Buffalo Bills add much-needed depth at safety with Dean Marlowe trade
The safety position has been tested this year for the Buffalo Bills. In the past, it has been a strength of this defense with the duo of Micah Hyde and Jordan Poyer.
These two have developed into one of the top duos in the league and one of the reasons they have been so special is that they rarely missed any games. However, this season both players have not been as fortunate as Micah Hyde is already out for the year after having surgery on his neck.
As for Jordan Poyer, he has tried to battle through numerous injuries from an elbow injury in training camp to ribs injury that forced him to drive to Kansas City. This past week against the Green Bay Packers he reportedly felt a pop in the elbow and still awaiting results from the MRI.
Buffalo Bills trade for Dean Marlowe makes perfect sense
If Poyer misses any time, this essentially leaves only Damar Hamlin and Jaquan Johnson as their safeties on the roster. This is why the trade with the Atlanta Falcons for Dean Marlowe makes perfect sense for Buffalo.
The addition of Marlowe gives this defense a safety who knows this defense well and at a minimum gives them veteran depth that can contribute on special teams and at best gives them a starter that can play alongside Jordan Poyer and solidify the position.
When considering it only cost them a seventh round pick, this is a great move for the team.
Dean Marlowe began his career with the Carolina Panthers as an undrafted free agent and had Sean McDermott as his defensive coordinator for those first two years in the NFL. He would be released by the Panthers and eventually make it to the Bills’ practice squad in 2017.
Marlowe would then be with the Bills through the 2020 season before signing with the Detroit Lions as a free agent. This gives Marlowe essentially over four years in McDermott’s scheme and he is a player that should be ready to contribute as early as Sunday against the New York Jets.
The fact that there is some uncertainty around Jordan Poyer’s availability this weekend, this experience is invaluable and it was a smart move to make for general manager Brandon Beane.
