The Answer to the Safety Position

by Mario Granata
There is a lot of talk about the safety position when it pertains to who is going to be covering the back end for the Buffalo Bills in the 2015 season.  As highlighted on previous articles on Hashtag Sports, it will ultimately depend on the overall philosophy of the defense for which they decide to play.  Here are a couple scenarios that the Bills could choose going into 2015. 

Typically, Rex Ryan and Dennis Thurman have been blessed with some very talented players to patrol the secondary.  During his time in Baltimore, Ryan had the likes of Ed Reed and Dawan Landry and when he was in New York, Darrelle Revis and Antonio Cromartie.  Last season with the Jets he was pulling players off the street it seemed, so with the depth that comes with the Buffalo Bills, Ryan and Thurman have many options to choose.

Option 1:
FS Corey Graham
SS Aaron Williams

Many Bills fans have come to the consensus that this would be the best pairing for Buffalo.  Graham has the ability to play over the top and allow Williams to play a true strong safety coming up and playing the run.  Conventionally the strong safety offers run support, while the free safety will play over the #1 receiver to give the corner some help.  The people who are opposed to this option are worried about Leodis McKelvin being the #2 corner. 

Option 2:
FS Aaron Williams
SS Duke Williams

With the departure of Da’Norris Searcy, the Bills probably thought that they had Searcy’s replacement in Duke Williams.  Now, the pairing of Duke and Aaron almost writes itself.  Mario and Kyle on the front end, while Aaron and Duke cover the back end.  No matter what way you slice it, it could work for the Bills if the staff saw enough of Duke to name him a consistent starter. 

Option 3:
FS Bacarri Rambo
SS Aaron Williams

As mentioned on a previous Hashtag Sports article From Reed to Rambo, there are some comparisons that could be made between Ed Reed and Bacarri Rambo.  Now saying that Rambo is the next Reed isn’t where the comparison lies, rather the role that they will be asked to play in a Dennis Thurman/Rex Ryan scheme.  Rambo had flashes of brilliance at Georgia, which liken him to Reed when he was at Miami, so this could be the mindset if this is the pair that they choose. 

Option 4:
FS Aaron Williams
SS 2015 Draft Pick/2015 Free Agent

Now, with the depth that the Bills have at the safety position, it seems hard to imagine that they will pick up a safety that will start for them in the 2015 season, but stranger things have happened in the NFL.  Also, with Dawan Landry sniffing around One Bills Drive, he could come in and play the strong safety position and let Aaron Williams (who has played corner in the NFL) cover over the top.  To read up on other available safeties check out Top Available Safeties.

Now, the question that comes in is when the Bills get out of their base package and go to a nickel look defensively.  Will they play McKelvin in the slot?  Will Nickell Robey prove that he can take the responsibility?  Will Graham ultimately beat out McKelvin for the #2 corner leaving the Bills with a 5 million dollar slot corner?  No matter what scenario you seem to lean toward the Bills will have something in the secondary that Rex Ryan didn’t have in his previous season with the Jets: options.