Editor’s note: This is the final part of a five-part roundtable series previewing Buffalo Bills training camp. What is the biggest overall concern facing a team many regard as the AFC East favorite?
Katherine Fitzgerald: How quickly can the defensive line gel given the circumstances?
Joey Bosa missed most of the offseason program with a calf injury and Michael Hoecht and Larry Ogunjobi are suspended for the first six games (performance-enhancing drugs).
The defensive line as a whole has a slew of rookies (T.J. Sanders, Landon Jackson and Deone Walker), and the older veterans need to step up. It’s up to defensive coordinator Bobby Babich and his staff to decide how to divvy snaps between the group as they balance competing needs.
How do they assimilate the new guys while understanding Hoecht and Ogunjobi won’t be there for the start?
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How do they get the rookies up to speed while also keeping the vets involved?
How does the group as a whole build chemistry with so many moving parts?
The Bills need their defensive line to take a jump during the postseason, which is a long ways off. The time to build camaraderie is in July and August, and they will need to maximize that time so the group can form its identity before the ups and downs of a season. The team goes as the defensive line goes, general manager Brandon Beane often says, so this group needs to gel quickly.
Jay Skurski: I’ll narrow in on Katherine’s concern and focus on the edge rushers specifically.
Let’s just call it like it is: Bosa being hurt this spring is a horrible look for a player who hasn’t been healthy for three full years now. Sure, the calf injury he suffered might have been minor and shouldn’t impact him at the start of training camp, but the optics of it are terrible. Coach Sean McDermott surely knows that.
Even if Bosa is healthy, can he stay that way? Can he be the closer Von Miller was supposed to be, but never could, also because of injuries?
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Bills defensive end Greg Rousseau, who signed a long-term contract extension in March, will be counted on to achieve double-digit sacks this year for the first time. Harry Scull Jr., Buffalo News
Opposite Bosa, is Greg Rousseau going to take the leap from good to great player? The Bills paid him this offseason to do that. The Bills have challenged Rousseau to be more physical. That says a lot.
A.J. Epenesa seems to be what he is at this point in his career − a solid rotational defensive end. When the Chiefs have the ball in the fourth quarter of a one-possession game in the AFC championship, is it going to be Epenesa who gets around the edge and knocks the ball away from Patrick Mahomes? Maybe, but that feels optimistic.
Jackson is a rookie and Hoecht will miss six games, so who knows how long it will take him to get up to speed. That’s a whole lot of uncertainty.
Lance Lysowski: The secondary.
At safety, Taylor Rapp is a capable returning starter, but the Bills are relying on Cole Bishop after a rookie season in which he endured significant growing pains. He missed time this spring because of a minor injury. How will he adjust to a starting role? Their backups are Damar Hamlin and, in all likelihood, rookie Jordan Hancock because he can also play nickel.
At cornerback, the Bills need first-round pick Maxwell Hairston to earn the starting job opposite Christian Benford. They can’t afford for Hairston to struggle the way Kaiir Elam did in his three seasons.
Beane added some insurance in free agency with the return of Tre’Davious White and Dane Jackson. White, in particular, should prove to be an invaluable leader and depth player. He’s probably not going to return to his pre-injury form, but his energy is infectious and his knowledge of this defense was an important addition to that position group. Imagine how much Hairston and fellow rookie Dorian Strong can learn from listening to and watching White.
Still, White and Jackson are coming off disappointing seasons. The latter may not even make the 53-man roster. Taron Johnson is one of the best nickel corners in the NFL, but he was limited to 12 games last season. An improved pass rush will help maximize the secondary’s potential in 2025.
Ryan O’Halloran: Complacency.
The Bills are the class of the AFC East … and know it. They are being projected again as a Super Bowl contender … and know it. And they have the reigning NFL MVP leading the way (quarterback Josh Allen) … and they know it (obviously).
So will the Bills have their collective eye on the figurative football in August to get ready for Week 1? There may be only one true starting lineup competition (White vs. Hairston at cornerback), so the key for the starters is getting their work in and staying healthy.
If I’m McDermott, I push the starters early in camp to avoid any complacency before throttling down and using the last two games to get a solid look at the cast of backups.
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