Despite all of the changes that have happened with the Buffalo Bills this past offseason, one common thing that should remain somewhat similar is the offense since Joe Brady was elevated from offensive coordinator to head coach. While Brady will have more say now than he did, the offensive scheme should be near the same, just with upgraded weapons for Josh Allen.
Now, as for the defense, that is a whole different conversation. The Bills have a new defensive coordinator in Jim Leonhard, who will be implementing a 3-4 defense. Going from Sean McDermott to Leonhard from a defensive point of view is going to be quite the change for the fanbase. Hopefully it’s for the better.
One player that could benefit greatly from this defensive scheme change is Ed Oliver, who missed most of last year due to injuries. I recently wrote about how Oliver could be potentially "auditioning" for a new team depending on how the 2026 season goes, but Jim Leonhard's latest comments about Oliver should have Bills fans excited about what Oliver could bring.
Ed Oliver has great chance to thrive in Jim Leonhard's defense
Leonhard spoke with the media on Tuesday and according to Dan Fetes, Leonhard said this about Oliver; “I think he’s going to be really disruptive in this defense.” said Leonhard.
“I think he’s going to be really disruptive in this defense.”
— Dan Fetes (@danfetes) May 26, 2026
-#Bills DC Jim Leonhard on Ed Oliver#BillsMafia @BuffaloPlus
With the Bills going to a 3-4 defense, it will be interesting to see how Oliver will adapt to this change. Throughout his entire career, Oliver has lined up in the gap but now with the switch, there might be a change with him lining up either over the center, or it may not be the worst idea to have him line up more off the edge as well.
Oliver can easily be disruptive, fans have seen it. His best season where he showed it was in 2023 after he received a contract extension that had fans questioning that decision. However, he played well above that extension as he had 9.5 sacks and 51 total tackles. He also managed to grab his first NFL interception.
Oliver needs to have a bounce back season after only playing in three games last season. If he can shine in Leonhard’s new defense, fans might be able to see an Oliver that we haven’t seen yet, and that is exciting.
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