Bills defense could take time to settle in – Buffalo FAMbase — #BillsMafia

Things are starting to get real as the Buffalo Bills prepare to open training camp next week. Rookies are already hard at work and most of us are eager to see what the latest iteration of the Bills will look like.

The youth movement, especially on defense, will be in the spotlight at training camp. What we’ll see is yet to come, but for a team that had one of the oldest rosters in the league last season, the young players will have to get up to speed quickly. The AFCE is waiting for no one, and Buffalo will have its work cut out for it to win a fifth straight AFCE title.

While both teams have new faces, the Bills defense is new from front to back. Buffalo’s defense also features a rookie defensive coordinator in Bobby Babich, Jr. Fortunately, Babich chose to take the DC job in Buffalo because he was in high demand during the “coach hunt” 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 of the new faces on defense are in for a rude awakening. The offseason is over and now they’ll start getting their “welcome to the NFL” moments. Big boy football is about to begin. And while most of us are getting impatient waiting for regular season football, the next few weeks will be very telling as to what could be in store.

Typically, you see the defense develop and solidify faster than the offense during training camp and the preseason. However, this year could be different for the Bills as there will be new faces at every level of the defense this year. We also have no idea how long it will take linebacker Matt Milano to recover from his tibial plateau fracture last season.

McDermott will likely ease Milano back into the lineup slowly as this is an injury that requires a lot of time to fully heal. This is probably a good thing as they will be able to give guys like Dorian Williams more reps. Dorian is a guy I expect a lot from this season. Towards the end of last season, it seemed like the light was starting to come on. To be fair, he came from a very different defense at Tulane, so the extra time it took 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. While Cole Bishop is a great player, he’s still in his early stages and will have to adjust to the speed and agility of the professional game.

And that is the purpose of this article.

Fans will have to be patient with the defense as they get to know each other on the field. It is to Buffalo’s advantage to have a shared practice with the Pittsburgh Steelers this year as there are young and inexperienced players at all levels of the Bills defense. It would be foolhardy to expect this defense to jump in from day one and play without some kinks to work out.

But it won’t be all struggles for the offense. Josh will need time to figure out how all the new faces in the WR room will fit on the field. Allen will also have to get used to a new backfield in front of him under center. How different will Joe Brady’s offense be in terms of scheme?

All these questions and so little time before it all starts to come to a head. Get ready, friends. This is going to be one hell of a ride.

Editor’s Chat: You can also find me chatting on Xwitter @RobynMundyWYO.

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