A New Era In Buffalo: Bills Hire Jim Leonhard as Defensive Coordinator
Over the weekend, it was announced that Buffalo hired one of the hottest names in the DC market, Jim Leonhard. Leonhard spent the last two seasons with the Denver Broncos, starting as their Defensive Backs Coach and Pass Game Coordinator before being promoted to their Assistant Head Coach and Defensive Pass Game Coordinator in 2025. Prior to Denver, he was in the college ranks with a year in Illinois as a Senior Football Analyst following a seven-year run in Wisconsin. Leonhard started as a Defensive Backs Coach, moved into the Defensive Coordinator role (17-22), and finished the 2022 season as the interim Head Coach after Paul Chryst was fired.
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Rookie Head Coach with First Year Coordinator
Joe Brady, in his first year as a head coach, paired with a first-year defensive coordinator, isn't a major concern for me. This was the type of hire that I was hoping for in my reaction to the news of Brady’s promotion to Head Coach. This signals a change in defensive philosophy compared to what we have been used to for nearly a decade. There are three main reasons I feel confident this pairing will be successful.
Leonhard’s experience in the college ranks cannot be overlooked. Wisconsin’s defense ranked in the top 10 under his guidance (2017-2022) in ten categories, including being number one in total defense. There is roster turnover in college, just like in the pros, so this shows he can adapt his schemes and defense to changing personnel.
Secondly, Leonhard’s two seasons in the NFL were spent working with the Broncos’ defense. A defense that led the league in sacks back-to-back seasons, on top of finishing 3rd in points per game each year. He knows what success looks like and how it is achieved at the NFL level.
Lastly, I think it will benefit Joe Brady’s development. Brady has someone he can work with and collaborate with, rather than an experienced DC coming in looking for another Head Coach opportunity. That was my main concern with a candidate like Jim Schwartz. Very talented coordinator, but the personality and desire to be a head coach can be counterproductive. If all things go well, Leonhard is in Buffalo for one season, maybe two, before getting his own opportunity to be a Head Coach.
What This Means for the Current Roster
With the news of the Leonhard hiring, four players came to mind with the most to gain. Dorian Williams, Terrel Bernard, and Javon Solomon should all benefit from a shift to a 3-4 scheme given their skill sets. Bernard is an excellent blitzer and not a traditional MLB. Williams was blocked from playing more due to the previous schemes’ LB usage. Both should see production upticks.
Solomon gets a fresh start and the opportunity to play in a scheme closer to the one in which he led the country in sacks while attending Troy University as a Defensive End/Outside Linebacker. This change allows him to prove what led the Bills to draft him in the 5th round of the 2024 draft.
Cole Bishop gets a former Safety as a coordinator who overachieved as an undrafted free agent with 10 years in the NFL. I also think it should be a boost to Bishop’s confidence that Leonhard chose Buffalo over Baltimore and the Los Angeles Chargers, who both have All-Pro Safeties on their rosters. The key now will be finding a running mate for Bishop, whether that's in-house or a player they bring in this spring.
Roster Turnover
Leonhard coaches an aggressive hybrid 3-4/4-3 defensive scheme that emphasizes disguising coverages and using unconventional fronts to confuse opposing offenses. He is known for being able to adapt and not forcing players to work in his system, but rather molding the system to the players. This is encouraging to hear, but I still expect roster changes. Leonhard will bring in players familiar with his coaching and inject new blood into the organization, which is in need of a defensive overhaul.
Buffalo has 13 defensive players set to become free agents this offseason. It’s possible none of them are brought back under the new regime. I would like to see Shaq Thompson and Tre'Davious White return. I don’t know if they fit what Leonhard is looking for, and they do not have a connection with the coaching staff as they did with the previous regime. Both showed they can play at a high level in 2025.
Taron Johnson and Taylor Rapp are under-contract players who may have played their last snaps for the Bills. Johnson’s contract brings a $9 million dead cap charge and only about a million in cap relief, but his play has diminished, and it’s unknown if he would be valuable in the new scheme, as he was under McDermott.
Rapp is a lock to be released, in my opinion. He has been injury-prone, and a release saves the team $2 million in cap space with a pretty minimal dead cap charge. Cole Bishop’s play reached a new level playing next to Jordan Poyer after Rapp’s season ended. That has to be considered when looking at the safety position for 2026 and beyond.
Connections and Potential Additions
Between Leonhard’s time coaching in college and his two years with the Broncos organization, there is some crossover with players that would make sense in Buffalo. Below are four that I would love to see join the Bills.
Nick Herbig - Herbig played three seasons at Wisconsin (20-22) and led the Big10 in sacks and tackles for a loss his Junior year before entering the NFL Draft, where the Pittsburgh Steelers selected him in the 4th Round. He is entering the final year of his rookie contract this season and is rumored to be unhappy with the drop in playing time last season. Unfortunately for Herbig, T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith are on the roster and have already been paid. It’s possible that the Steelers are not interested in moving Herbig and would be more interested in moving off of Highsmith or Watt, but it’s hard to imagine all three being on the roster in 2026. With a new regime taking over in Pittsburgh, it’s worth checking in on what the price would be for Herbig.
John Franklin-Myers - Franklin-Myers is hitting free agency after posting back-to-back seasons with 7+ sacks since arriving in Denver via trade from the Jets. Spotrac lists his market value just below $8 million AAV, and the Bills have a need on their defensive line for someone of his caliber.
Justin Strnad - Strnad is a free agent after spending the last six seasons in Denver. He was primarily a backup but saw a good amount of playing time due to the injuries Denver had at linebacker throughout the season. He’s coming off the two best seasons of his career as he hits free agency. Alex Singleton and Leo Chenal have been generating buzz as FA LBs that could be brought to Buffalo, who are familiar with Leonhard’s defense from his time in Denver and coaching Chenal at Wisconsin. Strnad would be a cheaper option than both and is a few years younger than Singleton.
Devon Key - Key has been a reserve safety for the Broncos the past 3 seasons, with two starts on defense. He has logged over 650 snaps on Special Teams over the same timeframe. Buffalo has 4 safeties set to hit free agency, and Rapp is returning from injury and is unlikely to be on the roster when the new league year starts. Signing Key brings in a player with a low cost, high-reward ceiling for a defense in need of new energy and low price tags.
