Bradley Chubb Gives Bills Defensive Coordinator Epic Nickname

This offseason, the Buffalo Bills made a change at head coach, firing Sean McDermott and replacing him with former offensive coordinator Joe Brady.

In addition to being the head coach, McDermott also called defensive plays. That meant his firing meant there would be a big change on defense as well, especially with defensive coordinator Bobby Babich leaving as well.

After a lengthy search, the Bills wound up hiring Jim Leonhard, who spent the past two seasons as the pass game coordinator for the Denver Broncos. Leonhard, who was also previously a defensive coordinator and interim head coach at Wisconsin, has been praised for his effective communication.

Bradley Chubb has nothing but respect for Jim Leonhard

Miami Dolphins linebacker Bradley Chubb reacts after a play against the Washington Commanders. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Free agent addition Bradley Chubb agrees with that assessment, telling Matthew Bové that Leonhard is a "quiet assassin," who doesn't say much but makes sure his words count.

"I would say a quiet assassin, man. He's like, not going to say too many words, but when he speaks, he speaks volumes. Everybody listens," Chubb said when asked bout his early interactions with Leonhard.

"And he always gives a reason for why we're doing stuff. So, you know, we might put it in a certain defense, but he breaks down exactly why we're doing it, what we're doing it for, and how he expects to see it played. So when you've got a coach like that, you can't do nothing but respect it, and everybody's going to play hard for him."

He's not the only defender who appreciates Leonhard either. Veteran linebacker Terrel Bernard was also quick to praise the new defensive coordinator, saying he feels as though his play style fits well with Leonhard's scheme.

Jim Leonhard is known as a teacher first

One thing that made Leonhard a big name during the offseason coaching cycle is his ability to teach defense. When hired earlier this offseason, I wrote about how Leonhard was known for his coaching clinics during his tenure at Wisconsin. His goal has always been to ensure his roster was flexible, which is incredibly important at the collegiate level due to the high turnover rate.

At the NFL level, he's still expecting players to learn as much as possible. Bills On SI writer Alex Brasky recently wrote about this, quoting Deone Walker who says Leonhard wants defenders to learn everyone's job.

Leonhard believes defenders can only be better by knowing what everyone around them is doing, and so far, his new players are buying into this philosophy.

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