One of the significant concerns for the Buffalo Bills entering the season was how the secondary would hold up without Tre’Davious White. Last year, the Bills lost Tre’Davious White on Thanksgiving due to a torn ACL and the duo of Dane Jackson and Levi Wallace did a decent job but the absence of White was noticeable.
Fast forward to this year, and the Bills knew they were going to be without White for at least the first four games after he began the season on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list. The concern was that the team would be forced to rely on Dane Jackson and two rookie cornerbacks (Kaiir Elam and Christian Benford) for that stretch.
The good news is that even with the injuries the team has dealt with this year the Buffalo Bills have gotten really good production from all three. Kaiir Elam has now recorded an interception each of the past two games, Christian Benford has allowed only five receptions when targeted, and Dane Jackson currently has allowed a QB rating of only 49.9 when targeted.
Should the Buffalo Bills move Tre’Davious White to safety?
With how good the cornerbacks have played to this point, it raises the question of whether or not the Buffalo Bills should move Tre’Davious White to safety. The Buffalo Bills lost Micah Hyde a few weeks ago to a season-ending neck injury and Damar Hamlin has had his moments but also has struggled.
If the Buffalo Bills move White to safety alongside Jordan Poyer and include using the trio of Dane Jackson, Kaiir Elam, and Christian Benford in a rotation, with Taron Johnson at nickel, this would maximize the talent in the secondary and have the top players on the field.
This would be a significant shift for Tre’Davious White but as a rookie he did get some work in the preseason at the position. The good news is that the shift to safety wouldn’t have to be permanent and the coaching staff could move players around based on the matchup.
When Tre’Davious White returns, the Buffalo Bills’ defense will undoubtedly be better regardless of where he lines up. However, having him play safety could give the defense their most talented secondary with the players on the roster.
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