Saying it will be a challenge this year for the Buffalo Bills Defensive Coordinator, Bobby Babich, might be a bit of an understatement. The first-year coordinator took the position over from Head Coach Sean Mcdermott in January and has had a growing list of obstacles set in his path ever since.
Bill’s Defensive Coordinator is Moving Up The Ladder
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The 41-year-old coordinator has slowly moved up the ranks in the Bills organization. In 2017, Babich was hired as assistant defensive backs coach, where he worked under defensive Coordinator Leslie Frazier. A year later, he was moved to the team’s safety coach, where for the next four years, he helped turn the Buffalo Bills into an elite unit.
The Bills Defense Is Noticed Under Babich
Under Bobby Babich’s tenure as a defensive coach for the Bills, they received many accolades from the NFL. In 2018 and 2019 Buffalo ranked 2nd and 3rdrespectfully in overall defense. In 2021 they stepped it up a notch and had the NFL’s top-ranked defense for the first time in 22 years. In the next two seasons, Buffalo continued its exceptional defensive play and began to see some new stars emerge.
Bills Cut Their Losses
The 2024 Bills have gone through a dramatic turnover on the defensive side of the ball. Salary cap issues, free agency, and injuries have brought many new, unproven faces to the lineup. Long-time safeties Mika Hyde and Jorden Poyer were free-agent victims. Both safeties, along with standout special teamer Tyler Matakevich, were not only an integral part of the team, but they were also team captains. If those losses weren’t enough, the Bills Matt Milano suffered a broken leg in week 5, creating a huge hole at linebacker.
Let The Rebuild Begin
With the limited cap space the bills are dealing with, General Manager Brandon Beane has done an admiral job filling in the empty pieces. New free agents Austin Johnson, Deshawn Williams, and Casey Toohill should bolster the defensive line. With losing two of the top safeties in the league this off-season, free agent pickup Mike Edwards should fill the gap at one of the open safety slots.
Not only do the free-agent acquisitions need to come up big for the Buffalo Bills, but they also need to hit on a few of this year’s draft picks. Cole Bishop was taken in round two by the Bills and should be a solid backup at safety. In the mid and later rounds, Buffalo picked linebacker Edefuan Ulofoshio and cornerback Daequan Hardy to add quality depth to the line-up.
On The Brighter Side
Putting aside the pathetic loss to the Chicago Bears in their first pre-season game and another possible season-ending injury to Matt Milano, some positive things are starting to show up for the Bills. Buffalo’s own Joe Andreesen was all over the field in the last two preseason games, collecting 7 tackles against the Steelers and 8 more against the Panthers. Fellow UB Bull Ja’Marcus Ingram also stood out with stellar defensive play and gathered a combined 8 tackles in the last two games.
Bills Coordinator’s Time To Shine
While it’s easy to see why Defensive Coordinator Bobby Babich has his work cut out for himself this year, there are several reasons to be optimistic. Star edge rusher Von Miller should be fully healed from a 2022 torn ACL. Defensive linemen Greg Rousseau and Ed Oliver are coming off an impressive 2023 season and should help anchor a strong defensive front. Linebacker Terrel Bernard had an amazing sophomore season and is expected to continue his stellar play.
The Buffalo Bills front office and coaching staff have done what they could this off-season to put the right pieces in place for Bobby Babich’s defense. Only time will tell if he is up to the challenge.
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