Bills defensive coordinator Dave Wannstedt knows a thing or two about building a good defense. And that experience couldn’t come at a better time for Buffalo.
“It’s a little bit closer than what some of those numbers I think truly show, and we just got to do a job as coaches and players and get everybody on the same page and get this thing cranked up and get it going,” he told buffalobills.com Thursday. “It’s exciting. It really is.”
One of the "exciting" things fans can look forward next season is the transition Wannstedt is planning to a 4-3 defensive scheme. Wannstedt spoke of his familiarity with a 4-3 in his days from Chicago, Dallas and Miami and the holes he may have to fill in Buffalo's defense.
“From every place that I’ve coached, the 4-3 has been our foundation," he said. "We’ll continue doing that and we will mix ... I think you have to. Right now, it’s a matter of trying to get the personnel to fit ... Whenever you go from a three down look to a four down look the obvious are defensive linemen and everybody knows that. But we have a lot of needs.”
Wannstedt also mentioned potential changes to the linebacker corps and the secondary, saying “Everybody is being evaluated right now.” Although there may be some changes after free agency and the draft, Wannstedt was adamant that the rookie players from last year progress in 2012 and continue to be reliable.
“I’d like to think that not just from a rookie standpoint but with five rookies playing last year on defense we are counting on those guys making significant steps upward this year," he said. "The offseason is a time where we can make up a lot of ground.”
Buffalo’s first step toward change came this week, as ex-Raiders defensive back Stanford Routt visited the Bills’ facilities. Routt, who had 42 tackles and four interceptions with Oakland last season, said of Buffalo, “The sky is the limit because you can clearly see that there are the right pieces here in place.”
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