Buffalo Bills 2024 free-agent analysis: Safety Micah Hyde

What level are the Bills looking to maintain or improve on in the coming year?

Free agency is coming. While that often means excitement over new additions, it can also mean the loss of significant contributors. With the Buffalo Bills in a less-than-ideal cap situation, we’re approaching our annual free agent review a bit differently this year. While there’s always been an undertone of “this player may need to be replaced” we’re going to be leaning way harder than simply undertone on that aspect. For this upcoming season, let’s examine the following question:

How high was the bar set by…

Micah Hyde

Stats and whatnot

For certain positions, stats can be tricky to use for evaluation purposes. I would consider safety to be one of those positions. Interceptions, for instance, can be fluky. Micah Hyde’s two interceptions seem pretty “meh,” especially in comparison to the five he had in 2017 and 2021. On the other hand, it looks pretty good compared to his 2015 and 2016 seasons in which he hauled in one each season. Similarly, his passes defended (7) was worse than the 2017 and 2021 campaigns (13 and 10 respectively) but looks great compared to his other years with Buffalo.

Tackles may be a better indicator. With 54 combined this year (37 solo) he had his lowest number with the Bills. That doesn’t include 2022, which was shortened to two games for Hyde after being placed on Injured Reserve. More on that in a minute. Even accounting for tackles per game to adjust for injuries a bit, his rate has fallen. The stats suggest a down year. But what does the film say?

The Film

Play 1 – Smarts

One of the best qualities a safety can have is the ability to process information quickly and make the right decision. I would still say Micah Hyde is one of the best in the business for this trait and it’s a big reason he’s played so well for so long. Above, he read quarterback Tua Tagovailoa all the way and seemed to have a better grasp of the throw being made than the receiver did. Hyde was also careful so that while making contact, it’s not enough to disrupt the route and draw a flag.

Play 2 – Smarts and tackling

Some of the same positives from Play 1 are reinforced here, with Hyde driving for the ball before the running back could even make the catch. Hyde was the first to the ball carrier despite starting the play 14 yards off the line of scrimmage. Now some of what happened next was a good angle/move by the back, but Hyde’s tackling attempt was not as strong as we’ve seen in the past. If you care to rewatch the entire game too, you’ll see similar situations on other plays. This may be a byproduct of recent injuries but the word “hesitant” came to mind on a few tackles.

Play 3 – Speed

I would also refer back to the play above for this snap, but I’d also go back prior to this — like pre-draft measurements, etc. Micah Hyde has never been a burner and that remains true. This isn’t all that rare at safety either, with good reaction time making up for quite a bit — especially when starting deep.

Play 4 – Body control

This is from earlier in the season, prior to Hyde’s neck being reinjured. But, overall, Hyde has a great handle on body mechanics — which allows him to display some great control. This interception is a good way to illustrate that and an even better way to wrap up the plays for this analysis.

The Final Straw

I just want to say that Micah Hyde has been one of my favorite Buffalo Bills for years now. On the field, off, pretty much everything about the guy. So it pains me to say that the current free-agency outlook for this position would set the bar at what I’d call the “gamble” level. Hyde’s awareness is through the roof and it’s made him incredibly successful. That remains intact and can cover a large degree of other flaws.

Hyde’s speed and acceleration seems fine still, especially considering potential replacements may be physically quicker but cognitively less speedy. The potential hesitancy while tackling is my biggest worry for Hyde. After his 2022 season was mostly lost due to a neck injury, Hyde lost three games with more neck issues this year. To be fair, I’d be more surprised if he wasn’t a bit hesitant. So my concern is more that the wear and tear are starting to pile up.

Micah Hyde turned 33 on December 31. That’s an age where players can still have years left to play. It’s also an age where completely returning to health may not be a thing. If we had a crystal ball that confirmed Hyde would return to health, you’d still be hard-pressed to find a better player at the position. Without that guarantee though, Hyde is a bit of a gamble.