3 defensive players the Bills should target after losing on Monday Night Football
The Bills lost in a heartbreaking manner on Monday Night Football. The Bills passed up an easy field goal attempt to go for a fourth down that they failed to convert. The Bills could have been better on that fourth down, however, the score shows where they also need to get better. The Bills gave up 34 points to the Titans.
Considering the Titans' offense is of playoff caliber, the Bills will see this type of offensive production from other playoff teams in January. Meaning, they need to be better on defense or they could lose in the same way in the playoffs, ending their season short of a Super Bowl victory. To change this, they need more ammunition. Luckily, there are still some good pieces available on the market to fix the issue.
Three defensive players who can help the Bills today and in the playoffs
#1 - Olivier Vernon, LB
Olivier Vernon is an ex-Brown still available in free agency. The pass rusher is coming off a season in which he has earned almost double-digit sacks. With nine sacks, the Bills could easily save themselves nine touchdowns scored against them.
Some of the FAs available entering regular season:
CB Richard Sherman
T Mitchell Schwartz
G David DeCastro
LB KJ Wright
DL Geno Atkins
DE Olivier Vernon
RB Le'Veon Bell
CB Quinton Dunbar
DL Jurrell Casey
T Russell Okung
S Tre Boston
DT Kawann Short
RB Todd Gurley
WR Golden Tate
Considering sacks set offenses behind the sticks, one negative play by Vernon could snowball into saving touchdowns, even in drives in which he doesn't get sacks. Whether it's because he's pressuring quarterbacks into throwing interceptions or speeding up their internal clocks, Vernon's presence can be felt even without sacks.
#2 - Brian Poole, CB
Brian Poole is still available. The 28-year old cornerback, who still has some youth and has been useful in the last year, is somehow on his own. Last season with the Saints, Poole recorded two interceptions and earned a grade of 77.1 per PFF. With the Bills, the young cornerback could easily lockdown and depth pieces on his own.
The #Saints released K Cody Parkey, DB Brian Poole and CB Desmond Trufant.
He also has playoff experience with the Saints and the Falcons. Meaning, he wouldn't cave in under the pressure of the playoffs. He's been there and done that, so he would be able to focus while others would be stressed out. Put simply, he would be a great fit for the team.
#3 - De'Vante Bausby, CB
De'Vante Bausby is a far cry from Olivier Vernon and Brian Poole, but he could help bolster the depth of the secondary. Bausby spent some time outside the NFL but played his way back into the league after playing well with some of the spring leagues over the last few seasons. He's also received coaching from Vic Fangio, so he may be better than his history indicates.
If nothing else, Bausby would be cheap and could give a boost with some fresh legs in the secondary. With the Bills now on a bye week, it would be the perfect time to experiment with some additions as those new players could be ready without having to miss a game.
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