The Buffalo Bills will be changing to a 3-4 defense under new defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard, which could cause some players to switch positions.
With the Bills switching from a 4-3 to a 3-4, linebacker play will be key, and Buffalo’s defensive line will change. After the change was announced, the role of star pass rusher Greg Rousseau was very much up in the air, but general manager Brandon Beane put all those questions to bed ahead of the NFL Draft.
“Yeah, I think he’ll be on the outside ‘backer,” Beane said to The Athletic. “You’re not gonna see him dropping [into coverage] as much as you would some other guys. But he can still do it enough — he might do it one time a game. Could he go play the 4i? Yeah, he could. I don’t know if you’re getting his value there, to be honest.
“It doesn’t mean he couldn’t do it. I think he’s versatile enough. Like anything, if we needed him to go do it, if these guys are like, ‘man, you’re the best guy,’ Greg would. But we see him in the outside ‘backer group, not that 3-4, 5-tech, 4i type stuff.”
Rousseau will be focused on getting after the quarterback and not dropping into coverage. Rousseau is entering the first year of his four-year, $80 million deal with the Bills.
Last season with the Bills, Rousseau recorded 46 tackles, 7 sacks, and 1 forced fumble, but Buffalo will need him to take another step forward this season.
Rousseau Dealt With Injury in 2025 Season
Rousseau had a disappointing year last season, as many expected him to take another step forward.
The Bills had plenty of injuries throughout the season, and Rousseau revealed after the year that he played through injuries.
“I started the season off, I kind of hurt my knee versus Baltimore,” Rousseau said. “But then when I got healthier towards the middle end of the season, I feel like I started playing some real good ball.
“Especially heading into the playoffs, getting to the quarterback, hitting the quarterback. Just trying to help the team win. I feel like I try my best, and obviously, there’s always room to grow. So I’ll be excited for the opportunity next year to keep on getting better and keep on helping the team win.”
The Bills selected Rousseau with the 30th overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. His best season came in 2024 when he recorded 8 sacks, 16 tackles for a loss, and 53 tackles.
New Bills DC Wants Aggressive Defense
Buffalo hired Leonhard to be the team’s new defensive coordinator, and he wants the team to be more aggressive.
The Bills have been accused of having a precautionary defense as they try not to give up the big play. Yet, Leonhard wants that to change, and he wants an attacking defense this season.
“We’re going to be an attacking defense up front and in the back end,” Leonhard said. “We’re going to attack the football. The biggest stat in football is turnovers, so we’re going to be aggressive, we’re going to fly around, we’re going to communicate, we’re going to play well together, but we’re going to cause issues for offense, and we’re going to force them to react to us.”
The Bills have overhauled some defensive positions in free agency, and the draft is expected to be defensive-heavy.
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