Tag: Humphrey

The Buffalo Bills are set to take on the Baltimore Ravens this weekend. For the Bills, it’s the third-consecutive season they’ve hosted a playoff game in the Divisional Round. The last two times, they’ve lost, dropping a 27-10 decision to the Cincinnati Bengals followed by a 27-24 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs last season.

As we’ve done for the last few weeks, we’re going to go through the hypothetical scenario where we add three players from the opposing team to Buffalo’s roster. Over the last month or so, I’ve had a bit of an easier time doing this.

With respect to teams like the New England Patriots and the New York Jets, it wasn’t difficult to narrow down a list of players who fit the Bills, so to speak. When analyzing a roster like Baltimore’s, the task is infinitely harder due to the abundance of talent they possess.

Players like Roquan Smith, an All-Pro at linebacker, didn’t make the cut. Tight end Mark Andrews wouldn’t have made much sense given Buffalo’s talent and youth at the position, but he is one of the best in the league at his position. Baltimore’s offensive line is solid, but Buffalo’s offensive line is a strength.

Could we have gone defensive line? Absolutely. However, we went for a few other players at positions where they could truly help Buffalo take that next step toward greatness.

Here are the three Ravens we’d add to Buffalo’s roster. I’d love to see your choices in the comments!

RB Derrick Henry

I struggled with this one, especially since I already wrote about him in the five Ravens to watch article. I’ll keep it short: The reason I’d add Henry over a stud linebacker like Smith, for example, is just because of the style difference between James Cook and him.

I love Ray Davis, but Henry is going to be a first-ballot Hall of Famer. He ran for over 1,900 yards this season, and he could dole out punishment while also saving Josh Allen from taking hits.

Henry has been incredible with a running force-of-nature like Lamar Jackson at quarterback. Imagine the Angry Runs potential with Allen and Henry in the same offensive backfield?

CB Marlon Humphrey

He was First-Team All-Pro for a reason. Humphrey was dynamite this season, allowing a completion rate of 60.4% and only 9.6 yards per completion. He also had six interceptions and 15 pass breakups.

Pairing Humphrey with Christian Benford would make for a dynamic one-two punch, and while Humphrey (28) isn’t much younger than Rasul Douglas (29), he is much better in man coverage, which is Douglas’ biggest weakness. That weakness makes him a target for opponents when Buffalo goes to their man-to-man looks, especially when he’s forced to chase crossers all over the field. Humphrey would be an upgrade on the outside.

S Kyle Hamilton

Hamilton doesn’t necessarily fit what Buffalo looks for in a safety, as he’s more of a box-type than he is a deep-third player. However, what he also does is wreak havoc on opposing offenses, both as a blitzer and in coverage, and he’s also a fantastic defender against the run.

If you can’t find a use for a player like Hamilton in your defense, I question your defense and not the player. Hamilton could help the Bills in a multitude of ways, whether as a “big nickel” defender, a man-up defender against tight ends, or as a pseudo-third linebacker.

He followed up a First-Team All-Pro nod in his second year with a Second-Team All-Pro selection this season. That kind of talent could only improve Buffalo’s already stellar defensive unit. Pairing him with Taylor Rapp would make for a much more dynamic secondary.