The Bills will have a number of reinforcements available on defense as early as this week. The unit will be without another notable figure for the time being, however. 
Head coach Sean McDermott said on Friday (via Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic) safety Taylor Rapp will be moved to injured reserve. As a a result, he is in line to miss at least the next four games. That period will presumably begin with Week 8 against the Panthers.
Rapp has been dealing with a knee injury since training camp. The 27-year-old has managed to play in each of Buffalo’s six games so far this season, handling a starting role. Instead of continuing to play through the ailment, however, Rapp will now turn his attention to recovery.
After playing out his rookie contract with the Rams, the former second-rounder took a one-year deal with Buffalo. Rapp handled a part-time role that season, doing enough to land a three-year Bills pact in the process. The Washington product started each of his appearances last season and continued that trend through the opening stages of the current campaign. Being without him for an extended period will deal a blow to a Bills secondary which could see cornerback Maxwell Hairston make his regular season debut as early as this week.
While the first-round rookie will be able to aid Buffalo’s pass defense, the team’s play against the run so far has been an issue. The Bills rank 31st in the NFL with an average of 156 yards allowed per game on the ground. Improving in that regard will be key moving forward. The team could have reinforcements along the defensive interior as early as Week 8.
The six-game suspensions issued to defensive linemen this offseason Larry Ogunjobi and Michael Hoecht have come to an end. As such, both veterans are back on the active roster and could suit up on Sunday. At this point, though, it remains to be seen if either of them will make their debuts in Week 8.
“Let’s get them integrated and get them rolling here,” McDermott said when asked about Ogunjobi and Hoecht returning (via ESPN’s Alaina Getzenberg). “There’s certainly a conditioning piece. There is a physical piece to it as well, and then there’s a schematic piece to it also.”
Having at least one of Ogunjobi or Hoecht in place would be welcomed news on a Bills defense dealing with a number of short-term injuries at the moment. In any case, that unit will be without Rapp for the time being. It will be interesting to see how much time he misses and whether the issue can be fully resolved through a notable period on the sidelines.
Cold red if Jordan Poyer plays a single snap I’m officially gone to freaking out about the safeties and I was not concerned before
Poyer is a great safety and keeping him off the field is a detriment to the Bills.
Really cause the last time he was free agent there was no interest in giving him a large contract. That’s why he came back to Bills as last year with the Dolphins was a disaster and now he’s on the practice squad if they want nobody wants him shorter is washed up and we are gonna be counting on him to be starting safety and that is a red.
About time. His performance has been detrimental to the team, so better to get him on IR and let someone else step up. Poyer already looked better, but they need to bring in more safety options through a trade (free agency cupboard looks bare)