Buffalo Bills: 3 key questions entering the 2021 season

Jul 28, 2021; Orchard Park, NY, United States; Buffalo Bills defensive end Boogie Basham (96) and defensive end Greg Rousseau (50) and defensive end Efe Obada (93) come off the field after practice at the Buffalo Bills Training Facility. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports
Jul 28, 2021; Orchard Park, NY, United States; Buffalo Bills defensive end Boogie Basham (96) and defensive end Greg Rousseau (50) and defensive end Efe Obada (93) come off the field after practice at the Buffalo Bills Training Facility. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports
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Buffalo Bills
Bills rookie Greg Rousseau makes a move around Packer’s lineman Ben Braden.Jg 082821 Bills 9

What is the rotation going to be at defensive end?

The Buffalo Bills pass rush has looked great this preseason and should be improved this year. The Buffalo Bills recognized the talent they had at the position and kept six defensive ends on their 53-man roster.

This is much higher than past seasons and could be an indication of a shift by the coaching staff in terms of how they rotate their players through. The Bills under Sean McDermott have always rotated defensive linemen and usually have had only three players as the primary part of the rotation.

As the preseason showed, the Buffalo Bills have more talent and more players who could warrant playing time this year and could force the coaching staff to get creative. This may mean more snaps for players like Efe Obada and Boogie Basham inside at defensive tackle.

This also could mean a reduction in snaps for veterans Jerry Hughes, who played 58% of the defensive snaps in 2020, and Mario Addison who played 57% of the defensive snaps. This would create more time for players like A.J. Epenesa and Greg Rousseau, who both played well this preseason.

The rotation at defensive end is going to be something to watch closely early in the season to see how this part of the defense operates.

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