By: Jake Rajala

The Buffalo Bills possess an infinite amount of explosion on offense. The Bills Mafia has the mega-arm and bull-dozing QB Josh Allen, the 2020 and 2021 Pro Bowler Stefon Diggs, and the electric Daven Singletary. The Bills ranked 10th in passing yards and seventh in passing touchdowns a season ago.

The Bills still showcase a fire-breathing defense with the future Hall of Famer Von Miller, potent Tremaine Edmunds, and Tre’Davious White (who is on the PUP list). As widely enunciated, the Bills defense allowed the fewest yards and fewest touchdowns last season.

Well, I’m going to untwine five x-factors on the Bills — ahead of their first battle on Thursday.

• James Cook

James Cook, also known as the brother of Dalvin Cook, has a Darren Sproles-like ability. He unveiled 728 rushing yards and 284 receiving yards in his last CFB season. In pre-season, he certainly hasn’t looked like a dud. He’s shown an excellent burst and vision for his age.

• Jamison Crowder

The Bills unsung wideout Jamison Crowder is certainly a great WR4 in Buffalo. Crowder ousted 833 receiving yards and 6 TDs in 2019. He then unleashed 699 yds and 6 TDs in 2020. The long-time Washington WR isn’t washed up just yet & I foresee him being an x-factor for the Bills on his one-year contract.

• Gregory Rousseau

It is time – Kevin Greene Jr.

The Bills 2021 first-round pick, Gregory Rousseau, has been a disciple under Bruce Smith & Von Miller this off-season. Rousseau notched four sacks, 10 QB hits, 8 tackles for loss, and 42 combined tackles a season ago. PFF also handed him a modest 70.2-grade. I expect him to undoubtedly shine with his opportunities across from Miller and Ed Oliver.

• Isaiah McKenzie

Defense wins championships and offense is more fun to watch. Still, let’s not forget to give special teams some love. Isaiah McKenzie had a punt return TD in 2020 and then was a consistent asset to the Bills kick return in 2021 – as he obtained 584 KR yards. McKenzie, who is set to return to practice after a minor injury, should have his best KR season in 2022.

• Kaiir Elam

The Bills first-round pick in 2022, Kaiir Elam, was a nightmare for opposing QBs in his junior season. Elam only notched an interception, but he did have 11 passes defended. He was quite superb at shutting down opposing wideouts.

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By: Jake Rajala

The Buffalo Bills have a Madden-like signal-caller in Josh Allen – who has thrown 73 passing touchdowns in the past two seasons combined. Well, the Bills GM Brandon Beane really sculpted the Bills pass rush to match the talent of the Bills passing attack this off-season. The Bills brought in the mythical Von Miller, also known as Cam Newton’s archnemesis, to be a wrecking ball in 2022. Per NFL Network, Miller stated, “I felt like I was the missing piece.” Miller is being taken care of by the Bills w/ his six-year deal worth $120 million, but he definitely feels like the Bills are a team that he can win a SB ring with for his second straight season.

Miller has also jelled in as a Buffalo Bill off the field (as shown below).

Miller will seek to hunt opposing signal-callers across from the second-year EDGE profile, Gregory Rousseau. Rousseau will not only feel delighted that Miller will hog the attention, but he should feel more confident in himself developing his pass-rushing kit this off-season. The 22-year-old DE shouldn’t panic that he only ousted four sacks in his rookie campaign. The 2016 DPOY winner, Khalil Mack, only mustered out a mere four sacks in his rookie season. I surely believe the more mature 2021 Bills first-round pick is the Bills x-factor in 2022.

The shaky Shaq Lawson needs to bounce back after getting back with his ex-team. Lawson only unveiled a mere one sack as a Jet in 2021. He signed a one-year prove-it deal with the Bills this off-season. I expect Lawson to have a ton of motivation and opportunities in the upcoming season. Lawson and Rousseau are pegged as the starting edge players, but they will also anticipate magic from DT Ed Oliver. The former 2019 Draft Pick has slightly disappointed (7 sacks in the past two seasons combined).

The Bills pass rush could significantly w/ Miller, progress from their 2021 first-round pick, and a jolt out of their 2019 first-round pick. I like the chances of Oliver having more success, but I believe Gregory is more likely to oust 10+ sacks in 2022. The Bills ranked 12th in sacks in 2021 and I undoubtedly foresee them ranking Top-5 in sacks next season. Furthermore, they should make life a lot more miserable for Patrick Mahomes in their upcoming match-up than their previous show-down. It will be hard to diagnose if the Bills are having more offensive fireworks or pass-rushing prowess in the remainder of the offseason.

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By: Louis Damiano

The Buffalo Bills knew that they were going to have to be patient during night one of the NFL Draft, and they were as they stayed at 30 and selected Gregory Rousseau, who they believe was the best player available. The first thing that stands out with Rousseau is his size and length. Rousseau’s measurables are everything you look for when you select a raw player at 30. He comes in at 6-foot-6 1/2, 266-pounds with 11-inch hands, arm length of 34.375 inches, and a ridiculous 83 1/4-inch wingspan.

Rousseau will not be a finished product day 1, and it may take a year or two to reach his full potential, but it was his sack production that Bills General Manager Brandon Beane said you just can’t ignore. “You don’t just luck into 15.5 sacks,” Beane said. It’s hard to find the perfect pass-rushing prospect if you are not picking in the top 5, and it’s even more difficult if you are picking at 30. This is a calculated risk for Beane and his staff, and it is one that he is willing to take if it means they find the feared pass rusher that everyone knows this team has lacked on the defensive line. 

How Rosseau Fits

Leading up to the draft I mentioned that the Bills needed to add to their edge-rushing room and taking Rousseau fulfilled that need. The Bills also used their second-round pick on Carlos Basham who looks to be more NFL-ready than Rousseau. But now with the Bills using their top two picks on pass rushers, what was once a position that lacked youth, looks now to be set for the foreseeable future. So, with an overcrowded room, how will the man nickname “Groot” fit? 

Rousseau will enter day 1 as a situational pass rusher with the hope that he and A.J. Epenesa can be the future starting defensive end pairing after 2021 with Jerry Hughes and Mario Addison getting up there in age and on expiring contracts. Rousseau was never going to get 100% of the snap share in year 1 even if he were NFL ready, and probably won’t in his career as a Buffalo Bill because Sean McDermott and Leslie Fraizer use a defensive line rotation. Rousseau, who welcomed himself onto the scene in 2019, with 15.5 sacks, 19.5 tackles for loss and two forced fumbles in just 13 games played, will have the opportunity to pick the brains of the veterans on the team and not be pressured to make an immediate impact right away. 

Rousseau opted out of the 2020 season because his mother is a nurse and was working on the frontlines, so he wanted to be able to help his family. In his time off he was able to add 20 pounds to his lean body and remained in close contact with his teammates and coaches. Rousseau is a swing for the fences pick, his traits jump off the screen, but he is still underdeveloped as a pass rusher which comes as no surprise since he mainly played safety and wide receiver in high school. 

Patience. The Bills know that they need to be patient with Rousseau to let him reach his full potential. He will be in a position where he won’t be asked to play more than 40% of the snaps. The hope is that he can continue to learn from the vets in the room and that he will make his true impact as a pass rusher in years two, three, and four. 

The Bills entered the draft with no real glaring needs, but they knew that if they weren’t smart, they would have some big needs to fill with not a lot of money to spend next year with Josh Allen and Tremaine Edmunds ready for huge contracts. The Bills were smart, and sometimes it is hard to be discipline at the draft when you go for big boys at the line of scrimmage on defense and offense instead of the sexier positions like running back or wide receiver. 

Now with the arrival of Rousseau and Boogie Basham, Buffalo now has five significant resources at the defensive end position. Hughes and Addison will enter camp as starters, with the youth of Rousseau, Basham, and Epenesa right behind them, and then you have guys like Darryl Johnson who they like and Efe Obada who they signed this offseason as a free agent and had success at the end of his season in Carolina. 

The Bills will be able to keep five of those guys on the roster, a sixth would be a big number to keep, but they can probably find a way to do that. But that still means that one or two of the names I mentioned above will not make the roster. Maybe the Bills will trade one of them to get more assets in the draft or they can trade one for a player at a position they did not address in the draft like tight end Zach Ertz. Beane admitted at his press conference that this team would think more long term than short term and Rousseau along with the rest of the 2021 draft class for the Bills shows that Beane was telling the truth.

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By: Caleb Holfolth

With the 30th pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, the Buffalo Bills selected Gregory Rousseau out of Miami. Rousseau was formerly known as a potential top ten pick before he opted out of the 2020 college football season and tested poorly at Miami’s pro day. Rousseau has a lone season of college football under his belt. As there is concern that comes with his limited experience, that lone season was one of the best seasons a defensive lineman has had for the University of Miami. With 15.5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, and 54 tackles Rousseau in similar company to names such as Warren Sapp, Calais Campbell, and Danny Stubbs. Standing 6-7 and 265-pounds Rousseau has the physical tools that defensive coordinators drool over and offensive coordinators dread. If you need some perspective just look at this picture that the Buffalo Bills posted on Twitter. 

While there were thirteen defensive players drafted before Rousseau, he plays one of the better positions if you are concerned about him winning rookie of the year. Rousseau is a defensive end by label however due to his size, ability, and experience moving across the line he could play both defensive end and defensive tackle. This opens up opportunities for Rousseau to get on the field for Buffalo. While he may not be a definitive three-down player yet considering he is widely known as a raw prospect with elite physical traits. Rousseau can still make a really solid impact. Just looking back on his lone college year where he produced 15.5 sacks Rousseau certainly has a knack for rushing the passer. To see what type of production is necessary for Rousseau to have a solid chance at rookie of the year here are the previous two winners who happen to be pass rushers. 

2020: Chase Young (WFT) 🡪 44 Tackles, 10 TFL,7.5 Sacks, 4 FF, 3 FR, 4 Passes Defended

2019: Nick Bosa (SF) 🡪 47 Tackles, 16 TFL, 9 Sacks, 1 FF, 2 FR, 1 Interception, 2 Passes Defended

If Rousseau were to win defensive rookie of the year, he would have to pull similar stat lines to both what Young and Bosa were able to do in their first seasons. While it is unlikely Rousseau may have a better chance than half the defensive players drafted ahead of him. While college and the National Football League are essentially two different sports if Rousseau’s pass-rushing ability translates, he can do it. Rousseau had his 15.5 sacks in only 13 games for Miami. For the Bills, Rousseau will have 17 games to accumulate sacks and other statistics. 

If you look at what Young did last season Rousseau will only have to have a sack in less than half the games, he plays in to be in contention. What helps Rousseau compared to the other pass rushers drafted is that he has the versatility to be a very good pass rusher both inside at defensive tackle and defensive end. With his size, Rousseau could end up as a mismatch for many opposing offensive lines allowing Bills Head Coach Sean McDermott and Defensive Coordinator Leslie Frazier to move Rousseau all around the defensive line. 

Another asset to a potential defensive rookie of the year campaign will be his length. Rousseau is extremely tall with long limbs. This will help him not only keep distance from offensive lineman but also make some tackles behind and around the line of scrimmage that smaller defensive ends may not be able to make. Rousseau has not shown much ability to be an elite run defender, but you can guarantee that defending the run will be one of the first things Rousseau works on when he arrives at training camp. 

If Rousseau can put together a 7-9 sack season with the solid run defense he may be in contention for the award. While it is unlikely to fully translate to the NFL, we saw a ridiculous sack artist in college if a majority of that skill translates Rousseau can easily end up with at least 6 sacks this season. Where Bosa and Young won the awards was their impact on the game outside of the sacks they had that season. That is almost the most important aspect for Rousseau in the DROY race. If Rousseau can be a positive asset against the run, it may be a pleasant surprise to many but considering his physical traits it certainly can happen. 

While Rousseau winning defensive rookie of the year would not be on many people’s radars, there is one thing that may help Rousseau which probably will not be talked about. The Buffalo Bills could face three rookie quarterbacks (Mac Jones, Trevor Lawrence, and Zach Wilson) in addition to Tua Tagovailoa who played limited snaps as a rookie last season. In addition to those young players, there are multiple teams on the Bills schedule with uncertain situations at quarterbacks such as the Houston Texans, Washington Football Team, New Orleans Saints, and Carolina Panthers. All this essentially means that Buffalo will be facing a high number of teams with either young or not very good quarterbacks. This often opens the door to sacks for defensive players because the lack of experience or talent can cause quarterbacks to hold onto the ball too long or take bad sacks. While this is all speculation and possibility instead of certain it could contribute to Rousseau having a couple of sacks on his resume that were not a direct result of a great pass rush. 

There is a lot of uncertainty surrounding the role Rousseau will play on the Bills defense in 2021. However, with last season’s sack leader for Buffalo only having 5.5 sacks Rousseau could be in for a lot of playing time this season. While he will not be one of the favorites going into the 2021 season Rousseau is a sleeper to win Defensive Rookie of the Year. 

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