Jordan Poyer’s return keeps Bills’ safety duo, defensive identity intact

[Buddy]

Jordan Poyer’s return keeps Bills’ safety duo, defensive identity intact

View the full article

[HipKat]

Jordan Poyer is back in Buffalo. After a long, drawn-out process of looking for a new deal that began in spring workouts last year, Poyer is back with the Bills on a two-year deal.

Although he might have wanted a lucrative contract in free agency, the soon-to-be 32-year-old watched as several free-agent safeties signed in many of his potential destinations, leaving the Bills as a logical and easy fit for Poyer. So here is a breakdown of the signing.

How he fits: The great thing about Poyer is the Bills don’t have to project into their scheme or play any guessing game. Poyer is a home run fit in coach Sean McDermott’s defense and has been since the day he and Micah Hyde walked in the door in Buffalo in 2017. Poyer is an excellent starting strong safety who offers the versatility to rotate on some play calls at Hyde’s usual free safety positioning. Poyer’s instincts and play recognition have all been top notch to help him gain an edge. He then finishes most of his plays as a sure tackler. He’s been one of the team’s best starters since he arrived in Buffalo.

2023 impact: Poyer’s arrival couldn’t be timelier for the Bills. They had a massive hole at safety outside of Hyde. Their depth consists of Jared Mayden, who was primarily a practice squad player in 2022, and Zayne Anderson, whom the Bills just signed in February and has minimal NFL experience. Damar Hamlin will begin his road back to football, though there’s no way the Bills can rely on him being ready to play in 2023 as it stands today. They’ll still need to make one or two more depth moves to bolster the position and perhaps even use a draft selection in April on one.

History: Poyer’s history and McDermott’s history are intertwined. Poyer and Hyde were the first free agents the Bills announced as signings in 2017 and have since gone on to be stars and stalwarts of the Bills defense. In his first five seasons with the Bills, Poyer missed only two regular-season games. He was an outstanding presence on a weekly basis and was routinely one of the best defenders on the field. The Bills had been extremely fortunate that both Poyer and Hyde remained remarkably healthy through those five seasons. But 2022 was a different story. Hyde had his season cut way short, needing neck surgery after a Week 2 win, while Poyer missed five games for various injuries. Starting in training camp, Poyer missed practice time or games for six injuries throughout the year. Collectively, Poyer and Hyde missed 22 games in 2022 after missing only four games total from 2017 through 2021.

Cap update: Poyer agreed to a two-year deal to remain in Buffalo, though the contract’s financial terms have yet to be disclosed. We will update this section with an analysis of the finances of the deal and how it relates to the Bills’ cap space as soon as that information becomes available.

Outlook: Following the exit of linebacker Tremaine Edmunds in free agency, the Bills were facing legitimate concerns on defense if they didn’t bring back Poyer in 2023. Poyer’s return immediately catapults them back into a potential high-end defense this season, as the Bills will also get Hyde back to continue their prolific partnership. There might be concern over Poyer’s age and all the games he missed last year, but when he’s on the field, Poyer has been as reliable and as good as it gets within the team’s defensive scheme. His return will go a long way in their hunt for Super Bowl glory in 2023.

[jamsim67]

I'm just happy for his wife, she gets to stay in Buffalo

[SpikedLemonade]

4 hours ago, jamsim67 said:

I'm just happy for his wife, she gets to stay in Buffalo

I am just happy that fine ass remains in Buffalo.

AND his wife ain’t bad to look at either.