He “knows he is behind”

Reality hit the Buffalo Bills' secondary especially hard this offseason, as the team was forced to part ways with both Micah Hyde and Jordan Poyer amid a salary cap shakeup. The two veterans had started a combined 202 games at safety for the team since the 2017 NFL season, but with both now 33 years old and each with their own injury histories, Buffalo felt it best to use younger players at the position last spring.

The team secured a potential long-term option at safety by selecting Utah defensive tackle Cole Bishop in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft. The 21-year-old seems to be a natural fit for head coach Sean McDermott's defense, as the defensive tackle, who recorded 198 tackles, 21.5 tackles for loss and 12 pass deflections during his college career, is a playmaker who can excel both in coverage and when deployed near the line of scrimmage.

He entered his debut training camp with the prospect of competing for a starting spot alongside Taylor Rapp and even made some initial progress in the competition that also featured Damar Hamlin and Mike Edwards. However, the rookie suffered a shoulder injury in late July that kept him out of action for the last few weeks of practice. Edwards has also been dealing with a hamstring injury after Hamlin also suffered a hamstring injury last week. There are health concerns across the roster, but right now there are particular concerns in the safety room.

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The team had some good news earlier in the week when head coach Sean McDermott announced that both Bishop and Edwards would be back participating in walkthroughs this week. The rookie participated in individual drills on Tuesday, indicating he is making progress in his recovery. Bills defensive coordinator Bobby Babich spoke about Bishop during his media availability on Wednesday, detailing how he has stayed on top of his game despite his injury absence.

“We were able to do a few things here and there,” Babich said.[Safeties coach] Joe Danna is doing a great job, he's doing a great job. We've used different resources and things like that, different ways to test him mentally. When the balls fly on game day or even in practice, it's different. It's a day-by-day process and he's got to keep growing.

“To go back to that: When you're a professional, you have to find ways to develop in these situations. It can't always be the coach who forces you to do something. Cole is a pretty mature football player who knows he's behind. He doesn't say, 'Oh, I'm going to go in there and it'll be fine,' but he knows he can keep up with the other guys. There's a lot going on with him as far as our mental side is concerned.”

There is never a good or preferred time for injuries, but the timing of Bishop's illness was particularly unfortunate; not only was he unable to compete for a starting spot, but he was also unable to get the much-needed drills during his first training camp, a period of time that is crucial for a rookie transitioning to the NFL. He has been dedicated throughout his rehab, and the coaching staff is confident he will get back up to speed quickly once he is fully fit.

He may not start for the team in Week 1, but Buffalo still views him as a long-term option at the position; perhaps he could take over a starting position midway through his rookie season, assuming he continues to show impressive results in practice.

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