The Buffalo Bills have one of the league’s best rosters and they’ve managed to add to it this offseason. The defense needed some extra attention this offseason after another poor outing against the Chiefs in the postseason and Brandon Beane made sure to address by adding quality veterans and several young talents in the draft.
The hope is that the addition of players like Joey Bosa, Maxwell Hairston, T.J. Sanders, and Landon Jackson will be enough to get the defense back to being a dominant unit. However, there is still one spot that is an area of concern going into the season.
Most NFL analysts believe that the Bills have the weakest starting safety room in the league with Damar Hamlin and Taylor Rapp as the projected starters. And while neither player is elite, Hamlin and Rapp do have a bunch of experience under their belt. Plus, Cole Bishop was a second-round pick from the 2024 NFL Draft and the hope is that he can become a full-time player in Year 2.
The Bills also have Darrick Forrest on the roster, an unrestricted free-agent signing from the Washington Commanders this offseason. Forrest was a part-time player in Washington (17 career starts), but he did have a four-interception season back in 2022 when he started 11 games. Buffalo is hopeful that their depth, combined with Bishop’s youth, will help them solve the safety position this year.
But if the Bills do need more help at the safety spot, there is one free agent available who could prove to be quite an upgrade. In a recent piece by Matt Bowen of ESPN, he wrote about the top free agents still available on the market and the best potential landing spots. One of those free agents was Julian Blackmon, a safety who last played with the Indianapolis Colts. Here is a snippet of why Bowen believes the Bills would be the ideal fit for Blackmon:
"Blackmon's skill set fits with the foundational split-field coverages in Buffalo's defensive system. Plus, I see him as an upgrade over Damar Hamlin in the post. Blackmon has the ability to move off his deep landmarks and make plays on the ball. He had three interceptions with the Colts last season, and four in 2023. He also recorded 85-plus tackles in each of the past two seasons."Matt Bowen, ESPN
It is a surprise to see Blackmon still available on the open market, considering he’s only 26 and has started 62 games since the 2020 season. He’s recorded seven interceptions over the past two seasons and has been one of the better coverage safeties in the league during that span.
Blackmon would be an upgrade over Hamlin and would give Buffalo even more depth at the position, but it’s clear that the Bills want to give Bishop every opportunity possible to take that job. And if he doesn’t do it in camp, it wouldn’t be a shock to see the Bills circle back and explore signing Blackmon or another free-agent safety. While many on the outside see safety as the biggest weakness for the Bills, Buffalo believes in their talent and depth. It’ll be fascinating to see who ends up being right.