Tag: boogie basham

AJ Epenesa on Greg Rousseau, Boogie Basham: ‘We’re like The Three Musketeers’

#Bills DE AJ Epenesa on Greg Rousseau, Boogie Basham: ‘We’re like The Three Musketeers’

Over the past few weeks of spring practices, the Buffalo Bills have turned the heat up on their young trio of pass rushers playing alongside All-Pro Von Miller. Those three being AJ Epenesa, Greg Rousseau and Boogie Basham.

Head coach Sean McDermott said it’s a “big offseason” ahead for the group.

Defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier added the gang needs to play with “consistency” in 2022.

Through all of that, the trio is doing nothing but sticking together.

At Bills minicamp, Epenesa spoke on how him, Rousseau and Basham are all progressing this spring. They recently all attended Miller’s annual “pass rush summit” and said it was a great learning experience.

But regardless of the pressure being on, it’s not going to be a one vs. one vs. one scenario.

Epenesa said it’s all about being teammates throughout.

“We’re like ‘The Three Musketeers.’ All three of us we’re like best friends. We hang out all the time and you’ll see us at practice, we’re bouncing ideas off each other,” Epenesa said via video conference.

The hope for the Bills will be at least one of the three standing out during training camp. Last season Rousseau saw more snaps than Epenesa and Basham, but there’s no reason to count those two out just because of that.

Buffalo’s coaching staff has always touted that whoever earns playing time, gets it. This time around won’t be any different.

Working for it is not a problem, says Epenesa.

“We’ve got to believe in ourselves and we’ve got the confidence in ourselves,” he said. “All three of us are putting in a lot of work. We’re excited to put pads on [at training camp] and show people what we can do.”

The Bills concluded minicamp this week which means the team will now break for about six weeks. The next time Buffalo sees that Bills, it’ll be training camp time.

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Bills’ Boogie Basham plans to ‘bring it every week’ in 2022

#Bills’ Boogie Basham plans to ‘bring it every week’ in 2022:

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All eyes are on Von Miller coming off the edge–But the Buffalo Bills are going to be truly leaning on others in their pass rush next season.

We know what to expect from the All-Pro and future Hall of Famer that Miller is. The questions sit the younger players around him.

Greg Rousseau is at the top of the bunch, but Boogie Basham is amongst that faction as well. A second-round pick in 2021 after Buffalo took Rousseau with their first selection, Basham underwhelmed as a rookie.

Buffalo head coach Sean McDermott already set expectations for Rousseau, Basham and AJ Epenesa high earlier this spring. The coach said this is a “big offseason” for them.

It sounds like Basham agrees after the way his first season went. Basham was inactive for nine games and that didn’t sit well with him.

The Bills have a talented roster, but a second-round pick should find the field more than that.

In an effort to change the narrative, Basham said at spring practice in Buffalo recently that he plans to “bring it every day” in 2022. He added he should have already done that a year ago.

Check out Basham’s full thoughts via Spectrum News below:

Leslie Frazier details how Bills’ usage of Von Miller could look

Leslie Frazier details how #Bills’ usage of Von Miller could look:

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When you sign a player like Von Miller, you don’t do so without some big plans in mind.

The Buffalo Bills have them.

Miller inked a multi-year contract despite being 33. Time will tell if he sees the end of that, but the team clearly thinks he can still make an impact. Buffalo defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier was the latest to express that.

“Really excited about Von being here,” Frazier said via video conference from OTAs. “He shows he still has flashes to be a primer pass rusher.”

“We think there’s still a lot left in the tank,” Frazier added.

So now what do the Bills do with what is left? Without exactly showing their entire playbook, Frazier gave some interesting insight.

First, he reaffirmed that Miller will be kept fresh for the fourth quarter.

Since Buffalo head coach Sean McDermott took over in 2017, the team has run a rotation along the defensive line. Frazier said that concept will keep Miller ready to go when the fourth quarter comes around.

Then the intriguing one: the No. 40 won’t be very stagnant on the field.

Miller is going to be moving around the formation based on game plan, he won’t just be rushing from one side of the defense every down.

“There will definitely be situations where we want him to line up in a specific spot,” Frazier said.

That could also have a trickle-down effect.

Last week, McDermott said this is a “big offseason” for the three young pass rushers running with Miller: Greg Rousseau, Boogie Basham and AJ Epenesa.

“They’re in a position where they have to, we need them to really, really grow and develop and make a mark on our defense, and not just in a supporting role, but in a primary role,” McDermott said.

Frazier added to that, saying more “consistency” is needed from the young trio, but Miller is there to help.

From the sounds of it, Miller’s ability to move around the defensive scheme is going to benefit Rousseau, Basham and Epenesa by putting them in positions to succeed. Perhaps even in a plug-and-play style.

“We have some things in mind for those guys,” Frazier said.

Where could those spots be? Frazier said Rousseau will mostly play on the left side again, but mentioned he can move around the defensive line, too.

Aside from that, we’ll have to wait and see what the film tells us once the regular season rolls around.

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Trio of young Bills teammates attended Von Miller’s Pass Rush Summit

Trio of young #Bills teammates attended Von Miller’s Pass Rush Summit:

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The Buffalo Bills clearly have an “in” for the event, but three important young players on the team made sure to take advantage of it.

Since 2017, Von Miller has held an annual “Pass Rush Summit.” Miller came up with the idea.

He gathers up some of the top pass-rushing talents from across the NFL and they all get together, workout, and watch film for a few days. It’s a chance to share tricks of the trade in an effort for everyone to get better.

The 2022 edition went down this past weekend and three of those in attendance are new teammates of Miller with the Bills: Greg Rousseau, AJ Epenesa and Boogie Basham. All were there according to the Buffalo News.

Showing up is a great opportunity for the trio to learn and not just from Miller. Others from across the league to join in included DeMarcus Ware, Justin Houston, Chandler Jones and Maxx Crosby.

That’s a lot of sacks to learn from.

Miller is slated to start at one defensive end spot for Buffalo next season. Rousseau has the inside edge to locking up the other during training camp, however, that job will be given to the player who earns it.

This upcoming offseason is an important one for Rousseau, Epenesa and Basham–and it appears they’re all getting off to a positive start by attending the summit.

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Winners, losers from the Bills’ offseason so far

Winners, losers from the #Bills’ offseason so far:

The inital wave of free agency from the 2022 NFL offseason is over. The Buffalo Bills were players in that pool.

Looking ahead, the Bills will be at the upcoming NFL draft as well. Buffalo holds seven totals picks there and some of them will change how we look at the team’s roster.

But for now, here are winners and losers from the Bills’ locker room so far this offseason:

Buffalo Bills earn C grade for 2021 NFL draft class

#Bills earn C grade for 2021 NFL draft class:

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The Buffalo Bills did not earn much praise for their 2021 NFL draft class via NFL.com.

Grading each draft class from last offseason, the Bills slotted in at No. 25 overall. That translated to a letter grade of C.

Here’s part of the outlet’s breakdown:

Following a disappointing season from the Buffalo defense in 2020, Brandon Beane and Sean McDermott clearly went into the 2021 draft seeking more edge juice, ultimately spending their first two picks on a pair of defensive ends. Rousseau created quite a buzz in August, titillating Bills beat writers throughout training camp and then recording a sack in each of his first two preseason games. In his second regular-season game, he notched two QB takedowns. And after he sacked and picked Patrick Mahomes in a Sunday night blowout of the Chiefs at Arrowhead, the hype train hit full throttle. During a media session the day after that Week 5 win in Kansas City, McDermott got one too many fawning questions about the Rousseau.

Call that man McDermostradamus! Rousseau didn’t record another sack until Week 17, smashing into the rookie wall after opting out of his final college season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Nevertheless, he started all 19 games, including the playoffs. Basham was another matter, as a healthy scratch for half the regular season and a rotational player when active. On the plus side, he maximized limited snaps in Week 18 and the two playoff games, providing seven pressures and two sacks in a nice season-ending surge. With Jerry Hughes and Mario Addison past their prime and set to hit free agency, the Bills need Rousseau, Basham and 2020 second-rounder A.J. Epenesa to make the leap in 2022.

Now, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the one impact player taken after Buffalo’s early edge binge. Brown started 12 games, including both playoff contests. The 6-8, 311-pounder out of Northern Iowa looks like a keeper as a road-grading right tackle.

Rousseau, Brown and Basham were the three pieces from Buffalo’s 2021 rookie class that made an impact in Year 1. Many others did not, but even in that, there were some promising signs.

Cornerback Rachad Wildgoose (Jets) and offensive lineman Jack Anderson (Eagles) both were signed by other teams off of the Bills’ practice squad. That could be taken as a positive for Buffalo’s scouting department.

Later in the year a few others, such as returner Marquez Stevenson and offensive lineman Tommy Doyle, did find their ways into the lineup. The final piece not mentioned was safety Damar Hamlin, who did see time in 14 games played and 35 percent of Buffalo’s special teams snaps throughout the year.

While no rookie players really flashed for the Bills this past season, there are some clear reasons for optimism going forward. Their careers are not signed and sealed as “C” quality just yet–not even close.

In a bit of an added bummer, Buffalo’s rookie class was graded worst among AFC East teams. The divisional rivals of the Bills slotted in at:

  • 21. New York Jets
  • 6. New England Patriots
  • 3. Miami Dolphins

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Here’s where PFF ranked the Bills’ 2021 rookie class

Here’s where PFF ranked the #Bills’ 2021 rookie class:

The football analytics outlet Pro Football Focus was not very high on the Buffalo Bills’ 2021 NFL draft class.

PFF reviewed the seasons the first-year Bills players put together on the field for the team. Combining their findings head-to-head against the rest of the league, the outcome was not great.

Buffalo’s rookie class finished at the No. 27 overall spot.

Here’s PFF’s breakdown:

Why they’re ranked here: The Bills draft class’ biggest contributions came from their top three picks, as Greg Rousseau and Boogie Basham were each part of a strong defensive line rotation while Spencer Brown played 726 snaps on the offensive line. Rousseau recorded 30 pressures and 38 defensive stops, but injuries limited Basham to just 200 snaps in total. Brown played over 600 snaps at right tackle, and although he allowed just one sack, he gave up 30 pressures and accrued a 51 PFF pass-blocking grade.

How their top pick fared: Rousseau flashed the kind of athleticism and size that makes him a problem for offenses to deal with, as he was a useful part of Buffalo’s defensive front. He was particularly impactful in the run game, but his pass rush was more inconsistent. He posted an eight-pressure game but also has five games in which he failed to record any pressure at all.

The Bills have had better first-year impacts under their current front office led by head coach Sean McDermott and general manager Brandon Beane than they got in 2021. Tre’Davious White’s first season seems like only yesterday.

While Rousseau did flash, he certainly hit a “rookie wall.” Down the stretch, Rousseau did improve a bit. He had a sack, tackle for loss, eight total tackles and a pass defended in his final two games. Once the postseason hit, he went quiet again, but the hope will be that he takes his experiences into Year 2 and improves.

That same concept applies to Basham. At his end of season press conference, Beane noted that he challenged Basham heading into the offseason. Basham should see every opportunity to take hold of a bigger role next season, but he’ll have to earn it. The team could be banking on him doing so.

But it wasn’t all bad for the Bills. PFF did name one rookie they liked. It was Brown:

Best value pick: Brown became a starter on the Bills offensive line, spending most of his time at right tackle but even filling in at left tackle when needed. He recorded two elite run-blocking performances, which was his stronger area of play, and was rarely a liability in pass protection.

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Bills 2021 rookie class does not fare well in ESPN ranking

#Bills 2021 rookie class does not fare well in ESPN ranking:

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ESPN did not look fondly upon the Buffalo Bills’ 2021 NFL draft rookie class.

The former world-wide leader ranked the first-year pros from every team in the NFL, head-to-head. The Bills ended up at the No. 27 overall spot. Only five other teams had a worse ranking than Buffalo.

Here’s the breakdown on the Bills’ rookie class:

27. Buffalo Bills
Why they’re ranked here: The Bills draft class’ biggest contributions came from their top three picks, as Greg Rousseau and Boogie Basham were each part of a strong defensive line rotation while Spencer Brown played 726 snaps on the offensive line. Rousseau recorded 30 pressures and 38 defensive stops, but injuries limited Basham to just 200 snaps in total. Brown played over 600 snaps at right tackle, and although he allowed just one sack, he gave up 30 pressures and accrued a 51 PFF pass-blocking grade.

How their top pick fared: Rousseau flashed the kind of athleticism and size that makes him a problem for offenses to deal with, as he was a useful part of Buffalo’s defensive front. He was particularly impactful in the run game, but his pass rush was more inconsistent. He posted an eight-pressure game but also has five games in which he failed to record any pressure at all.

Best value pick: Brown became a starter on the Bills offensive line, spending most of his time at right tackle but even filling in at left tackle when needed. He recorded two elite run-blocking performances, which was his stronger area of play, and was rarely a liability in pass protection.

Overall, Buffalo had a class consisting of seven total players. Those not mentioned above include offensive lineman Tommy Doyle (Round 5), returner Marquez Stevenson (Round 6), safety Damar Hamlin (Round 6), and cornerback Rachad Wildgoose (Round 6).

Of that secondary group, only Stevenson and Doyle made some meaningful impact down the stretch run of the Bills’ 2021 season. Hamlin was a special teamer himself while Wildgoose left Buffalo when the New York Jets signed him from the team’s practice squad.

What really doesn’t help the full group in such a ranking is their positions on the defensive line for Rousseau and Basham. As referenced, the Bills run a big rotation along the defensive line, so even when they did get in the lineup, snaps were limited as opposed to someone like Brown– and rookies on other teams that they are being compared to.

But with all these players being only one year into their careers, there’s still plenty of time for them to turn into impact makers. Even along the defensive line as veterans could potentially be moving on from the Bills as early as this upcoming offseason.

With Buffalo’s No. 27 spot, in a bummer, they aso rank as the lowest team in the AFC East in this poll. One actually fares very well.

Here’s a quick rundown of how the rest of the division ranked in ESPN’s poll:

1. New England Patriots

7. Miami Dolphins

20. New York Jets

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Bills reflect on 9 sacks vs. Jets: ‘Everybody eats’

#Bills reflect on 9 sacks vs. #Jets: ‘Everybody eats’

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Rookie QB and second overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft Zach Wilson faced a Buffalo defense on Sunday that he’ll deal with twice a season every year as a Jet.
It was a trial-by-fire, and Wilson got cooked.
The Bills had nine sacks for a total of 82 yards lost, and they held the Jets to a franchise-record low for net passing yards in a game (5). They also allowed only four fourth downs which were the fewest in franchise history.

The nine sacks against the Jets were Buffalo’s most in a game under Sean McDermott, and their most in a game since 2011 (10 against WFT Oct. 30, 2011). They now have 19 sacks in their last four games.

The first sack of the day came on Jets WR Jamison Crowder in a failed trick play while the other eight came on Wilson. It was the most he’s been wrapped up in a game this season.

Bills sack leader DE Mario Addison (7) and S Jordan Poyer had two sacks apiece. Poyer’s two takedowns were good for a single-game career-high, and his sack season total (3) is also a career-high.

DT Ed Oliver had a sack and a half in the game along with three quarterback hits, and LB Matt Milano, DE Boogie Basham, and DE A.J. Epenesa each had a sack as well while DE Jerry Hughes also added a half-sack

“Everybody eats,” Oliver said to the press after the game. “Everybody was just on it. It just seemed like everybody was flying around. He wanted to run around and just our overlap and everybody just rushing. So that was a good sight to see especially in the game like this with so much on the line.”

“We won a lot on first down,” fellow DT Harrison Phillips said during his media session. “Our coverage did some great things to make him hold the ball and then our offense scoring early being up kind of the whole game lets us get after the quarterback.”

Buffalo finished the regular season with the top-scoring defense for the first time in franchise history and as the number one total defense in the NFL.

“I just think overall they’re playing faster,” HC Sean McDermott said while addressing the media. “We had some young players mixed in there and then you’ve got some older guys with Jerry and Mario and that blend has come together at the right time.”

And McDermott wasn’t the only head coach in the game to compliment the defense’s level of play.

Jets HC Robert Saleh called the Bills defense a “buzzsaw” after the contest.

“Obviously they are one of the best defenses in football,” Saleh said during his postgame press conference. “We just could not run the ball very well. Obviously, it was tough sledding. And any time we got something going, their front was dominant.”

The Bills clinched the AFC East with the win and are now the No. 3 seed on the back of their four-game winning streak. They’ll host the Patriots for a third matchup this season on Saturday evening for the first-round Wild Card game.

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