The Buffalo Bills once boasted one of the league’s top safety tandems, but have since seen the All-Pro duo of Jordan Poyer and Micah Hyde move on to new teams and retirement.
Though the Bills found two steady new starters in Damar Hamlin and Taylor Rapp and added a talented rookie in Cole Bishop, one analyst believes that safety is still the weak point of their defense and could use an upgrade. Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox suggested the Bills could look into some free agency options to boost their depth at safety, including another All-Pro who is still looking for a new home.
Bills Advised to Shop Around at Safety
Knox suggested that the Bills could look into veteran Justin Simmons. The 31-year-old is coming off a season where he started 16 games for the Atlanta Falcons, making two interceptions and 62 total tackles.
Simmons still has a lot left to contribute, having earned Pro Bowl and second-team All-Pro honors in 2023 while still with the Denver Broncos.
Bleacher Report’s Alex Ballentine had already suggested that the Bills may need to find more help at safety, with Hamlin and Rapp not locked into their starting roles and up for a challenge in training camp.
“Perhaps Cole Bishop will take on more responsibility in his second season, but the starting combo of Damar Hamlin and Taylor Rapp are the weak link of the defense as constructed,” Ballentine wrote.
Another Familiar Face Could Return to Buffalo
The Bills could have another option if they wish to add depth to the back end of their secondary — a return for Poyer. After he was released by the Bills in March 2024 and went on to play for the Miami Dolphins last season, Poyer told NFL Network’s Good Morning Football that he believes he still has some left in the tank for the upcoming season.
“I love the game, you know? I’m in a place right now where I played 12 years, extremely thankful and blessed to have played the game for such a long time,” Poyer said.
Poyer said it was a difficult transition moving from Buffalo to Miami last season.
“Last year was an extremely tough year on so many levels. Our team wasn’t very good,” Poyer said. “I didn’t play as well as I wanted to play. It was just a really tough year. Obviously, transitioning from Buffalo to Miami, cultures being different, systems being different, it just didn’t work out the way that anybody had hoped. But at the same time, I’m thankful for it all, thankful for all the moments, all the friendships. Would I like to play again? Absolutely. Whatever that looks like.”
Poyer added that it would be a “fantasy ending” to return to Buffalo for one final season, as the Bills had done when signing Hyde for the final stretch of the 2024 season.
“It’d be dope, it’d be ideal to have a fantasy ending and be able to retire a Bill, but who knows?” Poyer said. “I’m just being an open book right now, really enjoying life for what it is.”
