Buffalo Bills: Looking back at owner’s meetings and some smoke, rumors

Sean McDermott will be the defensive play-caller

Head coach Sean McDermott announced on the Monday of the meetings that he would be responsible for calling defensive plays for the Bills in 2023. While this is not unheard of in the NFL, it puts a lot of responsibility on McDermott, who is thought to be an excellent leader. It also likely shifts responsibility for how the offense is managed squarely onto offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey who must show improvement in his second year on the job.

McDermott is certainly a capable Defensive Coordinator, as his performance in this role with the Carolina Panthers is what earned him the chance to become head coach with the Bills. With McDermott taking the reins, it is fair to wonder how different the defense will look. The Bills bring back a defense that is largely in-tact with the notable exception of MLB Tremaine Edmunds whose replacement may already be on the roster.

McDermott has always had a star MLB, between Luke Kuechly in Carolina and Edmunds in Buffalo, so there is always the chance that the Bills could trade for an established veteran to run the defense or add a MLB early in the draft. The Bills free agent signing of Rapp may also indicate that the Bills will run more three safety sets, which McDermott did during his time with the Panthers.

Regardless of the changes to the personnel and packages that they run, expect the Bills to be more aggressive than they were under Leslie Frazier, especially in the playoffs where the defense has struggled in recent years. It is also possible that this change is temporary and that the Bills will turn to one of several in-house options as Defensive Coordinator as the season progresses.