Buffalo Bills position room preview: Safety

The center fielding counterpart: Jordan Poyer

Man, was the 2017 off-season kind to the Bills’ secondary or what? Not only did the team add a starting strong safety in Micah Hyde, but they also found their answer at free safety. Previously a spot-starter and special-teamer with the Browns, signing Jordan Poyer to a four-year, $13 million contract wasn’t the gamble that signing Hyde was. But it was, again, was a hit.

Poyer found the home he had been looking for in the Bills’ secondary. He quickly established himself as the starting free safety alongside Hyde — the two, almost instantly, proved to be a top safety duo in the league. With Poyer roaming the center field and Hyde patrolling closer to the line of scrimmage, the Bills secondary showed all sorts of improvement.

In his first season with the Bills, Poyer started 15 games and tallied 95 total tackles, 13 pass deflections, and five interceptions. In his second, he started 16 and racked up 100 total tackles, six pass deflections, and four interceptions. Many viewed him as a Pro-Bowl caliber player, but he received no such nods in either season.

The 28-year-old Poyer, like Hyde, should be a constant in the Bills’ secondary, as his contract runs through 2020. This is assuredly a good thing for the Bills. Not only does Poyer bring big-hits and ball-hawking to the center field, but his game also complements Hyde’s well. The two are well suited to play their respective positions, but each has the versatility to switch — a nightmare for opposing offenses.