ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — Here are my five thoughts on the Buffalo Bills’ defense as the team gets ready to open training camp on July 24 at St. John Fisher University:
1. I think Bobby Babich is going to make a splash as a defensive coordinator.
This is a role he has been preparing for his whole football coaching life and he’s a rising star among coaches in this league. His role will be vital to a defense that is undergoing so much transition with personnel. That means the scheming that Babich does, staying within the principles of Sean McDermott's defense, will be critical. New leaders must step up from among the players, but the biggest leader of all has to be Babich.
He has progressed naturally during his time with the Bills, guiding the safeties and then the linebackers before his promotion to defensive coordinator. The son of retired Bills assistant coach Bob Babich, Bobby brings a wealth of knowledge to the job.
A couple of things to watch in camp are how much of the defensive signal-calling McDermott turns over to Babich and the extent of hands-on coaching Babich does in his new role. His strength is the way he connects with players at a micro level, offering constant feedback. It isn’t about yelling or screaming. It’s a balance of constructive corrections and effusive praise. Ask any player who received his position coaching and they will tell you that Babich provided excellent guidance.
2. There’s going to be such a harsh reality that will hit during that very first day of practice because those fixtures at safety, Micah Hyde and Jordan Poyer, are no longer there.
Their absence in offseason workouts was one thing. Not seeing them on the field in camp, when the tempo of workouts ramps up, will still be a shock to the system. Yeah, they got older, they lost the step. But not having Hyde and Poyer guide the defense, functioning as much as traffic cops as anything and supporting everyone around them, is a massive void.
Replacing them creates as much of an uncertainty as anywhere on the team. But it also creates a tremendous level of competition.
Taylor Rapp, the most accomplished incumbent, will be counted on to hold down one of the starting spots at safety. He has the savvy and instincts to be a solid leader. He also has the ability to make plays. Will he make anyone forget Hyde or Poyer? Time will tell.
There will be a great deal of competition for the other safety position involving rookie Cole Bishop and free-agent signee Mike Edwards. Bishop brings a great deal of intelligence and a veteran-like approach that will have him a legitimate opportunity to win the job. But Edwards should have an advantage that comes from both experience and the championship pedigree he brings from the Chiefs. Kansas City’s defense was the driving force of its run to a second consecutive Super Bowl victory, and Edwards was a significant part of that.
3. I’m still not sure where the strength of the Bills’ pass rush is going to come from.
For the better part of last season, it came from Leonard Floyd. Now he’s with the 49ers.
There’s hope, in and out of the organization, that Von Miller can be the answer. However, I don't know that he’s going to ever look like he did at the beginning of the 2022 season before suffering the knee injury that continued to limit him through most of last year. Camp will show plenty about where he is physically and whether he can even secure a spot on the 53-man roster.
I want to see how Greg Rousseau goes about showing his capability of being that consistent force to fill the pass-rushing gap. The same goes for A.J. Epenesa, in whom the Bills made a significant investment so that he wouldn’t depart via free agency.
4. I think this team is in amazingly good shape at cornerback position having said goodbye to Tre’Davious White, who, when healthy, was one of the very best in the game at his position.
The Bills showed last season that their depth at corner was exceptional. They pulled off one of the best trades of last year with the trade-deadline acquisition of Rasul Douglas from Green Bay. He enters camp with a tight grip on a starting spot. He’s a physical player whose aggressiveness is something that permeates through the rest of the secondary.
Christian Benford has made a remarkable climb from sixth-round draft pick to the starting lineup. With another year of experience, he should show in this camp that his game has evolved to an even higher level.
Taron Johnson has established himself as one of the very best nickel backs in the league, and isn’t likely to face any serious competition.
I see this as a make-or-break camp for Kaiir Elam. The Bills have given him every chance to live up to his first-round status. It has yet to happen. Despite his impressive flashes during offseason workouts, I don’t see him winning a starting job, which could put his chances of making the 53-man roster in doubt.
5. The best possible news that could come out of this camp is Matt Milano being a full participant from the start.
That isn’t a guarantee. The Bills’ hierarchy has been vague about exactly when Milano will be medically cleared in his recovery from the fractured leg he suffered last October. He did some linebacker drills during the offseason, but the accelerated tempo of camp presents a greater test.
There will be considerable focus on how well Milano moves and whether there’s any hesitation or favoring of the leg he injured against Jacksonville in London. If the Bills have Milano back to his All-Pro form, they will have a major ingredient to help offset any shortcomings that might arise from the question marks that hover over their pass rush and the turnover at safety.
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