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5 biggest questions headed into Buffalo Bills training camp

By Aarron Van Buren

Bills tight end Dawson Knox laughs with offensive lineman Jordan Devey (64) while stretching before mini camp.Jg 061621 Sweeney Devey 1
Bills tight end Dawson Knox laughs with offensive lineman Jordan Devey (64) while stretching before mini camp.Jg 061621 Sweeney Devey 1 /
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Buffalo Bills
ORCHARD PARK, NY – JUNE 02: Greg Rousseau #50 of the Buffalo Bills during OTA workouts at Highmark Stadium on June 2, 2021 in Orchard Park, New York. (Photo by Timothy T Ludwig/Getty Images) /

Will the efforts of Gregory Rousseau and Carlos “Boogie” Basham be enough to change games?

General Manager Brandon Beane sent a clear message to the team when he drafted two defensive linemen in as many rounds in this years’ NFL Draft. The Bills finished 15th in total sacks with 38. That’s respectable for a team that may have finished their season with a Wild Card exit, but not an AFC Championship appearance.

Another issue was the team’s inability to get these sacks when having a lead late in the fourth. They only tallied 6 sacks when leading the opponent. This resulted in 10 games being closer than it should be, as in those 10 games the Bills won by 10 points or less. I’m not saying every game has to (and needs to be) a blowout, but it’s nice to put a team away with pressure from the defensive line.

Enter Rousseau and Basham as they embark on their rookie campaigns. With a more balanced offense, the defense should get more time to rest. The amount of 11-personnel usage by the Bills offense only accelerated how fast the defense came back on the field last year.

At this point, pressures, half sacks, and making the other quarterback’s life a living hell will be a success for the defensive line this year.

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