Bills work out four safeties amid wave of injuries

The Buffalo Bills have reportedly worked out four safeties after the injuries suffered by Mike Edwards and Cole Bishop.

Dec 11, 2022; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Seahawks safety Ryan Neal (26) exits the locker room for pregame warmups against the Carolina Panthers at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports / Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

The Buffalo Bills worked out four defensive backs on Tuesday as the team attempts to deal with a wave of recent injuries at the safety position. KPRC 2 Houston’s Aaron Wilson reported the workouts late Tuesday evening.

#Bills worked out Terrell Burgess, Richael LeCounte, Ryan Neal, Trenton Thompson

— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) July 31, 2024

Buffalo, per Wilson, worked out Terrell Burgess, Richard LeCounte, Ryan Neal, and Trenton Thompson. The Bills commenced a three-way battle for a starting safety spot alongside Taylor Rapp as they kicked off their 2024 training camp—the initial competitors were fourth-year defender Damar Hamlin, offseason signing Mike Edwards, and second-round draft pick Cole Bishop. Edwards is currently out week-to-week with a hamstring injury while Bishop suffered an arm injury at Tuesday’s practice, leaving Buffalo depleted at the position.

Burgess, 25, was selected by the Los Angeles Rams in the third round of the 2020 NFL Draft, tallying 18 tackles and one pass deflection throughout parts of three seasons with the team. While in Los Angeles, the former Utah Ute shared a defensive backfield with current Buffalo safety Taylor Rapp; the Rams released him midway through his third year, and he’s since seen short stints with the New York Giants and Washington Commanders.

LeCounte, also 25, was a fifth-round pick of the Cleveland Browns in the 2021 NFL Draft. The former All-SEC defender has appeared in just 12 games throughout his professional career and started only one, tallying three tackles.

Oct 23, 2022; Inglewood, California, USA; Seattle Seahawks safety Ryan Neal (26) breaks up a pass for Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver DeAndre Carter (1) in the end zone in the first half at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

Neal, 28, is the most experienced name of the bunch, suiting up in 62 games as a professional while starting 32. He's notched 236 total tackles, 16 pass deflections, and three interceptions, particularly flashing in a 2022 season with the Seattle Seahawks in which he started 10 games and deflected a career-high eight passes.

Thompson, 28, has the most interesting resume of the names, as he’s had stops in the NFL, AAF, CFL, XFL, and the Indoor Football League. He only has six NFL appearances under his belt, however, notching 22 tackles.

Should Bishop miss significant time, Hamlin would likely be penciled into the team’s Week 1 starting lineup alongside Rapp. If any of these defenders are to ultimately sign with the Bills, they’ll join the recently-inked Kareem Jackson as training camp depth.

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