Bills' Revamped Defensive Line Will Need Extra Time to Take Shape
Nobody is sure how good the Buffalo Bills' revamped defensive line will be this year. On the other hand, everybody can be sure all the players in those spots are going to be boisterous and have a good time.
They've basically been guaranteeing it with just about every word they've uttered since being thrown together, piece by piece, by general manager Brandon Beane this offseason.
Beane was extremely active with these positions in free agency, adding defensive ends Von Miller and Shaq Lawson and defensive tackles DaQuan Jones, Tim Settle and Jordan Phillips in free agency. Lawson and Phillips are back for their second stints in Buffalo and haven't stopped running their mouths since their return.
"There's not a quiet day in the building with Jordan and Shaq," coach Sean McDermott joked at the start of organized team activities (OTAs) last month, "and I would add Tim Settle to that group. But that makes it fun. There's a lot of good energy out there."
If things go according to plan, all five will be part of an eight-man rotation for the four spots up front on game days. So it goes without saying that even with all their extra enthusiasm, much work remains to get all the new pieces moving in harmony.
- RELATED: Much work remains for Bills in OTAs
Like everyone else, Jones is willing to do whatever it takes.
"Over the last five years, they've really built a winning culture over here," Jones said in an appearance on the Jim Rome Show, "and I don't think you can talk about the Bills and not think about winning. I think that has a lot to do with people wanting to come here in free agency.
"... I got to hop on the [NFL's] No. 2 defense last year with Carolina, and the Bills are No. 1. And I wanted an opportunity to be able to line up with these guys and see what that margin of difference was. And so far in OTAs I'm definitely seeing it and I'm really excited."
Because no contact is permitted in OTAs or mandatory minicamp, none of the linemen can really dial in until training camp.
Defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier talked about that challenge Tuesday.
"So much of it this time of year in OTAs, and even in Phase 1, Phase 2, for the linemen, is the mental part," he said. "You really can't work as hard as you would like on the physical [part] on the field other than our individual periods, because the competitive part of it is kind of reduced because you're trying to avoid a lot of contact without pads on. So for us, it's about building some camaraderie with our players as coaches and for them to kind of interact with one another, get to know each other a little bit and develop some trust, but also introducing them to the way we do things.
"And I think [defensive line coach] Eric Washington and {assistant defensive line coach] Marcus West are doing a really good job of laying the foundation fundamentally. ... There's [been] a lot of turnover at the position, so we really had to go back to the drawing board when it came to introducing them to the defense. And I think the guys have kind of grasped that and have grown through the process. It's a process. There's a lot more to come, and training camp will be a big part of our progression and how well we end up becoming as the year goes on."
Jones has experience as a nose tackle and a defensive end in 3-4 fronts. He and all the new defensive linemen bring similar versatility, should the Bills, who have been using a four-man front exclusively since McDermott's arrival in 2017, want to change their look at times.
"They're jacks of all trades and they all can move around to different positions, which I think is very important at this level," Jones said. "So to be able to play inside and outside and to move all around, it can truly help your team. You can be more diverse in what you do."
Not to mention loud.
Fans should love this group from the start of training camp.
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Nick Fierro is the publisher of Bills Central. Check out the latest Bills news at www.si.com/nfl/bills and follow Fierro on Twitter at @NickFierro. Email to Nicky300@aol.com.
