Heading into the 2017 NFL season, the Buffalo Bills revamped their defensive secondary. They allowed former first-round draft pick Stephon Gilmore to sign a lucrative deal with the New England Patriots. They also traded their other starting corner, Ronald Darby, to the Philadelphia Eagles. At safety, they replaced veterans Corey Graham and Aaron Williams with a pair of free agents.
While some free-agent acquisitions don’t pan out, Buffalo hit on both of its moves at safety that off-season. Micah Hyde, who had served as a jack-of-all-trades in the secondary for the Green Bay Packers over the duration of his rookie contract, was voted to his first Pro Bowl last season.