Still a giant hole at saftey?

[ChronicAndKnuckles]

4 hours ago, DC Grid said:

It seems like the Bills keep getting the same guy at safety.  Namely an in the box safety.  Cole Bishop is now the 3rd in the box guy they’ve signed up for next year as Rapp and Edwards are also in the box safeties.  So who on the roster can play deep center?  Poyer was a phenomenal in the box saftey and they’ve replaced him in triplicate, but Hyde was a great center fielder (who had lost a step) and there doesn’t seem to be anyone on the roster who can even come close to filling this void.  I realize there are a couple of other guys on the roster like Hamlin but none of these guys have ever put anything on tape that merits consideration as a starter at any position. This all seems particularly troubling in a league where the top teams all have great deep options that will run wild if the Bills don’t have a dependable deep center.  

Hamlin is going to be cut this TC. He’s terrible and I only think they kept him around last year out of pity. 

32 minutes ago, bills6969 said:

Is there still the possibility that Elam moves over to safety as the cover guy?

I hope so because he isn’t cutting it as a CB. Occasionally, he makes a splash play bc of his athleticism, but is way too inconsistent. One of Beanes worst draft picks. 

[Rew]

Still a decent chance Hyde comes back post June 1st.  It's been hinted by both sides.

[GunnerBill]

2 hours ago, Big Turk said:

 

Well if that's true then why did Kincaid say that Bishop usually got the better of him in Coverage in practice?

 

According to you he would be getting smoked one on one?

 

I think you should actually go watch film of the player and stop reading media representations. Your assessment is WAY off with Bishop. He is super athletic and runs a 4.45 40, and can pretty much do it all

 

He is GREAT covering slots and tight end near the line. It is his the thing that stands out on his tape IMO. I do think that is slightly different to the question about him as a centre fielder. He has the physical attributes to do it. His tape isn't as good there though for me. That isn't me saying he sucks at it or anything to be clear. But personally I think as a rookie he is better served in the Poyer role than the Hyde one.

[TheyCallMeAndy]

1 hour ago, buffblue said:

He's listed at 5'9" and 178 pounds. There have been plenty of shorter safeties but they are much heavier, so Hardy looks to be strictly a nickel. Even guys like Jim Leonard, Bob Sanders, and Tyrann Mathieu weighed at least 190. Can't see this as an option.

Hardy did have a 40+ inch vert. 

1 hour ago, Rew said:

Still a decent chance Hyde comes back post June 1st.  It's been hinted by both sides.

Not sure what he has left in the tank, but that lineup would be :

 

FS - Hyde, Edwards, Lewis

SS - Bishop, Rapp, Hamlin 

 

Otherwise I think we are looking at 

 

FS - Bishop, Edwards, Lewis

SS - Rapp, Hamlin

[DC Grid]

3 hours ago, Big Turk said:

 

Well if that's true then why did Kincaid say that Bishop usually got the better of him in Coverage in practice?

 

According to you he would be getting smoked one on one?

 

I think you should actually go watch film of the player and stop reading media representations. Your assessment is WAY off with Bishop. He is super athletic and runs a 4.45 40, and can pretty much do it all

I admittedly haven’t watched all his game film, I read assessments cause I assume professional analysts know this stuff better.  From the highlights I saw the guy looked like a thumper who was usually lined up down in the box.  Guys can be super athletic / fast and not track balls for crap.  I like him as a pick and think he’s good…I just don’t think he’ll be ready to fill the hole at centerfield any time soon.  

[Eastport bills]

5 hours ago, DC Grid said:

It seems like the Bills keep getting the same guy at safety.  Namely an in the box safety.  Cole Bishop is now the 3rd in the box guy they’ve signed up for next year as Rapp and Edwards are also in the box safeties.  So who on the roster can play deep center?  Poyer was a phenomenal in the box saftey and they’ve replaced him in triplicate, but Hyde was a great center fielder (who had lost a step) and there doesn’t seem to be anyone on the roster who can even come close to filling this void.  I realize there are a couple of other guys on the roster like Hamlin but none of these guys have ever put anything on tape that merits consideration as a starter at any position. This all seems particularly troubling in a league where the top teams all have great deep options that will run wild if the Bills don’t have a dependable deep center.  

There’s a chance Hyde comes back and there will be available safeties after June. Edwards was deployed that way in KC, not necessarily unable to play another way. But Rapp played well against Pitt. In the playoffs, even put the game away with an INT.

[Don Otreply]

6 hours ago, TH3 said:

This is concerning and troubling

 

Is it worrying as well? 

[Victory Formation]

This Bishop kid will pair nicely with Rapp, although I’m sure that Edward’s will fill in occasionally too. They both can play in the box, which I love.

[MrEpsYtown]

I think it makes sense to check in on Simmons, Quandre Diggs, Eddie Jackson as possible starters. That’s if you want a true full time starter. Outside of those 3 I don’t see any true starters better than what we have. 
 

But I do think we are actually ok with Edwards, Bishop, Rapp. Lewis would be the fourth. I am not a Lewis guy, but they clearly are and he offers position flexibility. Bishop is going to start somewhere imo. 
 

You could add some functional young depth like a Terrell Burgess who is coming out of the Washington system, so would be familiar with the concepts here. He is also excellent on special teams. Another guy who makes sense on some level for depth is Will Harris. He has position flexibilty as a safety, outside corner or nickel where he has played predominately the last couple of years. 
 

So I think there could be room to add a starter if the price is right and there are some opportunities to add depth out there. 

Edited April 28 by MrEpsYtown

[BigAl2526]

There were no elite safeties in the 2024 draft.  If you wanted a quality safety with the polish to step in and make you not miss Poyer of Hyde, then you needed to shell out significant dollars for another of the free agents, like Mike Edwards or better.  The draft might have had safeties with a bit more polish and experience, but Bishop has about the best combination of athleticism, size and technique of any pure safety in the draft.  I don't think Bishop will start in September, only because Rapp has experience and knows McDermott's system.  I would guess Bishop is starting by about mid-season.

[Big Turk]

2 hours ago, GunnerBill said:

 

He is GREAT covering slots and tight end near the line. It is his the thing that stands out on his tape IMO. I do think that is slightly different to the question about him as a centre fielder. He has the physical attributes to do it. His tape isn't as good there though for me. That isn't me saying he sucks at it or anything to be clear. But personally I think as a rookie he is better served in the Poyer role than the Hyde one.

 

Fair...but I think with the quality of coaching he gets with the DBs here he easily could develop that...

 

I think this dude is gonna be a straight baller within 2-3 years.

Edited April 28 by Big Turk

[ControllerOfPlanetX]

I thought you meant A-.

[BuffaloBillsGospel2014]

I might criticize McDermott for other things but he absolutely knows his safeties and i have no doubt both Bishop and Edwards will thrive in this sytem under his management.

[Maynard]

No, but there’s a hole at WR.

[BillsFanForever19]

There's no hole, let alone a "giant one" at Safety. Cole Bishop, as he stated in his Presser, plays both positions. He said the Defense he played in (much like ours) didn't even really have a traditional Strong v. Free designation. Stating he played on the Left Side or the Right Side.

 

Subsequently, Rapp also has some versatility. Last season, he filled in for both Poyer and Hyde depending who was missing time.

 

Between Bishop, Edwards, and Rapp - they'll have both positions covered. They value versatile DB's. If they felt that Bishop, Edwards, and Rapp were only capable of playing one side, they wouldn't have brought in all 3.

[Freddie's Dead]

What's a saftey?

[benderbender]

1 hour ago, Freddie's Dead said:

What's a saftey?

A lazy portmanteau for 

?

[Bleeding Bills Blue]

On 4/28/2024 at 1:00 PM, Allen2D̶i̶g̶g̶s̶TBD said:

I'm not too worried about the safety position because Poyer and Hyde were noticeably slower last year, yet we still had a top ranked defense.

 

I think Rapp is the odd man out at safety. He showed very little in the way of coverage skills for us last season and I was surprised that he was re-signed. He'll still probably get some reps as a big nickel and in 3 safety looks.

 

I'm more worried about our depth at outside cornerback considering our only option behind Benford and Douglas is Kaiir "Healthy Scratch" Elam

I thought both rapp and edwards deals were mainly depth.  Neither deal was even top 10 of what was given out in free agency and from an AAV perspective both are below the top 32 at S.  

 

Interested to see what Elam can do with a new secondary coach and defensive coordinator.  Hopefully he's coming to camp ready to rock.  

Edited April 30 by Bleeding Bills Blue

[YattaOkasan]

On 4/28/2024 at 9:27 AM, GunnerBill said:

So I also see Cole as more of a Poyer replacement than a Hyde replacement. I don't love his timing as a centre fielder whereas his instincts and timing are much better when he is in closer in the box or covering closer to the line. But I do buy the "he is the most athletic safety on the team" argument.

 

Personally I think Edwards will start as the deep safety with Cole primarily in the box. But let's see how it shakes out.

 

I think thats the interesting part to this pick.  Multiple peeps have said his tape lining up in the box is better (and he lined up there more), but his testing says hes athletic enough to be single high.  My question is do you think McD, Babich, and Danna can teach that?  Feels like yes and if so then wow this is gonna be a heck of a chess piece.  I agree until he learns we live with Edwards doing an ok job when were wanna go single high.  Lastly I think of this as a Kelce eraser in some ways.  Would love to have that

[Billzgobowlin]

Here's the thing Hyde is going to come back.  It's very interesting he hasn't retired and he hasn't signed anywhere.  Beane is waiting him out and if he can get Bishop up to speed they will trade off some imo