Two Bills Drive

'“In Carolina they played a lot of zone under McDermott,” Kelso said. “When they went to the Super Bowl they were playing a ton of Cover 3 with basic zone defense and had linebackers that really understood leverage control and where to drop and whether they needed to be inside or outside of receivers.'

'Incognito started all 16 games for the Bills in 2016 at guard and helped pave the way to the Bills having both the top rushing attack in the NFL in yards (2,630) and yards per carry (5.35). The Bills rushing attack also tallied 29 rushing touchdowns on the year—a new franchise record surpassing the old mark of 26 rushing touchdowns set in 1976.'

'“I can tell you that Sean knows when to pat guys on the back, but when they need some tough love,” Person said. “He’s not just going to say anything that he thinks players want to hear. I’ve seen him get into it with players, but I’ve seen him get with guys individually after wins and losses and have a heart to heart type of talk.”'

'On Friday, the Bills will introduce McDermott in a press conference, but presumably general manager Doug Whaley, he of the disastrous meeting with the media 10 days ago, will be there. Questions for him will abound. Start with the fact he was supposed to lead the search, but on Wednesday it was made clear that owners Terry and Kim Pegula made the coaching choice.'

'McDermott's contract is expected to cover five years, the same length as the agreement the Bills reached with McDermott's predecessor, Rex Ryan, in 2015.'

'Not surprisingly, the signature of McDermott's scheme is similar to that of Johnson's. It features a 4-3 base and is known for being extremely aggressive. Opposing quarterbacks not only can expect to be blitzed, they can usually count on not knowing who is blitzing and the direction from which the blitzer is coming.'

'McCoy would be a solid selection for offensive coordinator – if the Bills can get him. The ex-Chargers coach has interest from other teams and will reportedly be one of the candidates new Broncos coach Vance Joseph interviews for the position Thursday. McCoy may be more attracted to a team with better structure and a more developed passing attack.'

'"McDermott is a Jim Johnson disciple from Philadelphia," said Long. "The late Jim Johnson, great defensive coordinator. And he’s been great down in Carolina, McDermott. We talked about him on the way up here in the truck, McDermott. Really aggressive. I think he’ll switch to a team up in Buffalo that fits their personnel… They'll go from a three-man front to a four-man front, which I think fits what they do. And I think he’s ready. They got a good coach.”'

'Word is, McDermott wants control of the 53-man roster, which is typically the province of the GM. But with Whaley a weakened figure, any established coaching candidate would have demanded full control. According to reports, the Pegulas were impressed enough by McDermott to consider giving him some control of the roster. There's talk that he and Whaley will share control of the 53.'

'McDermott and Holcomb have worked together for four years. Holcomb has coached Carolina's linebackers since 2013, helping develop Luke Kuechly into a four-time Pro Bowler and the 2013 Defensive Player of the Year.'

'The Bills are not close to being a contender. They reshaped the roster according to Ryan’s vision. Now they’re going to have to reshape it again, especially since McDermott runs a 4-3 defense. And check out next year’s tough schedule. It screams 4-12.'

'My problem with McDermott actually has nothing to do with McDermott. The same beef would have applied to any coach the Bills hired so long as the same people remained in charge of the front office. They can’t be trusted to make sound decisions, so there’s little reason to believe they made the right call now.'

'“Phenomenal football coach,” Reid told the Charlotte Observer of McDermott earlier this year. “(The Panthers defense is) getting coached like crazy by a guy who is going to be a future head coach in this league.”'

'The Bills just hired the anti-Rex, and that's a great thing.'

'One thing that should jump out from the list of McCoy's experience is that he was the offensive coordinator who won a playoff game with Tim Tebow at quarterback. Sure, Denver's defense that year was insanely good. But, Tebow!'