Former first round pick tops list of players the Bills should be targeting on roster cut down day

Roster cut down day is only a few days away, with the deadline to cut the roster down to 53 players set for 4:00 PM ET on Tuesday afternoon. The day is full of mixed emotions , but as the Buffalo Bills will be making their own cuts , they'll certainly have their eyes on players that may suddenly become available from other teams.

With that in mind, here are three defensive players that the Bills might be interested in if they become available.

Markquese Bell, S, Dallas Cowboys

I'm going to call Markquese Bell a safety, but he's a bit of a tweener that has experience at both safety and linebacker. That versatility, to go along with his 6'3" size and athleticism, sounds exactly like something Sean McDermott might be interested in.

Bell, an undrafted free agent in 2022, played in all 17 games last season for the Cowboys, starting 12 of them at linebacker. Bell looks great in coverage, but is a bit lacking in the run game. Bell logged 96 tackles, two forced fumbles, and four pass deflections last year, but Dallas moved him back to safety this preseason. The move seems to have been a good one, as Bell is able to use his length and athleticism more to his ability on the back end without having to mix it up in the box where his weight is a disadvantage. He has been a strong player throughout the preseason for Dallas, and if he's available as a free agent, Beane could be interested in shoring up their banged up safety room.

Kristian Welch, LB, Green Bay

The Green Bay Packers have a prototypical linebacker type in Kristian Welch, who may or may not be available to the Bills. His preseason has been a very strong one, and he's very much a candidate to make the Packers 53-man roster.

However, if he doesn't, Beane could be interested. Packers head coach Matt LaFleur described Welch as a "smart, tough, physical player" after their third preseason game, in which Welch had six tackled, one tackle for loss, and an interception.

Buffalo's linebacker room has plenty of question marks, both in health and in talent. I'm not sure Welch offers much that Buffalo would covet over the guys they currently have in the room, but at 6'3" 240 lbs, Welch is a thumper of a linebacker. Edefuan Ulofoshio hasn't flashed throughout training camp, Baylon Spector is constantly hurt... there are enough questions that a guy like Welch, who could provide much-needed depth, could be seen as an upgrade.

Lewis Cine, S, Minnesota Vikings

Sometimes a player just needs a fresh start. For Lewis Cine, a safety for the Minnesota Vikings, he's in desperate need of one.

Cine was a 2022 1st-round draft pick out of Georgia who then suffered a terrible leg injury four games into his rookie season. He missed the rest of the year, and failed to make an impact in year two, playing only 10 snaps over his first two years with the Vikings. Now heading into year three and healthy, it still feels as though he hasn't gotten his footing back under him with the Minnesota coaching staff, and especially with their fans.

Still, with the way that McDermott has coached up and developed defensive players, especially safeties, it's hard to imagine a better second chance for Cine than to land with Buffalo.

Cine knows that his roster spot is far from a foregone conclusion right now. After practice last week, he was asked about it.

"I’m not oblivious to knowing this is a business at the end of the day, but I’m confident in myself. A healthy me is a dangerous me, that’s all I can say about that," Cine said.

Personally, I would absolutely take a chance on Cine and would love to see how he would handle a change of scenery in Buffalo, especially given the state of the safety position . Go get him, Beane.

Related: Bills roster cuts tracker 2024: Here is every move Buffalo has made on their way to trim down to 53 players

Follow along all season for all the latest Buffalo Bills news. You can also find me on X @JonHelmkamp .