What are Reasonable Expectations for T.J. Sanders This Upcoming Year?

[HIT BY SPIKES]

He had almost 300 snaps last year.

 

Rotating role or is he ready to start on the DL assuming Oliver and Walker are both healthy?

[gonzo1105]

I think he’ll be a starter in the 3 man front next year or the top backup depending on what happens in the draft 

[Ethan in Cleveland]

He is expected to be the starting DE in the 3-4 and should see a ton of snaps at DT when they switch to a 4 man DL in nickel.

He's a second round pick that they traded up to get. A lot should be expected of him. 

[Pete]

3 minutes ago, Ethan in Cleveland said:

He is expected to be the starting DE in the 3-4 and should see a ton of snaps at DT when they switch to a 4 man DL in nickel.

He's a second round pick that they traded up to get. A lot should be expected of him. 

A lot should be expected of him.  But not much shown by TJ, despite playing 300 snaps, mostly out of position.  This is a big year for TJ to prove he justified the trade up for him

Edited April 16 by Pete

[Ridgewaycynic2013]

With a folksy, friendly name like that, I think he should explore opening a chain of family friendly restaurants. 🤔

[Pecker]

He was worthless last year.  

[AlCowlingsTaxiService]

25 minutes ago, Ridgewaycynic2013 said:

With a folksy, friendly name like that, I think he should explore opening a chain of family friendly restaurants. 🤔

Hopefully he can do that after a wildly successful HOF career with the Bills. 

[Captain_Quint]

I think he and Walker have some upside and will both be a big part of the dline coming together this year.

 

He was unimpressive last year despite alot of playing time. Walker, on the other hand, had some really great games. But he seemed to fall off and found himself out of position towards the end of the season.

 

If they both can use this offseason to improve and find some consistency, I think the dline will be in good shape. 

 

[Sierra Foothills]

1 hour ago, Ridgewaycynic2013 said:

With a folksy, friendly name like that, I think he should explore opening a chain of family friendly restaurants. 🤔

 

I agree with the name/restaurant idea but I think he would have to come up with an identifiable nickname like Captain... no, that's Marcell Dareus... or Admiral... no that's McDermott...

 

Colonel! Yeah Colonel Sanders!!!

 

He could sell fried fish! No... 

 

[SoCal Deek]

This should be interesting. They used a high draft pick to have him play in a firmly entrenched 4-3 defensive scheme. He was essentially invisible. Now, we expect him to flourish in a completely different scheme? I think not! But I’ll be hoping and praying right along with the rest of you. 

[BuffaloBillyG]

I think Sanders like many on the defense this year will be under a constant stage of auditioning for a role. Most of the guys on the front 7 will be under that heading this year. It will be how the impress Leonard and earn a position that will go a long way as far as who stays and who goes after this season. Sanders could fall anywhere between solid starter and off the roster in the next 12 months and neither would shock me. 

[Thrivefourfive]

1 hour ago, ***** said:

He was worthless last year.  

Very valuable to our opponents. Part of the unit that looked invisible vs the run

[Ayjent]

Its difficult.  On the one hand McDermott wasn't one to play young guys that didn't comprehend his scheme, and he got the playing time (some out of necessity and out of position).  The fact that he did play a different position means that he likely had the mental part of what he needed to do and how to do it to a level that the coaches trusted him.  So the question I have about Sanders is more about the physical side of his game, which seems like where he needs to improve the most.  A lot of draft pundits thought that the Bills severely overreached on the pick and didn't understand trading up to get him when other options were available.  We are talking about a team that invested heavily in defense, especially on the DL and was maybe one of the worst Defenses, if not the worst, that was fielded in McDermott's tenure (a legit argument can be made about the 2024 team being worse).  Walker was really the bright spot of an otherwise underwhelming overhaul of the DL.  Sanders was consistent but not really impactful, and I'm not sure that we should be expecting any significant leap, because I don't think that is realistic given his play last year with very few flashes (if any) that would signal that he just needs to get a part of his technique and discipline shored up to improve.

 

I will say though, that I don't know that McD's DLs were ever that good in his entire time in Buffalo and there are legitimate questions as to whether that was more of a scheme issue than a talent issue or vice versa.  Clearly it is some combination of both, but how much we may find out with Leonhard's different approach.  I always felt like the Bills D was built too light, especially with LBs and playing a lot of 2 LB sets, and although that was supposed to be a tradeoff for speed - it seemed in the last few years that they were light and not particularly fast as Milano and Johnson were declining.  It seemed that McD was committed to his style although he didn't really have the personnel with the physical ability to execute it at a high level, and the DL was really tasked with keeping the lighter back end clean and gap control rather than having a lot of ability to attack and disrupt outside of blitzing.  It just seemed like too many things had to all work for the Defense to be successful and they just weren't good enough at making all of those things work consistently.  My point in all of this is that Sanders may have an opportunity to improve just by being in a different defensive scheme that doesn't require the same type of emphasis for the DL.

[Don Otreply]

3 hours ago, Ethan in Cleveland said:

He is expected to be the starting DE in the 3-4 and should see a ton of snaps at DT when they switch to a 4 man DL in nickel.

He's a second round pick that they traded up to get. A lot should be expected of him. 

Gotta remember where he was picked is on the OBD , not the player, so that mindset is of it being on the player is incorrect, 

 

that said I truly hope he kicks azs going forward, and his back injury is healed thoroughly. 

 

 

[Sestak4ever]

D linemen, especially interior D linemen seem to take a couple years before they develop into consistent contributors to the team. There are rare ones, like Aaron Donald that come into their own right away. I’ll give him another year or two. However we should, and need to see good improvements this year.

[nemhoff]

3 hours ago, Ridgewaycynic2013 said:

With a folksy, friendly name like that, I think he should explore opening a chain of family friendly restaurants. 🤔

The use of “folksy” here was awesome.  Got me😀

[SCBills]

In regards to Sanders.. and Jackson/Carter/Solomon, DL guys typically take some time. 
 

Unless you’re drafting a Top 10 pass rusher, it can take a year or two for these guys to show what they can do. 
 

Safe to say, we’re entering put up or shut up time for a guy who was drafted to the wrong defense and three other guys who have all dealt with injury plagued starts to their careers. 
 

 

[Kirby Jackson]

7 hours ago, gonzo1105 said:

I think he’ll be a starter in the 3 man front next year or the top backup depending on what happens in the draft 

This is what I think with “starter” at 75% likely. He feels like a better fit in this defense and played better as the year went on last year. 
 

In terms of his “performance” I think that his value will be similar to what Epenesa has given them over the last few years. They’re different players but I’m saying more as a “solid NFL player.” I don’t think Sanders becomes an all-pro but he won’t be a liability. 

[Buffalo03]

To bring the boys bagels and coffee every morning. As long as he does that. He can stay

[jahnyc]

He did not look good last year, particularly when he was playing as a DE.  In our defense under Leonhard, it appears he may be more suited to DE.  If this is the case, is playing DE in Leonhard's expected defense significantly different than playing DE in McD's defense?

Edited April 16 by jahnyc