Bills' Current Starter appreciates helpful former safeties Hyde and Poyer

The Buffalo Bills acquired cornerback Rasul Douglas at last year's NFL trade deadline and immediately plugged the former third-round draft pick into a starting cornerback spot on Sean McDermott's defense.

Having no time to acclimate, Douglas made immediate contributions for a Bills' unit that lost Tre'Davious White to an Achilles tear. Over nine regular season games, he accounted for four interceptions, two fumble recoveries and 1.0 sack.

The instant success was not only a product of Douglas's ability but also the presence of veteran safeties Micah Hyde and Jordan Poyer.

"Last year, low key, last year, I just came in and I just listened to whatever Micah and Po said, honestly. They just looked at me and just told me 'you can jump some,' and I just did it," said Douglas after last week's minicamp practice. "Everything, they just simplified it for me."

Hyde and Poyer helped Douglas with alignments and allow the ball hawking cornerback to take chances when the time was right.

"Last year, I didn't know what everybody else was doing. I just know Po told me I had that person, so I was guarding that person," said Douglas.

After a marvelous seven-year run together, Hyde and Poyer are no longer patrolling Buffalo's secondary. The latter has joined the Miami Dolphins on a one-year contract while the 33-year-old Hyde is still undecided about his playing future.

Without two former All-Pros to lean on, Douglas is focused on becoming more self sufficient in the defensive scheme that he was thrown into midway through the 2023 season.

"Now, I'm kind of learning what the linebackers do, what the D-linemen do, where I'm gonna get my help from and all things like that," said Douglas.