Greg Gaines might be considerably more important to the Buffalo Bills defense than we originally thought. And it starts with Deone Walker. Gaines showed exactly what an experienced nose tackle can provide against Cleveland: stack blockers, control his space, reset the line of scrimmage and handle the dirty work inside. That could give Jim Leonhard significantly more freedom with Walker. Instead of asking a player with Walker's size and athleticism to constantly live at nose tackle and absorb double teams, Buffalo can move him around the defensive front, attack favorable matchups and potentially create more one-on-one opportunities for Walker and Ed Oliver. But there's another side to the Gaines addition. What does it mean for Dwayne Carter? Carter made plays against Cleveland, including a tackle for loss and getting his hands on a pass. But he was also playing deep into the fourth quarter — something worth monitoring this late in the preseason. Buffalo's defensive line is getting crowded. If Gaines proves he can reliably handle those interior snaps, Carter could suddenly find himself fighting for his place on the 53-man roster. Greg Gaines might simultaneously make Deone Walker more dangerous and create one of Buffalo's most surprising roster decisions. #BuffaloBills #BillsMafia #GregGaines #DeoneWalker #DwayneCarter #JimLeonhard #NFL
Greg Gaines might be considerably more important to the Buffalo Bills defense than we originally thought. And it starts with Deone Walker. Gaines showed exactly what an experienced nose tackle can provide against Cleveland: stack blockers, control his space, reset the line of scrimmage and handle the dirty work inside. That could give Jim Leonhard significantly more freedom with Walker. Instead of asking a player with Walker's size and athleticism to constantly live at nose tackle and absorb double teams, Buffalo can move him around the defensive front, attack favorable matchups and potentially create more one-on-one opportunities for Walker and Ed Oliver. But there's another side to the Gaines addition. What does it mean for Dwayne Carter? Carter made plays against Cleveland, including a tackle for loss and getting his hands on a pass. But he was also playing deep into the fourth quarter — something worth monitoring this late in the preseason. Buffalo's defensive line is getting crowded. If Gaines proves he can reliably handle those interior snaps, Carter could suddenly find himself fighting for his place on the 53-man roster. Greg Gaines might simultaneously make Deone Walker more dangerous and create one of Buffalo's most surprising roster decisions. #BuffaloBills #BillsMafia #GregGaines #DeoneWalker #DwayneCarter #JimLeonhard #NFL