Bills Central

How Bills plan to keep rookie safety up to speed following shoulder injury

The Buffalo Bills plan to be "creative" as they keep rookie safety Cole Bishop schematically up to speed following his shoulder injury.

Kyle Silagyi

Bills defensive backs Cole Bishop, right, and Ja'Marcus Ingram pull in throws during interception drills.
Bills defensive backs Cole Bishop, right, and Ja'Marcus Ingram pull in throws during interception drills. / Shawn Dowd/Rochester Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK
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The Buffalo Bills entered their 2024 training camp in search of answers at the safety position; over the past few days, they’ve simply been searching for bodies.

The team has experienced a string of injuries at the position, with offseason signee Mike Edwards suffering a hamstring ailment last week before rookie Cole Bishop injured his shoulder on Tuesday. The duo—both of whom were entrenched in a battle for the team’s starting safety role alongside Taylor Rapp—is considered week-to-week with their respective ailments; Buffalo signed veteran Kareem Jackson and fifth-year player Terrell Burgess in their absences.

Neither injury is ideal given that a position battle was ensuing, but it’s particularly depressing with regard to Bishop, whom the Bills’ brass views as a long-term starter in the defensive backfield. The team selected the versatile defender in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft, and though immediately slotting him into the starting lineup was always a long shot, an injury preventing him from having a fair shake at the role is unfortunate.

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It’s now up to Buffalo’s coaching staff to schematically keep him up to speed as he recovers from his ailment, something that will allow him to hit the ground running upon his ultimate return. Defensive coordinator Bobby Babich spoke about keeping the 21-year-old engaged while speaking to reporters ahead of Thursday’s training camp practice.

“Being creative in the ways we can keep his mental on point, finding different ways to make sure, although he’s missing potentially some time here, just making sure mentally he’s staying in it,” Babich said. “He’s got the right makeup, we identify those guys. Knowing Cole, he’ll do everything that he needs to do to make sure that he’s still in it mentally, and I know [safeties coach] Joe [Danna] will keep him along those lines, too.”

Cole Bishop
Bills defensive backs Cole Bishop, left, and Te'Cory Couch get in extra work on coverage before the start of day three of training camp. / Shawn Dowd/Rochester Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Bills commenced their 2024 camp in search of two new starters at safety after the offseason departures of stalwarts Micah Hyde and Jordan Poyer, who have combined for 202 starts in Buffalo’s defensive backfield over the past seven campaigns. Edwards and Bishop had engaged in a three-way battle with fourth-year contributor Damar Hamlin for a starting role before their respective injuries; barring incredibly unforeseen circumstances, Hamlin now seems en route to winning the job. 

That said, Bishop could still ascend into a more prominent role as his debut campaign progresses. He plays with the versatility that Sean McDermott covets in the safety position, having the ability to succeed both in coverage and in the box. The 6-foot-2 defender is a schematic fit in a defense that likes to deploy its safeties interchangeably; he’s an intriguing long-term option at One Bills Drive, and though his current injury is a hiccup, it doesn’t impact his promising ceiling.

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Kyle Silagyi

KYLE SILAGYI

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