ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — The Buffalo Bills will be without two-time Pro Bowl cornerback Tre'Davious White for at least the first four games and four weeks of practices to start the NFL season.
That makes him unlikely to return even in Week 5, after being placed on the Reserve/PUP when Buffalo's 53-man roster was released on Tuesday.
"It's hard to believe the Bills would not be a little nervous maybe a lot nervous about what could transpire through at least the first month of the season," WGRZ's NFL Insider Vic Carucci said.
Now third-year cornerback Dane Jackson and two rookies, first-round pick Kaiir Elam and sixth-round pick Christian Benford, will need to step up in White's absence.
Both rookies learned some of the growing pains in the NFL in the preseason and were grateful for the extra reps they were given throughout training camp.
"Every time they tell me to go out there, I take it like it's my last time going out there. Like that opportunity is my last time throwing the pads on," Benford said.
"These young players are going to have to grow up quickly," Carucci said.
"It's a young group and not a very accomplished group, and they're going to face passing attacks starting with the Los Angeles Rams that are going to attack that. They're going to go after what is perceived to be, right now, a weakness that once was seen as a strength."
The secondary will have to contain Cooper Kupp, coming off of one of the best receiving seasons in NFL history.
With Jordan Poyer healthy again and another veteran in Micah Hyde at safety, the duo can provide the corners reliable help over the top.
"It's very, very, very helpful. For me, being a rookie, what they're doing, it's just mind blowing," Elam said.
The reigning Super Bowl champions added Allen Robinson into the mix too. Jackson might need to contain the former Chicago Bears receiver on his own.
But don't count out what the rookies can do, especially with how much coordinator Leslie Frazier loves to keep teams guessing mixing up his defense.
"The receivers I go against are top-notch. I know if I can stick with them and make plays on them, it can be muscle memory in the game," Elam said.
"I'm going to be ready when my name is called, and I just couldn't be more excited."