Important rookie could be getting first career start for Buffalo Bills on Sunday
With Sean McDermott announcing that starting safety Taylor Rapp is in the concussion protocol, his availability for Sunday's matchup against the Houston Texans is very much in doubt. If he's not ready to play, then it becomes quite clear that rookie second round pick Cole Bishop will be in line to get his first career start. […]
With Sean McDermott announcing that starting safety Taylor Rapp is in the concussion protocol, his availability for Sunday's matchup against the Houston Texans is very much in doubt.
If he's not ready to play, then it becomes quite clear that rookie second round pick Cole Bishop will be in line to get his first career start. If that's the case, going against CJ Stroud, Stefon Diggs, and Nico Collins, it will be a baptism by fire by Bishop in the NFL.
The safety group is developing into a position on the Bills roster that is at best average, but has potential to be a liability. It's fair to say that the position was a concern in the Ravens game, along with most of the Bills secondary, where players like Damar Hamlin and Bishop as well struggled, particularly against the run.
Yes, Baltimore's run game is astoundingly difficult, but as McDermott likes to say, there's a standard. The defense didn't play up to it. It seemed like they were bullied from the jump.
With Bishop, it's possible that you just need to rip the bandaid off and throw him out there. In college, Bishop was a heat-seaking missile capable of flying downhill. His ability to play in the box and to support in run defense, along with his ability to trigger and fly to make a tackle, were some of the biggest plusses on his scouting report coming out of college.
The Bills are going to need him to step up. A full game of reps is exactly what he needs to speed up the experience and maturation process. Buffalo would be wise to give him the opportunity to earn his spot as a mainstay on the defensive side of the ball in the post-Micah Hyde and Jordan Poyer era.
Bishop has been active the last two weeks over a healthy Mike Edwards. It's time.
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