Buffalo Bills CB Dee Alford Gets High Praise From New Teammates
· Yahoo Sports
One of the biggest questions facing the Buffalo Bills entering training camp was how quickly the secondary would develop chemistry with several new faces in the defensive backfield.
In free agency, the team added Geno Stone and C.J. Gardner-Johnson at safety, along with cornerback Dee Alford in free agency and Davison Igbinosun and Toriano Pride JR. in the draft.
Visit sport-tr.bet for more information.
According to Christian Benford, who joined One Bills Live alongside Maxwell Hairston, one of those transitions has happened much faster than expected.
Asked which of the new defensive backs had stood out during camp, Benford pointed to one player who has already made a strong impression.
"The one that really interested—he's not a youngin'—but I'll say Dee Alford because it's interesting because I'm playing next to him and I feel like I've been playing with him for some time now," Benford said, adding that he's liked what he's seen from all of the new additions to the team.
He explained that it's a surprising feeling, considering most of his NFL career has been spent lining up alongside Taron Johnson.
"I'm used to playing next to Taron Johnson... And then now playing with him, it felt like there was no... I feel like I've been dang near playing with Taron and him throughout my years, low key," Benford said.
When asked why the transition has felt so seamless, Benford pointed to the relationship the two built long before they took the field together.
"Probably because off the field, we hang out a lot," he said. "Off the field, we talk a lot, we hang out a lot.
"Even OTAs, I have my situations going on, and I still reach out to him. Even when he first signed here, I think one of us followed each other on Instagram, and we started talking."
Hairston echoed those comments, saying Alford's willingness to connect with teammates has helped him become part of the group almost immediately.
"Even as soon as he got [here], he was reaching out to guys, and even for me, it feels like I've been playing with him," he said. "It's like, I feel like we done got a season in together."
Hairston believes those relationships have created a level of trust that extends beyond football.
"Even meeting his wife, it's stuff like that to me is like, you learn to appreciate that stuff off the field because when you get on the field, it's a real love for each other," Hairston said. "I don't wanna let this man down because I've met his wife or I've met his kids, and it's like, it's deeper than just ball."
For a secondary that will rely on communication and trust throughout the season, Benford and Hairston's comments suggest Alford's integration into the defense has been about more than learning the playbook. By building relationships away from the facility, Alford has already earned the confidence of teammates who believe those connections make a difference once they step onto the field.