Bills rookie Cole Bishop gets first-team reps as safety battle continues

The Bills lost All-Pro safety duo Micah Hyde and Jordan Poyer this offseason. Now the team is having an open competition across from Taylor Rapp for the No. 2 spot.

Nov 25, 2023; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Colorado Buffaloes running back Dylan Edwards (3) gets tackled by Utah Utes safety Cole Bishop (8) at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Creveling-USA TODAY Sports / Christopher Creveling-USA TODAY Sports

If there was one constant you could expect from the Buffalo Bills defense since Sean McDermott took over in 2017, it was that the safety duo would be Micah Hyde and Jordan Poyer. The pair joined Buffalo shortly after McDermott was hired and saw immediate success as a tandem, both earning frequent Pro Bowl and All-Pro nods. For the first time in eight years, the Bills enter a season without those two to rely on in the defensive secondary, as both departed One Bills Drive in the spring.

Through three days of training camp, Taylor Rapp is filling one of those holes, which was expected; his 39% snap share in 2023 is the highest of the returning safeties. However, the competition opposite of him has been a rotation after 72 hours of work. On day one, fellow returner Damar Hamlin, who only played 1.6% of the Bills defensive snaps last year, took first-team reps. On days two and three, it switched to Mike Edwards, a free agent from Kansas City, and Cole Bishop, the second-round pick from Utah, respectively.

To glean more into this competition, let's look at what defensive coordinator Bobby Babich had to say about what he wants from the position: "A player who can take control of the defense" is most important, "one that makes plays," he added. It sounds like he is explaining what Buffalo had in Hyde and Poyer. That is what Babich wants in Rapp plus the winner of the No. 2 safety battle, and the DC went deeper into what he's seen from the trio in day three's press conference.

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Hamlin has the most experience playing in the Bills' defense. He was the next man up in 2022, filling in admirably for the injured Hyde. Hamlin started 13 games, racking up 93 tackles, six for a loss, and three quarterback hits.

“Damar is a pro. Damar is a pro, he’s been in this system for a while. Obviously, I coached him when I was coaching the safeties and all of those things. He knows the expectations," said Babich. "When it comes down to it, there is competition at that position, and he understands that. He’s put himself in position to be ready for that opportunity."

Bills Damar Hamlin leads a line of group of defensive backs in a drill. / Tina MacIntyre-Yee/Democrat and

Edwards joins the Bills with the most experience of the bunch. The former Kansas City Chief and Tampa Bay Buccaneer has appeared in 75 games during his five-year career. That includes winning Super Bowls with the Bucs (2020) and Chiefs (2023). Edwards has eight interceptions over his last four seasons and a 101-yard fumble recovery for a touchdown, so the splash plays fans clamor for are part of his resume. As far as Babich is concerned, "Mike Edwards is a football player. I think I have said that about other safeties that have been here in the past and had some success," hinting at his professionalism like Hyde and Poyer isn't a bad thing.

"He's not the sexiest, not the fastest, not the strongest, but when he plays he makes plays. In this game, it comes down to making a play," Babich added. "Mike has a long way to go to acclimate himself into what we are doing here with the Bills. Mike is the right type of guy to do that. Again, just a football player that the ball tends to find, and as we all know the ball is an integral part of the game."

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The member of the trio that we, and the team, know the least about is 60th overall pick Cole Bishop. He's already made some noise at camp with a play where he could have blown up Josh Allen for a strip sack, but the QB wears the red (don't you dare touch me) jersey for a reason. The rookie made several impact plays during his final season in Utah, compiling 60 tackles, six for a loss, two interceptions, and two fumble recoveries. The question for Buffalo is how quickly can he put it all together and how soon they need him to do it.

“(Bishop) needs to make sure he stays in a day-by-day mentality. Can’t get too far ahead," said Babich. "Cole’s extremely talented. He’s a rookie and needs to grow up fast. The ball’s in his court," he added. You can spin this quote positively or negatively. Positive: his talents can't be denied, but the Bills need him to grow up quickly, so he can see the field early. Negative: he needs to grow up fast because he's behind. Unfortunately, the Bills may need to rely on a rookie too early.

How quickly Bishop or Edwards can learn and grow into Babich's and McDemott's vision for safety could go a long way to deciding if they can usurp Hamlin's early work with the first-team defense in training camp.

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