There were reports that stated veteran cornerback Drayton Florence was likely to return to play for the team that drafted him in the San Diego Chargers, but when it came down to hard numbers the Bills made an offer the free agent couldn't turn down as he agreed to terms Buffalo late Tuesday.
Prior to his arrival in Jacksonville as a free agent signee last season, Florence was a three-year starter for the Chargers where he made strides in his game each and every season becoming a full-time starter as a third-year player.
San Diego's former second-round pick (2003) had two of his best seasons in 2006 and 2007 recording over 120 tackles, 23 pass breakups and five interceptions.
Florence (6'0" 195) also had a pair of interceptions in the 2007 postseason with one sealing a Wild Card victory over Tennessee for the Chargers and the other coming against New England's Tom Brady in the AFC Championship game.
The cornerback was a big ticket free agent last offseason, and was ultimately signed by Jacksonville to a lucrative long-term contract. The Jaguars however, proved not to be a fit for Florence.
The Tuskegee University product has NFL experience at both outside corner and nickel. It's believed that Florence will factor in heavily to Buffalo's subpackages on defense, where he'll likely compete with Ashton Youboty and Reggie Corner for the primary nickel role.
The acquisition of Florence also creates a strong likelihood that Buffalo free agent cornerback Jabari Greer will not re-sign with the club. The Bills, counting Florence, now have five cornerbacks on the roster. Defensive back Dustin Fox has played both safety and cornerback in his time with Buffalo and could be considered a sixth corner.
Florence also has a connection to a current player in Buffalo's secondary. He was born in the same hometown as Bills former first-round pick Leodis McKelvin (Waycross, GA). Florence will turn 29 near the end of the 2009 season.
