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The Buffalo Bills are dealing with plenty of injuries at the tight-end position. Free-agent acquisition Tyler Kroft broke his foot during OTAs, so he has yet to participate in any mandatory team activities while recovering from surgery to repair the injury. Jason Croom and Dawson Knox have each dealt with hamstring strains. Where there were once seven healthy players, the team has had to scramble to add bodies.
One of the players added is a young man who spent some time on the team’s practice squad during the 2018 season. In our latest installment of our “90 players in 90 days” series, we profile that young tight end.
Name: Kyle Carter
Number: 48
Position: TE
Height/Weight: 6’3” 245
Age: 26 (27 on 12/17/19)
Experience/Draft: Signed as UDFA with Minnesota Vikings following the 2016 NFL Draft
College: Penn State
Acquired: Signed with Bills on 7/29/19
Financial situation (per Over the Cap): Carter’s contract is a one-year deal that totals $570,000. That will be his cap hit if he makes the team out of camp. If the Bills cut him, they won’t suffer any cap penalty, as there is no guaranteed money in the deal.
2018 Recap: Carter spent time with three different organizations last season. He began 2018 with the New York Giants, who waived him on July 25. The Seahawks claimed him off waivers two days later, and he remained with the team for the duration of the preseason. Seattle cut him on September 1, and he remained without a team until Buffalo signed him to the practice squad on December 12. The Bills released him at the end of the season. During the 2018 preseason, he was targeted three times, and he made his one reception count—it was a ten-yard touchdown grab.
Positional outlook: Carter is holding a roster spot while the three injured amigos mentioned at the beginning of this report heal. Other than Kroft, Croom, and Knox, Carter has Tommy Sweeney, Lee Smith, Keith Towbridge, and Nate Becker to contend with for a roster spot.
2019 Offseason: Carter has participated in camp since signing with the team.
2019 Season outlook: Carter has little chance of making the final roster, as his presence is really meant to buy time for the injured parties to heal. If he plays well, perhaps he can earn a greater role, but it’s more likely that he’ll be searching for work once Croom and Knox are able to participate.