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The Buffalo Bills entered free agency with a clear need at safety and looked to the veteran market to find what appears to be one of their starters in 2024, signing Mike Edwards.
Buffalo Will Have A New Safety Duo.
Few teams in the NFL have had defensive backfield continuity in recent years, and Buffalo is one of them. Jordan Poyer and Micah Hyde both joined the Bills in 2017 and have since established themselves as one of the top safety tandems in the NFL.
That era has passed; Micah Hyde was not re-signed in free agency, and the Bills took the daring cap-saving move to release
Moving on from those two will be a challenge for the Bills to overcome. Their chemistry anchoring the split safety defense of Sean McDermott provided great stability to the defense when they were on the field. Now, it’ll be up to Mike Edwards and Taylor Rapp to take the reins.
Mike Edwards Fills. The Function Of A Split Safety
Edwards will fit in well with the McDermott defense, having previously played as a box defender, a slot corner, and mostly as a free safety. He has the positional flexibility to move throughout the defensive alignment while typically anchoring the ranged free safety position.
Edwards has four defensive touchdowns and eight interceptions since 2021, tying him for second in the NFL.
Should The Bills Still Draft A Safety In The 2024 NFL Draft?
Edwards and Rapp provide the Bills with a good safety tandem heading into 2024, but with Edwards only on a one-year deal entering his age-28 season, the Bills should still look to add youth to the position group.
What the Edwards signing does provide, however, is the ability to be patient. Brandon Beane won’t be walking into the 2024 NFL Draft knowing that safety is a glaring need, meaning he won’t feel added pressure to potentially reach on a prospect above where they feel comfortable selecting him.
If Buffalo believes a safety is the best pick at 28th overall, that’s fine, but they’re now in a better position to simply grab the best player available.
