Things are starting to get real as the Buffalo Bills prepare to open training camp next week. The rookies are already going at it and most of us are looking forward to seeing what the latest iteration of the Bills is going to look like.
The youth movement, especially on defense will be on full display at training camp. What we will see is yet to come, but for a team that had one of the oldest rosters in the league last season, young players will need to get up to speed in a hurry. The AFCE waits for no one, and Buffalo will have their work cut out for them in order to win a fifth consecutive AFCE title.
While both sides of the ball will have new faces, the Bills defense is new from front to back. Buffalo’s defense also has a rookie defensive coordinator, Bobby Babich, Jr. Thankfully, Babich chose to take the DC job in Buffalo because he was a hot commodity during ‘coach-hunting’ season. It will be interesting to see how and when head coach Sean McDermott hands the reins over to Babich, Jr.
In the meantime, all the fresh new faces on defense are about to get a rude awakening. The off season is over and now they will begin to receive their “welcome to the NFL” moments. Big boy football is about to happen. And while most of us are getting impatient waiting for regular season football, these next few weeks will be very telling about what may lie ahead.
Typically we see defense develop and gel together faster than the offense during training camp and preseason. However, this year might look different for the Bills because there will be new faces at every level of the defense this year. We also have no idea how long it will take for linebacker Matt Milano to shake off the dust after sustaining a tibial plateau fracture last season.
McDermott will no doubt ease Milano back into the lineup slowly because this is an injury that requires a long time to completely heal. Probably just as well, so they can give guys like Dorian Williams more reps. Dorian is a guy who I’m expecting big things from this season. Toward the end of last season he looked like the light was starting to going on. In fairness, he came from a very different defense at Tulane, so the extra time it’s taken for him to learn McDermott’s defense is not surprising.
We have no idea what the back end of the defense will look like without Poyer and Hyde. Even if Cole Bishop is a great player, he’s still a rookie and will have to adjust to the speed and agility of the pro game.
And that’s the point of this post.
Fans will need to be patient with the defense as they learn more about each other on the field of play. It’s advantageous for Buffalo to have a joint practice with the Pittsburgh Steelers this year because there is youth and inexperienced players at all levels of the Bills’ defense. It would be foolhardy to expect this defense to roll out on day one and play without some kinks to work out.
However, it’s not like the offense won’t have their challenges. It’s going to take time for Josh to figure out how all the new faces in the WR room will fit in on the field. Allen will also have to become accustomed to a new rear end in front of him at center. How different will Joe Brady’s offense look scheme wise?
All these questions and so little time before it all starts counting for real. Get ready, folks. It’s going to be a hell of a ride.
Editor’s babble: You can also find me babbling away on Xwitter @RobynMundyWYO.
BuffaloFAMbase.com is sponsored by 26 Shirts
Every Monday, we launch a new two-week campaign of a limited edition t-shirt design. Every shirt purchase results in a donation to a local family in need. After the campaign ends, the shirt is retired. A new design is released, and a new family benefits from your fandom!
