In the eyes of many observers, the weakest link for the Buffalo Bills going into 2017 is their depth at safety. Both nominal starters are free agent pickups, one of whom has started all of ten games in his NFL career.
There is plenty of room for someone to make an impact on the depth chart. That player could be someone who has made their mark as a special teamer throughout their career so far.
Name: Colt Anderson
# 33
Position: S
Height/Weight: 5’10”, 195 lbs.
Experience: 8
College: Montana
Draft: UDFA (2010)
Financial Situation (per Spotrac): Anderson is on a one-year deal that will pay him $900,000 this season. If the Bills release him, they will gain $615,000 in cap relief.
2016 Recap: Anderson was a free-agent pickup by the Bills last season. After missing the first three games of the season due to injury, he appeared in two games on special teams before landing on injured reserve with a hand injury.
Positional Outlook: While Anderson wasn’t really in the mix for playing time on defense last season, he could work his way into the depth this year. While it would be a shock to see him win a starting role, the depth chart is filled with guys who are looking to carve out a similar role. It wouldn’t be a stretch to think he could beat out guys like Trae Elston and B.T. Sanders for a prominent role.
2017 Offseason: Anderson was re-signed by the Bills back in January, shortly after the hiring of Sean McDermott as head coach.
2017 Season Outlook: In most situations, the 31-year-old Anderson would be a safe bet to be a fringe roster player or a core special teams contributor. For the 2017 Bills, he still fills those roles while maintaining a shot at becoming a contributor on the defense. Barring injury or implosion, he should make the roster. What he does after that ... we’ll see.