Tight end Reggie Gilliam (86) blocks defensive end Darryl Johnson (92) during a practice session.
James P. McCoy / Buffalo News
Reggie Gilliam fits the description of a throwback football player.
He can play tight end. He can play fullback. He can play special teams.
Gilliam’s multidimensional skills, demonstrated last season as a rookie at the Buffalo Bills, date back to his time at the University of Toledo.
Jason Candle, Toledo’s soccer coach, has long recognized Gilliam’s old-school nature.
“Reggie is like a flip phone,” Candle was quoted as saying on the University of Toledo website. “He is reliable and does his job every day to the best of his ability. He is not conspicuous.”
Gilliam is one of the most fascinating players in the Buffalo Bills roster.
The bills list the 6 foot, 244 pound Gilliam on the tight end and fullback.
Of course, Gilliam’s best way to get onto the 53-man list for the second year running is with special teams. While appearing in 14 games last season, he played 43% of the kicking unit snaps. The rest of Gilliam’s action, 7%, consisted of tight-end snapshots.
The Bills effectively eliminated the defender from their roster when they split from Patrick DiMarco last year. He is now retired. But Gilliam can play full-back if necessary.
For now, the Bills seem to be set with Dawson Knox as their start tight end. It would be fair to say this is a put-up-or-shut-up season. The Bills want a much better production from the narrow point. Unless they make the much-speculated takeover of Philadelphia-based Zach Ertz or some other player who would represent an instant upgrade to the position, they will be counting on Knox to perform at a higher level than he has in the past two years since his Arrival has shown in Buffalo as a third round draft pick.
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