As Jim Ross would say, business just picked up.
Sean McDermott has agreed to become the next head coach of the Buffalo Bills
— Jason La Canfora (@JasonLaCanfora) January 11, 2017
McDermott, besides being an awesome “Arrested Development” photo stand in for Ron Howard meme wise is an excellent coach. I am a big fan of anyone from the Reid tree, and when you add in he studied under the venerable Jim Johnson I’m all ears. Similar to when the Bills were playing under Jim Schwartz, you can expect a lot of wide-9, a lot of a-gap blitzing and a lot of rolled coverages with simple checks. If Bart Scott desires, I’m sure Sean can put them in crayon, but I doubt the players will need it. Having a top ten defense 4 out 6 years in Carolina is good; having a top 12 – which I think is fair in a salary cap era – 6 of his 8 years? Even better.
Playing defense is not about 58 checks and proving you can out-duel your counterpart. If anything was learned from Rex’s time with the Bills, the advent and evolution of the no-huddle offenses in the NFL have pushed coordinators to simple violence, the elegance of a jab, rather than constant feints and a lone hay maker if you will. To be honest, I’m nervous, because this is the second defense I’ve seen from afar that I’ve enjoyed – and am hoping we see more of Schwartz and/or Pettine in terms of evolving from your mentor and less of “this way works and that’s it argle bargle” we saw out of Rex.
Coach McDermott runs a 4-3 and will be a one gap, defensive line driven coach. If you’d like some solid x’s and o’s on the system, I’ll be podcasting with Joe and most likely a guest or two in the coming days, but for now, check out the awesome stuff Cover 1 is bringing to the table.
I love this system because it allows the tandem of Hughes, Dareus, Williams and Lawson to get up the field and wreck shop, as opposed to two gapping and really wasting either 99 or 95 on plays. Let those men eat – and the rest of the team will follow.
Coming along for the ride is rumored to be his current LB coach and future defensive coordinator Al Holcomb, well known in league circles as an excellent coach and teacher.
Sean McDermott's likely DC in Buffalo is Panthers LB coach Al Holcomb, per source. Logical hire and promotion.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 11, 2017
Holcomb was a 14 year college coach before even becoming an NFL assistant. Which is one of those little things that make me pull my hair out when we see rumors that Norv Turner (and most likely his son Scott) are coming as the potential OC hire.
GREAT MERITOCRACY YOU GOT GOING NFL. SO GOOD.
Mark Gaughan hit on a lot of the points I will in his great Buffalo News article. Fans, media and the Pegulas need to let this grow. As it stands now, the Bills need 7 starters, as well as depth. You’re not going to do this overnight. That also means that Bills fans have to take a hard look at the roster and get out of the “we’re one player away” business.
Right now the Bills are one QB (if they release Taylor), two – three WRs, a right tackle, a fullback(?), depth at defensive line, an off-ball linebacker, a corner (if Gilmore walks) and two safeties away. If you expect to get them adequately filled in one off-season I got some land near Ralph Wil-correction, New Era Stadium I’d like to sell you.
Being honest about where they are – and then letting them develop from there will go a long way towards avoiding being the first modern era team to hit 20 years running out of the playoffs. Last year’s draft, which was primarily aimed to re-build the defense in Rex’s image, will leave them with a potential Sam or Mike in the returning Reggie Ragland, a three technique in Adolphus Washington and a solid end in soon-to-be second year player Shaq Lawson. Those are solid pieces for any team to build around, but they’ll need more.
And to conclude, I enjoy the sentiment of the below tweet but….
McDermott is a no non-sense, strong-minded coach. He will make players accountable. Would expect a culture change is coming to Bills.
— Adam Caplan (@caplannfl) January 11, 2017
The coach before Rex was a disciplinarian too. As long as the Bills don’t try to sell this as that – we’re fine. Let this be a good football decision and may there be a minimal number of ginger jokes to go around. Go Bills.
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