Bills shockingly lose a defensive coordinator
Suddenly, the Buffalo Bills are on the search for a defensive coordinator. The team announced that incumbent DC and assistant coach Leslie Frazier will be taking a year off.
The team, in one fell swoop, announced Al Holcomb will join the team as a senior defensive assistant. That still leaves a gap where Frazier used to sit.
Keep in mind, Sean McDermott, Buffalo’s head coach, was a defensive coordinator with the Carolina Panthers before being hired to the Bills’ head coaching role. Worst comes to worst, he could take on a leadership role with Holcomb taking on most of the day-to-day and implementation of the broader strategy. Assuming things go well, Holcomb could be a logical choice for promotion in 2024 if there is still a hole.
And 2024 is where things get interesting. While the Bills’ report says Frazier intends to return to coaching in 2024, some are skeptical that means he’ll be returning to Buffalo, including The Athletic’s Joe Buscaglia:
“He plans to return to coaching in 2024” is different than “returning to the Bills in 2024.”
— Joe Buscaglia (@JoeBuscaglia) February 28, 2023
Beane and McDermott are both talking today here in Indianapolis, so potentially some clarity there on Frazier’s future in Buffalo. https://t.co/pu4DBMtjku
The wording in the report is open-ended and vague, indeed.
For now, though, the Bills need a DC. And this news coming so late in the offseason leaves them with fewer options to backfill the role.