The Buffalo Bills signed Drayton Florence in the offseason to bolster their depth at cornerback. The free agent move is looking a whole lot better now.

The Bills placed starting cornerback Leodis McKelvin on the season-ending injured reserve list Thursday. The second-year pro and first-year starter suffered a broken bone in his leg in the Bills' 27-7 loss to the New Orleans Saints last Sunday. Bills coach Dick Jauron said earlier this week that the team's 2008 first-round draft pick would be out indefinitely. But apparently McKelvin's recovery time will take longer than originally believed.

The Bills have been particularly hammered in the secondary, where three-fourths of the defensive backfield could miss Sunday's game in Miami. Safeties Donte Whitner (thumb surgery) and Bryan Scott (high ankle sprain) are questionable.

While McKelvin's loss is a blow, the Bills feel they have an able replacement in Florence, 28, a seventh-year veteran with 51 career starts in San Diego and Jacksonville.

"This is why we got Drayton," Jauron said. "We really liked him as a free agent and what he brings to us. He's got a great attitude. He works hard. We're really glad we have him."

Florence went into training camp as the front-runner to earn the Bills' nickel cornerback spot. He appeared to have a hold on the job until suffering a sprained knee in the second preseason game against Chicago. Reggie Corner and Ashton Youboty moved up the depth chart in Florence's absence.

Florence made his first regular-season appearance last week against New Orleans, and played most of the game at right cornerback after McKelvin got hurt in the first half.

It looks like Florence is in the lineup to stay this season.

He wasn't available to comment Thursday, but he indicated in training camp that he knows what is expected of him as a senior member of the secondary.

"My best strength I think is just my overall game as far as being a leader on and off the field," he said. "We have a lot of young guys in the secondary and those guys come to me and Terrence [McGee] a lot just for advice about different coverages and different things we see and why we play different routes. So coming in and being a vocal leader and just doing it on the field, making plays and getting it done so those guys have someone to look up to."

Given Florence's experience, the Bills don't expect much of a drop-off at cornerback. The 6-foot, 195-pounder also brings more size and a physical presence to the position.

"He can definitely jam some guys [at the line of scrimmage] and he can tackle some guys up there, too. I like that part of it," said defensive coordinator Perry Fewell. "I like the big corners. You can't replace size. He's got a long wingspan and he runs well, too. We will count on him a lot. We'll do some things with him that we probably wouldn't do with Leodis [5-10, 184 pounds] because of his size."

Florence may be better suited to lining up in the slot, but he is comfortable playing outside.

"I just think when you're out there you've got to make plays no matter whether you're inside or outside, man or zone," said Florence, who has 10 career interceptions. "It doesn't matter. You've just got to make plays. To say anything else would be making an excuse."

Moving into the starting lineup gives Florence a chance to redeem himself. He left San Diego after the 2007 season and signed a six-year, $36.1 million deal ($13 million guaranteed) with Jacksonville, which expected him to upgrade its secondary.

But Florence's on-field performance didn't match the Jaguars' financial commitment to him. He struggled in coverage and lost his starting job after a groin injury forced him out of the lineup in the fifth game. He became the team's nickel back after returning in Week Six and remained in that role until replacing injured starter Rashean Mathis for the final four games of the season.

"I'm not going to say, 'I had a groin injury, that's why I played bad,'" Florence said. "That's another excuse. I'm not going to make an excuse about anything. You either make the play or you don't make the play. It's that simple."

Despite his disappointing season, Florence had plenty of suitors. Among them were the Chargers, who drafted him in the second round out of Tuskegee (Ala.) University in 2003.

But Florence decided to join the Bills, who signed him to a two-year contract that could be worth more than $7 million if he reaches unspecified incentives.

The Bills will think it was money well spent if Florence minimizes the loss of McKelvin.

"That's one of the reasons he's here," Fewell said. "Number one, we thought he was a good player when he was in San Diego. He didn't play as well in Jacksonville, but he showed us that he has talent and he's an experienced guy who belongs on the football field. That gives me a lot of confidence."