The Buffalo Bills revamped their secondary in 2017, starting four players who were not with the team in 2016. While this kind of change can often backfire, new head coach Sean McDermott wanted to make sure he had players that fit his scheme. One of the first names he identified was safety Micah Hyde, who signed with the Bills on the first day of free agency in 2017 after having spent the first four years of his career with the Green Bay Packers.
Hyde was a jack-of-all-trades while in Green Bay, serving as a slot corner/safety hybrid who never seemed to have a complete fit in the defense. As a member of the Bills, he found a home as a full-time safety, making his first Pro Bowl in his first season with the Bills. Though he withdrew from the game due to a concussion he sustained during Buffalo’s 10-3 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars in the Wild Card playoffs, Hyde looked like a Pro Bowler during his 2017 campaign.
Micah Hyde
2017 Cap Hit (per Spotrac): $4 million (2.58% of 2017 Cap)
2017 Cap Hit Rank by Position: 30th among safeties
2017 Vital Stats: 16 games, 16 starts (96.12% defensive snaps; 18.76% ST snaps), 82 tackles, 5 interceptions, 13 pass breakups
Arguably, no pair of safeties in the NFL outperformed the Bills’ duo of Hyde and fellow newcomer Jordan Poyer. Hyde’s career year came at a time when he was given a singular position to play for the first time as a professional, and instantly played like one of the league’s best safeties. Pro Football Focus gave Hyde an 86.2, or high-quality grade, for his work in 2017. That score was good for 14th among NFL safeties.
Although Hyde’s cap number was the eighth-highest on the Bills’ 2017 roster, his excellent play made that investment a great one for the team.
Best 2017 Bills salary cap values
10. QB Tyrod Taylor (article)
9. LB Preston Brown (article)
8. LT Dion Dawkins (article)
7. LB Matt Milano (article)
6. CB E.J. Gaines (article)
5. RB LeSean McCoy (article)
4. OG Richie Incognito (article)
3. FS Micah Hyde (article)
2. SS Jordan Poyer (article)
1. CB Tre’Davious White (article)