91 players in 91 days: Safety Dean Marlowe

Photo by Frederick Breedon/Getty ImagesIt’s always important to have backups who are ready to step in at a moment’s notice. For the Buffalo Bills, especially over the last few seasons, that means many of the team’s reserves on defense have had some sort of connection to head coach Sean McDermott—whether by way of his time with the Philadelphia Eagles, or more prominently, his time as defensive coordinator of the Carolina Panthers.

Having reserves who don’t need much prep time to step into larger roles can often be the difference between dropping a midseason game that should’ve been a win, or sneaking out of a stadium with a hard-fought victory in spite of missing some key players. When you…