This is the second installment of my Buffalo Bills' offseason preview. In this part, we will be breaking down the defense, the special teams, and the coaching staff.
The Bills defense suffered the most last year in a season plagued with injuries. They lost two of their defensive linemen, three corners, two linebackers, and their free safety. They made it a point in the offseason to not only upgrade, but to add serious depth to the defense, especially in the secondary, which was hit the hardest.
Buffalos' defense is underrated, mostly because they do not put up great numbers. The last couple of years they have been a bend-but-don't-break defense. Allowing teams to put up good yardage against them, but it has worked in some games. This strategy forces offenses to be conservative by not allowing the big play, and has kept the Bills in some games by forcing field goals.
They are a fun group to watch though, because they fly to the ball and never take plays off. The defense is going to be much improved going in to next season, with the additions made through free agency and the draft, and just being healthy.
Defensive Line: The Bills use a rotation throughout the defensive line, in an effort to keep the players fresh. The line was fairly weak last season due to injuries. They failed to get to the quarterback or stop the run. They made some vast improvements this offseason. They traded for three-time Pro-Bowl defensive tackle Marcus Stroud, a huge addition (6'6" 310 lbs) to an undersized line. He commands double teams, and that will allow the other players to make more plays.
They also signed Spencer Johnson (6'3" 286 lbs) from the Vikings, who is exactly the type of player the Bills like because of his versatility (can play end or tackle) and work ethic. Buffalo also used its third-round pick (72nd overall) on Chris Ellis (6'4" 261 lbs), a pass-rushing end out of Virginia Tech.
Buffalo seems pretty solid up front this season, with the added depth and the addition of Stroud. That will take a lot of pressure off Aaron Schobel, a two-time Pro-Bowler, and former first-round pick (27th overall) defensive tackle John McCargo. McCargo (6'2" 307 lbs) was injured his rookie season, but showed flashes last year of why he was drafted so high. He only had 29 tackles and 2.5 sacks, but made some big plays by blowing up the run in the backfield. When a player like Stroud lines up next to him, McCargo should make a lot more plays.
Chris Kelsay will start opposite Schobel, with Ryan Denney and Ellis backing them up. Kyle Williams and Johnson will be the backups inside. With a deeper rotation and a much-improved line, expect another great year from Schobel and another trip to the Pro Bowl.
2 comments Last one added about 1 year ago — Leave a Comment
Don Webb about 1 year ago
This was a thorough and complete analysis of our defense. It's hard not to be excited about this unit. The people returning from injuries along with rookies and veteran additions make for great expectations for all Bills fans. Keep healthy, guys. This unit will finish in the upper half of the NFL this year and will really be outstanding next season with a year of working together under their belts. Put me on the ever-growing list of people who can't wait for the season to begin.
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tom barrett about 1 year ago
McGee and McKelvin will be the starting CB's. With James, Greer and Youboty competing for the 3rd corner spot. This cornerback position is really, really good this year. James and Greer have both shown that they can be starters in this league, as they both where starters last year for most of the season. And Youboty has tons of potential, as he was suppost to be a late 1st round pick and Cleveland and a few other teams seem interested in trading for him.
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