Buffalo Bills defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard confirmed Thursday that all three of the team’s top linebackers will have meaningful roles in the defense rather than competing for a single starting position. The rotation includes Terrel Bernard, who is recovering from offseason ankle surgery, along with Dorian Williams and Kaleb Elarms-Orr. While Williams worked his way back from bilateral knee fractures and Elarms-Orr received early first-team opportunities, Leonhard emphasized that each player brings different skill sets to the defensive scheme.
The Bills have incorporated multiple defensive formations during training camp, including 3-4, nickel, dime, and five-man fronts as they implement Leonhard’s playbook. This flexible approach allows the team to utilize all three linebackers across different packages. Bernard praised Leonhard’s communication abilities and his background as a former NFL player, noting that his experience helps the coaching staff understand the challenges players face on the field.
In other roster news, safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson returned to practice just five days after suffering a lower calf strain, rejoining the first-team defense. Gardner-Johnson used the opportunity to address his recent departure from the Houston Texans, questioning whether one player should shoulder blame for the team’s poor start. Wide receiver Keon Coleman struggled with drops during drills, while the team signed linebacker Otis Reese IV and released linebacker Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles with an injury settlement.
Originally reported by Sports.yahoo →
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