Jairus Byrd is dealing with plantar fasciitis, which would leave the Bills short at safety in the event that he’s not able to play in the early weeks of the season.
As a way to deal with that possibility, the Bills are expected to sign veteran Jim Leonhard. Coach Doug Marrone said Monday that Leonhard was taking a physical with the team and that he’ll be added to the roster if he passes.
Leonhard could be in line for a fair amount of playing time even if Byrd is good to go because he has spent time with defensive coordinator Mike Pettine when he was on the Ravens and Jets. Marrone mentioned his familiarity with the system, which will allow Leonhard to hit the ground running after spending training camp trying to make the Saints.
The Bills currently have space on their 53-man roster, so they would not need to cut a player in order to add Leonhard to the mix at safety with Byrd, Da’Norris Searcy, Aaron Williams, Duke Williams and Jonathan Meeks.