Here is Bills Wire’s position-by-position breakdown of the team’s roster, continuing with the secondary, including the season that was and projecting forward:
The Buffalo Bills secondary has been arguably the best positional grouping during the Sean McDermott era. Cornerback Tre’Davious White, the first draft pick for McDermott, was honored with First-Team All-Pro honors and a trip to the Pro Bowl. Safeties Micah Hyde and Jordan Poyer, two of the regime’s earliest free agent signings, have become cornerstones for the franchise over the past three years.
White had another stellar season, en route to entering his name into the national discussion for best cornerbacks in the league. He was regularly matched against the opponent’s top receiving threat. The LSU product registered 58 tackles, six interceptions (tied for the league lead), and 17 passes defensed.
Levi Wallace played the opposite corner position from White. The undrafted free agent has held his own, registering 76 tackles, nine passes defensed, and two interceptions. However, he has been susceptible to getting beat by receivers in his second season.
Taron Johnson worked primarily against slot receivers. He was adequate, although he did not seem to have the impact that he did as a rookie two years ago.
Kevin Johnson provided veteran depth, seeing action in all 16 games. He recorded 32 tackles, one sack, and five passes defensed. Overall, he provided the necessary support for the unit when needed.
Hyde and Poyer were great at the back of the defense. Poyer was second on the team with 104 total tackles. Hyde added 72 total tackles to the ledger this year. Both are solid leaders and essential components of this defense’s dominance.
Siran Neal, a fifth-round pick in the 2018 draft, was a versatile player, spelling Johnson when a bigger, more physical player was needed in the slot. He took a solid step forward in this second professional season, taking on more responsibility in the slot.
Dean Marlowe, Jaquan Johnson, and Kurt Coleman provided depth in the secondary. A good deal of their contributions came on the special teams. unit.
Contract status
White enters the fourth-year of his rookie deal. He will count $3.2 million against the salary cap. The All-Pro will have the team’s fifth-year option at hand for the 2021 season. However, the Bills will do everything in their power to sign White to a long-term deal. But with others from his rookie class such as Dion Dawkins and Matt Milano also on expiring contracts that don’t have a fifth-year option, the Bills might opt to flex that option.
Johnson will cost approximately $821,000 against the cap in his third season.
Hyde and Poyer have been bargains on their deals, outplaying their cap hits. Hyde has two more years on his deal at a cap hit of approximately $6.7 million. Poyer takes on the final year of his deal carrying a cap hit of just over $4 million.
Neal and Jaquan Johnson are moving their way through their entry-level deals, with Neal costing the team approximately $730,000 toward the cap while Johnson will constitute about $631,000 in the cap figure.
Kevin Johnson and Coleman are unrestricted free agents this year. Marlowe is a restricted free agent, while Wallace is an exclusive rights free agent.
The future
The entire starting group has outplayed their contracts. Thus, someone’s going to get PAID soon. The first priority is White. The Bills let Stephon Gilmore walk in 2017. With teams in need of matching high-powered offenses with top-flight cornerbacks, the position has taken a higher level of value in recent years. Thus, money will be dedicated to the cornerback position in the near future.
Poyer and Hyde present interesting conundrums for the team. Poyer has one more year on his deal. Eventually, several players are going to command new deals, including White, Josh Allen, Devin Singletary, Matt Milano, and Tremaine Edmunds. With Poyer fit into the team’s long-term plans? He will be 29-years-old next season. Even though he has been very productive, his work may eventually price himself out of Buffalo’s plans. This will be up to general manager Brandon Beane’s mastery to get all of these players under contract. Also, McDermott may bank on his expertise to bring along a lower-cost option in place of Poyer in 2021. There’s a lot to untangle at this spot.
For now, Hyde and Poyer will continue to a strength of the defense.
Taron Johnson and Neal could battle for first-team reps at the cornerback spot. Neal demonstrated a physicality and flexibility that was impressive for his role.
The most intriguing spot will be opposite White. Wallace played well at times, but also faced bouts of inconsistency. Buffalo would most likely not entertain free agent starting options, so the draft could be an interesting spot for consideration. Virginia’s Bryce Hall, Alabama’s Trevon Diggs, and Utah’s Jaylon Johnson could be players to watch as the Combine takes place.
Kevin Johnson could be re-signed for depth purposes if he is cost-effective. Wallace, as an exclusive rights free agent, most likely will return to Buffalo. However, it may be challenging for him to return as the starter after the offseason.
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