Bills roster shakeup offers hint at what defense will look like under Jim Leonhard as new direction becomes clearer
The Buffalo Bills are making a change to the roster to accommodate defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard’s new scheme. As was expected, Greg Rousseau is switching from defensive end to outside linebacker as general manager Brandon Beane shared with The Athletic.
The Buffalo Bills have a lot of change coming in 2026. They have a first-year head coach in Joe Brady, a brand new stadium, both new coordinators, and maybe even a new alternate jersey to boot. It’s an exciting time to be a member of the Bills Mafia.
By now, everyone knows about one major change coming to the organization, and it has to do with the defense. New defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard is going to operate out of a 3-4 alignment as opposed to how former head coach Sean McDermott ran a 4-3 base with an emphasis on nickel defense.
Brandon Beane confirmed that at least one Buffalo Bills player will switch positions. The general manager shared that Greg Rousseau is switching from a defensive end to an outside linebacker in an interview with The Athletic.
The move was expected with the scheme change, but now Rousseau will be relied upon to drop back in coverage more, something that he hasn’t done a whole lot in his career. He will still maintain his role as a primary EDGE rusher, despite the change.
Greg Rousseau will be an outside linebacker in Jim Leonhard’s new system
Just for reference, the 4-3 base that the Bills used to run had four defensive linemen and three linebackers. The emphasis on nickel was two linebackers with a fifth defensive back replacing a linebacker.
Now, the Bills are operating out of a 3-4 alignment, which is three defensive linemen and four linebackers, with two being inside and two on the outside, with the outside backers having both rush and coverage abilities.
“It’s going to be a change for them, but we’re excited as a coaching staff to really be able to create something that is best for their skill sets and fits their personalities,” Leonhard told The Athletic.
With the adjustment to include some coverage, we dove into Pro Football Focus’s grades for Rousseau during the 2025 season. In coverage, he allowed two receptions on three targets for 25 yards, earning a 39.7 coverage grade from PFF.
Throughout his career, he’s averaged a 63.8 grade, with his best coverage season coming in 2023, where he earned a 75.7 grade.
That’s exactly where the intrigue and the gamble come into play.
Rousseau doesn’t need to turn into a coverage linebacker overnight for this move to work. He just needs to be good enough to keep offenses honest while continuing to do what he does best: get after the quarterback.
If Leonhard can strike that balance, the Bills could unlock an even more versatile and unpredictable defense.
And if Rousseau takes even a modest step forward in coverage? This “position change” won’t look like a risk at all; it’ll look like the move that helped take Buffalo’s defense to another level in 2026.
