Bills to go from #26 on defense to top 3 in one year.

[ChanOverChin]

To make a jump from 26 into the top three is a pretty big leap and not one you see often ... Last year the Texans jumped from 30th to second. A few years ago Green Bay was able to jump from the 20s to top 5.

 

That being said, it takes a lot of pieces falling into place to be able make such a drastic jump

 

My reasoning why I can see it happening for the Bills this year:

 

 

5. Veteran Leadership - This is the most leadership I have seen on this Bills defense since 2004 when we had the #2 ranked defense. I think Nix has brought in the right type of guys. Barnett, Mario, Merriman to go with guys like <A class=sbn-auto-link href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/players/1915/george-wilson" peppyCount="38">George Wilson and Kyle Williams. These guys set the right example and bring the right approach both on the field and off. Tremendous work ethic and attitude which should exude to the young guys we have added recently as well. When you look at the Baltimore Ravens, when they bring in new people they immediately have Ray Lewis right there letting them know what is to be expected. You can't overstate how important that veteran presence is

 

 

 

4. Improvement in Second Year Players - I expect some significant improvements in some of our younger guys especially now that they have gotten a full offseason under their belts. I am expecting Dareus to be flat out dominant. I also expect Sheppard to excel as the MLB in the 4-3. Lastly, I expect Aaron Williams to earn a starting CB spot with Florence gone and McGee banged up. I have high expectations for all 3 of these guys. I really think the 2011 draft is one of the best we have had in a long time

 

 

 

3. Return of Injured Players - The biggest name here is obviously Kyle Williams. His return is going to help everyone on that defensive line. When healthy he can be unblockable. 2010 he was arguably our best defensive player if not our best player overall. Shawn Merriman also seems ready to return. Yes he has done nothing significant as a Bill but I still have high hopes for him. He is still only 28 years old, knows how to be disruptive on the D-line, and can set the edge in the run game something that we missed when he got injured. He also brings an attitude to the defense that I love. George Wilson and Terrence McGee also missed some time last year. I think their veteran presence is important in what is going to be a very young secondary. Wilson also had a knack for making big plays.

 

 

 

2. New Additions - The Bills didn't make a ton of new additions but I think they brought in guys who will make an impact. The Bills specifically upgraded the pass defense which is what most offenses are all about nowadays. Obviously Mario Williams what more can be said. Has the ability to improve everyone around him. He demands attention from opposing offenses. Can flat out dominate a game. 5 sacks in 5 games last year. Our top pass rusher last year was Dareus with 5.5 sacks for the whole season. That says something. A little bit more underrated signing was Mark Anderson but a guy who gives the Bills even more options rushing the passer. Has a variety of moves and surprising quickness. 12 sacks last year through the regular season and post season. Very impressive. And lastly adding Gilmore in the draft. I fully expect him to be a starter come opening day. His combination of size and speed is something we need in this secondary. I think he will be a significant upgrade over Florence he is clearly on a downslide.

 

 

 

1. Veteran Defensive Coordinator - One thing that happened with both the Texans and the Packers when they made their dramatic jumps was a change in coordinators. Texans brought in Philips and Packers brought in Capers. There's something to bringing in a veteran coordinator and allowing him to run a defense he knows well. With Dave Wannstedt we are getting a guy who knows how to run a 4-3 defense. You can look at the rankings of his defenses over the years and know that he knows what he is doing. I don't think anything is going to be more important to us improving defensively than promoting Wannstedt to coordinator. Yes you have to players but you have to be able to put them in positions to succeed as well. Right now I think we have both the talent and the coaching to really be a great defense. The addition of Wannstedt as the full-time DC may turn out to be the #1 reason why the Bills make the playoffs in 2012-2013.

 

 

 

 

[Optometric Insight]

Another thread to add onto the regurgitated lull that we are in right now but I'll have some fun and talk about this subject some more.

 

So I agree on many points you made. Veteran leadership is something that is important; it puts certain people in their places and they help out the younger guys.

 

#4- Don't forget about Justin He is one of my surprise players this year. Drafted in the 7th round, some people discount him but I think with a full off season, he could be a good nickel corner if McGee/McKelvin/whoever-is-the-leading-nickel-back doesn't work out. He might even start outside in a pinch.

 

3. Return of Injured Players/Players Staying Healthy

 

Anderson is not an underrated signing. Everyone realizes what a big pick-up that is; if we just signed him, that would've been huge but since we signed Mario, Anderson is a second thought. A big thought, just a second big thought. There's also the LB's we grabbed in the later rounds, those are big depth picks and could be pretty decent when people go down.

 

#1- you can only hope.

 

And you sure like to make lists, don't you?

Edited June 18, 2012 by Teen Insight

[RuntheDamnBall]

I think that #1 is really the big one. I am very excited about what Wannstedt will bring, and that the Bills appear to have given him all the ingredients.

 

There are some premier D-coordinators in this league who are really just average calling the shots at the head coach position, but who know the game as well as anybody. Dave Wannstedt, Wade Phillips, Dom Capers - these are the kind of guys whom you are lucky to have running your defense. I think it's going to mean a lot. Even better - he had a chance to sit back and see what was going on, and to evaluate these players without the responsibility of running the D. (That is, if we are to believe that Edwards was really the one in charge last year - I take Gailey at his word on that). That looks like a luxury to me.

 

A little postcript / random musing, but I wonder how well Wannstedt/Wade/Capers would have fared as head coaches if they had lucked into Tom Brady or someone like him. I still think Belicheck isn't really all that as a head coach, and that he just happens to have an awesome QB on his hands to make him look even smarter than he is.

[Buftex]

I think that #1 is really the big one. I am very excited about what Wannstedt will bring, and that the Bills appear to have given him all the ingredients.There are some premier D-coordinators in this league who are really just average calling the shots at the head coach position, but who know the game as well as anybody. Dave Wannstedt, Wade Phillips, Dom Capers - these are the kind of guys whom you are lucky to have running your defense. I think it's going to mean a lot. Even better - he had a chance to sit back and see what was going on, and to evaluate these players without the responsibility of running the D. (That is, if we are to believe that Edwards was really the one in charge last year - I take Gailey at his word on that). That looks like a luxury to me.

 

A little postcript / random musing, but I wonder how well Wannstedt/Wade/Capers would have fared as head coaches if they had lucked into Tom Brady or someone like him. I still think Belicheck isn't really all that as a head coach, and that he just happens to have an awesome QB on his hands to make him look even smarter than he is.

 

Can't agree more. I find it hard to believe that the Bills have been so completlely talentless on defense for most of the past decade. Lack of talent may have been part of the issue, but coaches who don't have the ability to put their guys in the best position to play effectively, I think, has been a big part of it too. I dare say, I was almost as excited about Wannestedt coming on board as the DC (and a return to defensive scheme that has worked, and is relatively simple), as I was with the Bills signing Mario Williams.

 

Only thing that scares me about Wannestadt is he is one firing away from being the Bills head coach, or one season away from another head coaching job. I hope things remain stable with this coaching staff for at least a few years.

[Kelly the Dog]

Only thing that scares me about Wannestadt is he is one firing away from being the Bills head coach, or one season away from another head coaching job. I hope things remain stable with this coaching staff for at least a few years.

It's hard for me to imagine a team, even the Bills, giving Wanny a head coaching job. In essence, he is 0-3 in that role, and there is simply no reason to believe that he would get any better at it now. Like you said, there are guys that just make better coordinators than head coaches. I guess there is a better chance that the Bills would hire him than anyone else, but also, if he has a great defense and the team still loses a lot of games so that Gailey is fired, it might just be assumed that the talent Wanny had to work with was the major factor. I just don't see a lot of scenarios where Wanny leaves to be a HC or gets promoted to being a HC.

[All_Pro_Bills]

Like the list but I'll add one:

 

1A - Nix and Whaley 'get it'

 

They've brought systems and management approaches with them from successful organizations (and have been empowered by ownership to install them) and appear to have molded their experience and football understanding into a system customized for the Bills challenges and needs. In this case building a defense that can win in the AFC East.

 

This includes how to's on running the organization along with talent evaluation and player acquisition plus building relationships with players and fans. Just how well it works can only be judged by wins on the field this coming season but I can't help but have a feeling of legitimate and justifiable optimism vs. what has been for season’s just plain hope.

[John from Riverside]

I think it is an aweful lot to ask this defense to get into the top 5 from where it was at......

 

Realistically....if they went from last to the 8-10 range this year I would be extremely happen with that.

[Mr. WEO]

I think it is an aweful lot to ask this defense to get into the top 5 from where it was at......

 

Realistically....if they went from last to the 8-10 range this year I would be extremely happen with that.

 

Actually, I think the OP was holding back. Why not the top D in the league?

[Luxy312]

Regardless of the "list", they are capable of doing exactly that. Wanny is a defensive coach. That's his specialty. I think when all is said and done that it comes down to the health of the team. They're not deep defensively, so losing any of the key guys would be a big blow to that possibility of improvement. Still, for the first time in awhile, I'm really excited about the defense.

[eball]

I think it is an aweful lot to ask this defense to get into the top 5 from where it was at......

 

Realistically....if they went from last to the 8-10 range this year I would be extremely happen with that.

I don't understand why you'd say this. First, the 2012 defense is not "this" defense. You have four new faces on the D line (Mario, Anderson, Merriman, Kyle). You have a new scheme. You have a new coordinator. You have new starters in the secondary.

 

The list of what's the same from 2011 is much shorter than the list of what's different, and that's why it's just as likely the Bills' defense will finish first overall as it is they will finish 15th (I say 15th rather than last because the level of talent suggests it would be rather difficult for them to absolutely suck).

[chris heff]

I don't understand why you'd say this. First, the 2012 defense is not "this" defense. You have four new faces on the D line (Mario, Anderson, Merriman, Kyle). You have a new scheme. You have a new coordinator. You have new starters in the secondary.

 

The list of what's the same from 2011 is much shorter than the list of what's different, and that's why it's just as likely the Bills' defense will finish first overall as it is they will finish 15th (I say 15th rather than last because the level of talent suggests it would be rather difficult for them to absolutely suck).

 

You left one out, they actually have linebackers playing linebacker.

[John from Riverside]

I don't understand why you'd say this. First, the 2012 defense is not "this" defense. You have four new faces on the D line (Mario, Anderson, Merriman, Kyle). You have a new scheme. You have a new coordinator. You have new starters in the secondary.

 

The list of what's the same from 2011 is much shorter than the list of what's different, and that's why it's just as likely the Bills' defense will finish first overall as it is they will finish 15th (I say 15th rather than last because the level of talent suggests it would be rather difficult for them to absolutely suck).

 

Exactly this.....these guys have not PLAYED TOGETHER yet

 

I expect a huge improvement.....like more then 20 spots of improvement......but top 5? A LOT would have to go right in order for that to happen.

[Dorkington]

We're top three now? Man, this team keeps getting better and better and we haven't even had to play a game yet! Awesome!

 

[CSBill]

Excellent post ChanOverChin: Your reasoning is sound, and you bring a valid arguement, and in doing so, push the thinking here. I want to agree with you, I think all five things you mentioned are improvements; however, top 5 would be gravy, but I think top 10 is more realistic. But, if we get to the top 10, I think our chances of making the play-offs are almost 100%.

 

GO BILLS!

[ChanOverChin]

In short, we have much better talent on defense than in recent years and we actually have guys playing positions that they are well suited to play as opposed to forcing them to play a position to suit a scheme (i.e. Kelsay and Sp. Johnson playing OLB last year). We also have great leadership on defense. Guys like K. Williams, Ma. Williams, Dareus, Merriman, Barnett and G. Wilson. In addition, we have a DC who has a wealth of experience in the NFL with putting players in a position to succeed and who also has been very successful himself in the NFL with running a simple 4-3 alignment.

 

Wannstedt may not be a standout NFL HC, but he has certainly been a standout NFL DC. He's not going to be switching froma 4-3 to a 3-4 and back. He's not going to be guessing whether to run this package or that package in 2nd and ten and 3rd and 4 situations. He knows when to blitz and when not to blitz, He knows how to disguise the blitz. And he knows from experience that it's better to keep things simple with a designated four man rush by letting guys allow their athleticism take over rather than complicate things so much that guys are hestitating because they aren't quite sure if they're carrying out the correct assignment.

 

Yes, a lot has to come together in one short offseason, but as I mentioned above, the Texans and the Packers did it in recent years so can't the Bills do the same??

 

 

[rafter]

If this defense performs to its potential, I expect one of the biggest changes to be Fitz. Much was made about Fitz injury, but Chan had Fitz throwing the ball way too much in order to get back into games. Id expect more running, less throwing, and Fitz' interceptions to be cut in half this year.