he shifted to his hometown Saints in 2022, inking a three‑year, $28.3 million deal.
While Matthieu, 33 has earned first-team All‑Pro honors three times, his best playing days are over. That said, he has started all 17 games in each of the last three seasons, and he has been very durable throughout his career. As far as player-for-player swaps go, a trading Knox for Matthieu isn’t the worst move the Bills could make.
Why Dalton Knox May Be Considered a Trade Candidate for Bills
“The Bills previously spent a first-round pick on fellow tight end Dalton Kincaid,” Sobleski added. “Knox turns 29 later this year and his production has dipped the last two seasons. As long as he remains healthy, though, he can still be a dependable contributor for Atlanta. … Knox can operate in 12 personnel this year and likely take the starting spot a year from now.”
Knox, 28, finished his rookie season with 388 receiving yards and two scores. Over the following years, he has maintained a consistent-yet-unspectacular role. He had 24 catches and 288 yards in 2020, and followed that with a career year in 2021, finishing with 49 catches with career highs in yards (587) and touchdowns (9). He had another 500-yard season in 2022, but the injury bug bit the following year.
A wrist injury interrupted his 2023 campaign—surgery cost him time—and he finished with 22 catches for 186 yards and two touchdowns in 11 games.
Last season, his production wasn’t great, as he had 22 catches for 311 yards and a lone TD in 16 games. A decent red-zone target and mediocre blocker, Knox signed a three-year, $29.5 million restructured deal with Buffalo last year that lowered his 2024 cap hit by $6.5 million.
It wouldn’t be a surprise if the Bills wound up trading him, but it won’t happen in a three-team deal barring some sort of miracle.
