Bills: Christian Benford may replace Jordan Poyer as starting safety
General Manager of the Buffalo Bills, Brandon Beane, opened up on one of the biggest question marks surrounding the upcoming season.
It's hard to imagine a Buffalo Bills defense without Jordan Poyer. In a matter of a few weeks, that could be exactly what happens.
Poyer's arrival in Buffalo came after an injury-plagued tenure with the Cleveland Browns. Buffalo awarded him an opportunity for a fresh start and the talented safety flourished.
Jordan Poyer's on-field success pairing with Micah Hyde makes him one of the more prized free agents this offseason.
Bills Mafia has a feeling Poyer may be taking his talents elsewhere. The All-Pro safety was blunt about his plans during free agency. He remarked about New York State taxes and a desire to move somewhere warm.
Become the best version of yourself
Sean McDermott and Brandon Beane understand that you simply cannot replace Jordan Poyer overnight. The All-Pro safety is a one-man wrecking crew on the football field. Even more, when Poyer was in the lineup this past season, Buffalo was undefeated aside from the playoff loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.
However, during a press conference at the NFL scouting combine, we may have gotten a sneak peek at his replacement, and it's one that requires no trades or signings.
This past season, Christian Benford stunned the NFL community by getting a start in week one. Benford had outdueled first-round rookie Kaiir Elam to earn the position.
Benford checks all the boxes
When coming out of college, Benford's draft profile highlighted that he was available as a cornerback and safety. The Buffalo Bills front office loves versatile players and Benford may be the swiss army knife-type player to beef up the safety position.
While it's nearly impossible to replicate what Poyer has done on the field, Buffalo has done an exceptional job of molding players to become the best version of themselves.
With uncertainty surrounding the position, Benford sliding in at safety makes perfect sense. The announcement may have been a slip-up, however. Once Brandon Beane finished his segment, it was Sean McDermott's turn at the podium.
McDermott's response was a little different from Beane, seemingly indicating they may have divulged too much. The Bills head coach added his own spin to Benford's future.
With difficult decisions underway, having versatile players who are capable of executing in multiple facets of the game is paramount. Regardless of who is playing safety, Jordan Poyer's presence will be missed.
Here's hoping even without Leslie Frazier, Buffalo can return a dominant defensive unit next year.
Featured image via Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports
