Buffalo Rumblings
Nielsen spent the 2024 NFL season as defensive coordinator with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The Buffalo Bills are adding talent to the team’s defensive coaching ranks, with recent news shared by Bruce Feldman that Ryan Nielsen is set to join One Bills Drive in the role of senior defensive assistant. Per Feldman, Nielsen has been a hot name with plenty of interest from multiple teams during the most recent NFL coaching hiring cycle.
Nielsen most recently worked with the Jacksonville Jaguars as the team’s defensive coordinator. He held that same role with the Atlanta Falcons prior to his move to Duval. Nielsen’s NFL experience runs deeper than that, with him having also spent six seasons with the New Orleans Saints as a defensive line coach and co-defensive coordinator.
There has been no official announcement from the Bills to this point, even with Feldman having reported the move on February 6. Time will tell what this means for Buffalo’s defense, most acutely the defensive line — a unit that once again underwhelmed far too often during the 2024 NFL season.
Despite several “wow” moments from individual players such as defensive ends Greg Rousseau and A.J. Epenesa, as well defensive tackle Ed Oliver, very rarely did it seem evident that Buffalo has a game-wrecker among its starting front four. Some might say that a lack of production up front defensively may have cost the Bills a shot at Super Bowl LIX — and it stings a bit more the day after watching the Philadelphia Eagles overwhelm the Kansas City Chiefs’ offensive line.
As a senior defensive assistant, Nielsen’s role will be to provide input to those coaches above him on what he observes from a 30,000-foot view in terms of game planning. At that point, those coaches can do as they wish with the information and intel.
Short of an official announcement that cements the hire, this should be viewed as a positive for head coach Sean McDermott and the defense. Landing a highly regarded defensive coach who will provide key knowledge based on a solid resume should only help the Bills’ defense improve.
Again, though we have not received official word on the hire, where does this news register with you?
