Bills make major decision around coaching staff ahead of training camp
The Buffalo Bills' plan to replace defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier has been relatively blurry since news broke in February about him walking away from football for a year. To this day, the Bills haven't announced a new defensive coordinator. However, they have revealed that head coach Sean McDermott will be tackling the duties of the […]
The Buffalo Bills' plan to replace defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier has been relatively blurry since news broke in February about him walking away from football for a year.
To this day, the Bills haven't announced a new defensive coordinator. However, they have revealed that head coach Sean McDermott will be tackling the duties of the defensive coordinator job on top of his head coaching responsibilities. McDermott will call the defensive plays in 2023.
However, one role left vacated by Frazier that McDermott can't fill is "assistant head coach." Only someone like Dwight Schrute would be able to pull that off. The Bills announced on Wednesday that defensive line coach Eric Washington is being promoted to assistant head coach.
Washington, who joined the Bills in 2020 as DL coach, was promoted to senior defensive assistant last year. Now, he takes on a bigger role as he takes the title Frazier held before his departure.
What that title entails remains to be seen. But at the very least, it seems to impose a new pecking order within the Bills' defensive coaching staff. After all, only one defensive assistant will hold such a title. And McDermott chose Washington.
One could also argue it means a return to Buffalo in 2024 looks a lot less likely than it did before Wednesday.
With the added responsibility, Washington will be under the microscope of Bills Mafia and the media. The team's defensive line has been underwhelming over the past couple of years even though significant resources have been allocated to the position group, including the blockbuster signing of Von Miller a year ago.
Not getting to Joe Burrow, who sat behind an extremely banged-up offensive line, in the Divisional Round back in January isn't the type of game that would scream a promotion was coming. But Washington will get a chance to prove the doubters wrong when the season starts.
Bills Mafia divided over Eric Washington promotion
The Buffalo Bills promoted Eric Washington. Within moments, the Bills Mafia came forward with their thoughts on the decision. It wasn’t pretty.
Featured image via Gregory Fisher-USA TODAY Sports
