Indianapolis Colts safety Julian Blackmon put his teammate and defensive coordinator on notice in front of the media.
The Buffalo Bills have a big hole in the back of their secondary after parting ways with safety Jordan Poyer and losing fellow safety Micah Hyde to free agency, but now could be working on a replacement.
Bleacher Report’s Jordan Schultz reported on March 18 that the Bills were hosting free agent safety Julian Blackmon for a visit this week. The former Indianapolis Colts safety is coming off a career-best season and could be in line for a starting job if he should sign with the Bills.
But landing Blackmon may not be an easy task, with Schultz reporting that he is generating significant interest on the open market and has “several” other suitors.
Jordan Schultz
Jordan Schultz
@Schultz_Report
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Free agent safety Julian Blackmon is headed to Buffalo for a visit with the #Bills, sources tell @BleacherReport.
Blackmon has several suitors after enjoying a career season with the #Colts, which included 4 INTs.
Bills Looking to Add Versatile Safety
Though the Bills lost two cornerstones of their defense in Hyde and Poyer, SI.com’s Anthony Licciardi suggested that Blackmon’s versatility would help him fill the void.
“Blackmon would easily slide into Hyde’s role as the free safety in head coach Sean McDermott’s defense. However, his versatility may be an added bonus for Buffalo, who could play him in the box more than some anticipate,” Licciardi wrote.
Licciardi added that Blackmon has shown an ability to move across positions in the secondary during his time in Indianapolis.
“Blackmon saw career-high snap counts in the box and at slot corner in 2022 and followed that up with a more pronounced change,” he wrote. “Blackmon spent 48.3 percent of his snaps at free safety in 2022 compared to 9.3 percent in the box. Last year, those percentages shifted to 31.2 percent and 47.4 percent respectively.”
Blackmon is coming off a career-best season in 2023, making 88 total tackles to go along with four interceptions and eight passes defended.
Bills Shoring Up Their Secondary
The Bills have already taken some steps to address their secondary, re-signing another versatile defensive back in Cam Lewis. He played at both safety and cornerback, while also serving as a mainstay on special teams.
The Bills also brought back another key member of the secondary on March 18, agreeing to a three-year, $31 million contract extension with nickel cornerback Taron Johnson. As NFL.com’s Nick Shook noted, it is a major