By Nick Wojton / Billswire.usatoday.com
The Buffalo Bills offense needs to step up much more than the team’s defense next season. Still the defensive side of the ball for the Bills hasn’t been picture perfect.
And even then, it’ll still want to remain as one of the league’s best. There could be still be a bit more to ask from a player or two on that side of the ball.
With that, here are three players on defense that need to step up for the Bills in 2020:
DE Jerry Hughes
Jerry Hughes has been a staple on the Bills for awhile now. He was drafted by the Colts, but is now the longest-tenured member of the Bills, post-Kyle Williams.
But the Bills should expect a better year from the pass rusher in 2020. Hughes is certainly an iron man, never missing a game in his Bills career. But he’s off a season of only 4.5 sacks. Shaq Lawson led the defensive end group with 6.5 last season. But there’s no reason Hughes shouldn’t step up next season. Following the year, he had multiple offseason surgeries, so for starters, he should be healthier.
Buffalo replaced Lawson, who departed via free agency, with Mario Addison. While older, Addison has had at least nine sacks the past four seasons in a row. With more talent across from him on the D-line, Hughes should notch well above four sacks next season. When another Mario, Mario Williams, was across from him, Hughes had back-to-back 10-sack seasons with the Bills. The Bills should expect Hughes to push that double-digit territory in 2020.
DT Ed Oliver
Following some recent offseason headlines, Ed Oliver is going to want to make them a thing of the past with a productive 2020 season. But even without those, Oliver should still push for a better season.
In 2020, Oliver was a rookie and there certainly seemed to be a learning curve. Toward the middle of the year, he finally started to flash the talents that made him a first-round pick. Oliver finished his first season with a forced fumble and five sacks. He’s essentially being tasked with replacing Jordan Phillips next season, though. Phillips led the Bills with 9.5 sacks a year ago. Buffalo didn’t keep Phillips directly because of Oliver. The team wanted their first rounder to get more playing time. It’s a plan that makes sense on paper, but Oliver has to show that the front office was right for making that decision.
Plus, in general, top-tier players should take a leap in stats from their rookie season to Year 2. Make it happen.
CB Josh Norman
The Bills added Josh Norman this offseason, but if he actually wants to make it look like a good deal, he’s going to have to step up. Buffalo signed him to a $6 million deal for one year. It’s not some long-term situation, but it’s still a lot for a cornerback who was benched by his last team, the Washington Redskins.
Sure, there’s reason to believe Norman will play better with the Bills. He was an All-Pro when Sean McDermott was his defensive coordinator with the Carolina Panthers, but that was in 2015. It’s been awhile and he’s now 32 years old. Does Norman still have anything left in the tank? Levi Wallace and EJ Gaines aren’t just going to let him take the No. 2 cornerback role, either. Not only does Norman have to step up in games, he’s going to have to in training camp just to get there.