By Nick Wojton / Billswire.usatoday.com
A coach of any team isn’t going to enter a year and predict a storm of problems heading the team’s way. But for the Bills, there’s reason for optimism after a spending spree in free agency the organization could not do in recent years and another year of growth for returning young players this offseason.
With that, Buffalo head coach Sean McDermott explained why he sees his team taking a next step in 2019, raising the bar just a little higher than it already was.
“I would expect that we will be a better team and a more sustainable, harder out this year than we were in the previous two years,” McDermott told the team’s website. “I felt like last year was tough at times, but necessary. Now everyone knows what we expect. Sustained success is about tangible growth.”
But the task in front of McDermott could be much tougher than the one behind him. While there’s a bunch of new faces, specifically on offense, that doesn’t guarantee success. McDermott will be in charge of getting all these new pieces on the offensive line and in playmaker roles on the same page. Easier said than done.
But while doing so, McDermott explained he’s going to keep the “big picture” in mind. While the Bills added plenty of pieces this offseason, McDermott’s hoping the team won’t need to add this many pieces again in the future. Building a strong chemistry between new and returning players before the upcoming season for the Bills is a good place to start in order for McDermott to achieve this goals.
“Like last year, we had a lot of changeover on the roster again this offseason. Maybe half the roster by the time the roster is pared down will be new. Even though I feel like we’re maturing and growing and the foundation is getting stronger all along, it’s still a big changeover.” McDermott said. “When you look at the teams over the years that have had success, like New England, the continuity factor is big.”
Earlier this offseason, Josh Allen showed that the Bills are aleady putting a big emphasis on the players growing together. The second-year QB has to build relationships with those around him, and he’s already making sure he does that, even as early as spring practices.
“This is a time where I think relationships are being made,” Allen said. “We got these relationships off the field that are bonding already and obviously as much as we want him on the field, it’s just not going to happen until probably training camp.”