A Pro Football Hall of Fame cornerback could be joining the Buffalo Bills staff.
Buffalo has a new defensive system, with Jim Leonhard being the team’s new defensive coordinator. Leonhard worked under Sean Payton with the Denver Broncos and also coached the Wisconsin Badgers.
Along with a solid coaching pedigree, Leonhard spent 10 years in the NFL as a safety and played alongside Darrell Revis. Revis is considered one of the greatest cornerbacks of all time, and at the Hall of Fame ceremony, he hinted at coaching and mentioned wanting to work with Jim again.
“I’m not joking at all,” Revis said to The Athletic about joining the Bills staff by phone from Canton, Ohio. “I’ve always loved the game, and I’ve always loved playing with Jim.”
Revis wasn’t surprised to see Leonhard have success as a coach and campaigns to work with him and help the Bills’ secondary.
“I think Jim will be a future head coach,” Revis said. “Tell him if he needs a secondary coach to give me a call. Maybe this is my interview where I tell Jim that if he ever needs help, to keep me at the top of the list.”
If Revis is serious, he’s someone the Bills should look to hire. Revis is one of the greatest cornerbacks ever and would be helpful for young cornerbacks like Christian Benford, Maxwell Hairston, and Davison Igbinosun.
“I understand the coaching life and how guys have to relocate and move certain places,” Revis said. “But the kids are out of the house. I have time and opportunity to do other things. … I wouldn’t mind. They have a new stadium, and it’s football, man. Wherever I need to be, I’ll go.”
Revis Praises Leonhard
Although Leonhard was undrafted and never was a Pro Bowler, the safety impressed his peers.
Revis had plenty of compliments for Leonhard and how he was as a player and what he did for a defense.
“You have a guy like Ray Lewis at linebacker, and the way that he demands the same type of approach to the game from everybody,” Revis said. “That’s what Jim did for us. When you replay your career and remember those flashbacks in the huddle and just going to war with your teammates, you always knew Jim had your back.”
Revis believes Leonhard will be a future head coach and has high praise for his ex-teammate’s football IQ.
“I really loved playing with him,” Revis said. “His intellect, his football IQ, the way he communicated, he was just very tuned in and detailed.”
If Revis is right, Leonhard is a home run hire to run the Bills’ defense and could bring the Hall of Famer in on his staff.
Leonhard Wanted to Change Bills Defense
After the Bills hired Leonhard as defensive coordinator, he switched the defense to a 3-4.
Along with that, Leonhard said he needs the Bills’ defense to be aggressive and force turnovers.
“We’re going to be an attacking defense up front and in the back end. We’re going to attack the football. The biggest stat in football is turnovers. So we’re going to be aggressive. We’re going to fly around, we’re going to communicate, we’re going to play well together. But we’re going to cause issues for offense, and we’re going to force them to react to us,” Leonhard said. …
“We’re going to be aggressive, we’re not going to be reckless. There’s a right and a wrong way in my opinion on how to attack quarterbacks in the NFL and it changes a little bit week to week based on their skill set.”
Fans will get their first look at Leonhard’s defense on Saturday in Buffalo’s first preseason game.
Hall of Fame Cornerback Campaigns to Help Coach Bills Defense