Casey Toohill fits perfectly into Buffalo Bills defense

Casey Toohill wasted no time getting to know Buffalo. He found coffee shops he liked. He explored different bookstores. The defensive end even started meeting with different business owners in Western New York to get a feel for the places.

And sure enough, he found Marcus West’s office.

“He knocks on my door to answer my questions and wants to know the ‘why’ of defense and the ‘why’ of the position,” West told the Buffalo News. “I’m excited about that. It’s a pleasure to have him around.”

West was promoted to defensive line coach this offseason and he loves working with players who are proactive in their efforts to improve. In Toohill, West found just that.

“He’s an NFL veteran,” West said of Toohill, a defensive end. “He understands the speed of the game and how it works. How to be a professional, how to train and how to develop and get better every day. He’s a Stanford graduate, which speaks volumes about his intelligence. He’s smart. He wants to know the ‘why’ of a lot of things.”

The Bills signed Toohill, who turns 28 in August, to a one-year contract in March. Toohill spent a brief time with the Philadelphia Eagles, who drafted him, before spending about four years with the Washington Commanders.

He has seven sacks in four years, including five last season. He believes he continues to improve.

Toohill says his greatest strength as a player is his “obsession with the game and getting better.”

“If you look at my career, the more I’ve played, the better I’ve gotten. Every year I’ve gotten better, especially through video, statistically, whatever,” Toohill said. “So I believe in that trajectory and those improvements. The biggest thing for me. I think, besides the game, my teammates and winning, I like to get better. So I’m going to do whatever it takes, whatever details I need to find to get better.”

In looking to improve, Toohill has found plenty of positives in the Bills’ defense.

“I think it’s just a matter of attention to detail,” Toohill said. “From day one, the details we go over, like where to put your hands, certain ways to block shots, are like nothing I’ve ever been taught. And I love trying to soak it all in and learn. The coaches are very knowledgeable about their stuff.”

So far, the newcomer has also made a strong impression on his coaches.

“Casey Toohill is a real treat, man,” West said. “He’s been a surprise from the outside.”