State of the Buffalo Bills Roster: Safety

Hyde wasn’t in his prime in 2023, but offered a blanket atop the defense that will be hard to replace. He’s been a darling in Buffalo since 2017, when he and Jordan Poyer teamed up to form the NFL’s most dangerous safety tandem. Playing injured often, and missing three more games this season, that tandem is no longer a guarantee.

Though void years in his contract mean that Hyde stays on the cap for three more years, injuries and age are catching up with him. We can grasp at the vague chance he makes a return, but more than likely it’ll be retirement for one of the Bills’ most beloved players of the past two decades. Buffalo has an immediate need for starting talent at free safety.

Jordan Poyer

When Buffalo managed to bring back Poyer, it was a relief. Though he did make a few plays, 2023 was statistically his worst season since joining the Buffalo Bills alongside Hyde. We won’t pretend he was bad, but neither half of the All-Pro duo was their best self this season, and it showed.

Last year, Jordan Poyer signed a two-year contract that was really a one-year deal. Like Micah Hyde, he is probably finished in Buffalo. With only $2m dead in cap if cut, Buffalo saves $5.5m by releasing him. In a cap crunch and in need of a youth injection, Poyer may be another odd man out. As of now, he sits on the roster for 2024.

Taylor Rapp

The most interesting piece of the puzzle at safety, Taylor Rapp performed well in his mixed role this year. He played a variety of positions on the field, and more often than not was able to make something happen. With over 400 total snaps at safety, nickel, and linebacker spots, and another near-200 on special teams, he’s everything that Sean McDermott wanted in a depth safety. Many theorized that 2023 was his tryout for the starting role in 2024, but that’s unconfirmed thus far.

If that is true, he will likely get an offer to play strong safety and take over from Poyer. Though he may be retained for 2024, he is currently an unrestricted free agent about to hit the market.

Damar Hamlin

Following everything that happened last season, it was great to just see Hamlin get out on the field again. Once out there, he was fine. Just fine, no more, no less. As safety #4 on the roster, that’s all we needed. He’s also extremely cheap entering the last year of his rookie deal, and has plenty of starting safety experience in this defense. Hamlin makes sense to be rostered this season, and he will be.

Kendall Williamson

Kendall Williamson was a 7th round rookie on the Bears’ practice squad this season, and was not called up for any games. He signed a two-year future/reserve contract with Buffalo in January as a head-start on the impending safety room rebuild.

State of the Roster: Safety

Losing a starter is tough, but losing potentially three of your top four players at a position is dramatic. With Hyde and Rapp on expiring contracts, and Poyer on an ‘out year’, we can expect big changes here. Fortunately for the Buffalo Bills, safety is one of the more replaceable positions. For that reason alone, it falls to Buffalo’s third-highest priority to address through free agency and the 2024 NFL Draft. Were we facing this situation in most other position groups, it would take priority #1.