Bills Urged to Replace Veteran CB With Younger Talent

Changes Coming for the Bills

Douglas has been a stalwart in the secondary for the Bills this season, starting all 11 games and making 44 total tackles with five passes defensed. But Ballentine suggested that the Bills may need to re-evaluate their secondary this offseason, especially with Douglas headed to free agency.

“The Bills’ re-worked secondary has held up pretty well this season, but there’s still going to be some work to do in the offseason,” Ballentine wrote. “One of the first questions they’ll have to answer is whether they want to re-sign Rasul Douglas. The veteran has played well enough in Buffalo, but he’ll be 29 years old and has taken a step back.”

Ballentine suggested Fulton, three years Douglas’ junior, could be a good target for the Bills.

“Targeting a younger free agent like Kristian Fulton could give them a younger starter at the position. Fulton is 26 years old and has rebounded in Los Angeles after a rough final season with Tennessee in 2023,” Ballentine wrote.

Fulton has appeared in eight games this season with seven starts, making 18 tackles with one interception and six passes defensed.

Rasul Douglas Key to Big Win

The Bills may choose to bring back Douglas, who is one of their most trusted defensive backs and was key to the team’s 30-21 win over the Kansas City Chiefs on Nov. 17. As The Athletic’s Joe Buscaglia noted, both Douglas and fellow cornerback Christian Benford locked down the Chiefs’ wide receivers, putting pressure on quarterback Patrick Mahomes.

“As the game progressed, those quick answers Mahomes likes to find just weren’t as readily available on the boundaries because of those two cornerbacks,” Buscaglia wrote. “It forced Mahomes to get into scramble drills more often than maybe he would’ve liked, which created a crucial tenet for the Bills to master if they wanted to slow down the Chiefs.”

The Bills are expected to get another boost on defense as they return from the upcoming bye week, with Pro Bowl linebacker Matt Milano nearing a return from a torn pectoral suffered in training camp. The Bills opened the practice window for Milano, with rookie defensive tackle DeWayne Carter also eligible to return from injured reserve.

Bills head coach Sean McDermott said there’s hope for both players, but couldn’t make a definitive ruling just yet.

“These guys are looking forward to getting some rest and kind of unplugging a little bit,” McDermott said, via the Democrat & Chronicle. “We’ll see in terms of who’s healthy coming back off the bye. This week the players that have been rehabbing are going to stay here and rehab and try and get themselves back to where they’re an option for us next week. We’ll see where that goes, don’t really have any definitives at this point from [head trainer Nate Breske].”