The Falcons have made their first acquisition of the offseason, trading for a tight end for the second year in a row. However, Lee Smith offers something a little different than Hayden Hurst.
A trade: Bills are trading TE Lee Smith to the Atlanta Falcons for a 2022 late-round pick, per league source.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 16, 2021
Smith isn’t exactly what you’d call a vertical threat, but he’s a very dependable blocker and should provide some immediate juice to the run game. He’s a bit of a journeyman, but he was at his best in 2018 for the Raiders when he appeared in all 16 games and caught three touchdowns. He was good enough as a blocker to rank as PFF’s fourth-best tight end.
Smith has never had over 12 catches in a season, so don’t expect him to come in and act as a red zone threat. This pick is likely a sixth or seventh-round choice, and his run-blocking alone should make him well worth the late-round selection. Smith carries a $2.25 million cap hit for 2021 before hitting free agency next offseason, and his arrival all but ensures Luke Stocker will not be returning to the Falcons.
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