Familiar Faces
- General Manager Brandon Beane: Mr. Beane began as an intern with the Carolina Panthers in 1998. In 2008, he was promoted to Director of Football Operations after holding various roles within the organization in previous years. He held that role for six years before transitioning to Assistant General Manager from 2015 to 2016. That experience led to a job opportunity as the General Manger of the Buffalo Bills.
- Head Coach Sean McDermott: With most organizations, the General Manager selects the Head Coach. To no surprise, Mr. Beane selected another familiar face in Sean McDermott to be the new Head Coach of the Buffalo Bills. He was the Defensive Coordinator for the Panthers from 2011 to 2016. After boasting a top 10 defense for several years during his tenure with the team, it was a no brainer that he ended up at the top of Mr. Beane’s list.
A Glance at the Roster
Because of the front office and staff connections with the Panthers, fans will notice some familiar faces when we kick off on Friday night. The Bills have signed several former Panthers, but some players currently with Bills are Star Lotulelei, Kurt Coleman, Dean Marlowe and Captain Munnerlyn. It should also be noted that the Bills scout similarly to the Panthers. They have drafted several players that the Panthers either met with or showed heavy interest in. Some players that The 4 Man Rush had on its most recent draft board were former Oklahoma Offensive Tackle Cody Ford, former Houston Defensive Tackle Ed Oliver and former Buffalo University Quarterback Tyree Jackson.
What to Expect
In only his second season, Bills quarterback Josh Allen already has a reputation for having one of the biggest arms in all of football. With his top targets Zay Jones, Andre Roberts, and Cole Beasley having sub 4.4 40 speed, we should expect Allen to take some shots downfield. Curtis Samuel has made a lot of explosive plays in camp thus far, so it will be interesting see how capable the Panthers secondary is at keeping plays in front of them. The Panthers offensive line had a very underwhelming performance last week. Buffalo presents a very formidable front seven with a rare combination of size and speed at both levels. Star Lotulelei, Shaq Lawson, Jerry Hughes, and Oliver head the defensive line. The linebacker unit is headed by Tremaine Edmunds, former first round pick, who has elite speed and football instincts. This is a good test to see if the offensive line can open some running lanes and neutralize a pretty good pass rush.
Key Matchups:
- Curtis Samuel and DJ Moore vs Tre’Davious White
- Panthers interior offensive line vs Ed Oliver and Star Lotulelei
- Daryl Williams, Taylor Moton and Greg Little vs Jerry Hughes and Shaq Lawson