The Buffalo Bills are interested in getting better. It's why they fired head coach Rex Ryan and gutted a portion of the roster this season. Part of that gutting included cornerback Stephon Gilmore, whom the Patriots signed to a deal. Because Gilmore left Buffalo, the Bills are without a true number one corner, leaving the team very thin at the position. However, there has been one player who has slowly began to emerge as a talented player: Leonard Johnson.
Leonard Johnson's History in the NFL.
At 27 years old, Johnson has already played for several teams in the National Football League.
So far, he's been a Tampa Bay Buccaneer for 3 seasons, a New England Patriot for one, and a Carolina Panther in another. He didn't play much or start for those teams, but Sean McDermott has raved about his performance in press conferences.
According to Sean McDermott, Leonard's "toughness gives the Bills an edge on defense," something that the team certainly needs after some lackluster performances during the Rex Ryan era. That has allowed Johnson the inside track on potentially starting at cornerback for the Bills in the 2017 season.
Evidence.
In spring practices, Johnson earned the right to start in the slot over fellow cornerback Kevon Seymour at a very early point. Because he is already familiar with the Sean McDermott system, Johnson already has a big advantage over other Bills players on the roster.
And there are other benefits to that too, as Johnson can help other defenders on the Bills learn the system that McDermott is trying to implement in Buffalo.
Training camp hasn't started yet, so there is no guarantee that Johnson will be the starter for the 2017 season. When pads come on, things can certainly change and Leonard could easily be surpassed by another corner on the Bills roster.
For now, it appears that Leonard Johnson certainly has the inside track on the starting job for the Bills.
Help from Everywhere.
If the Bills are going to succeed this year, they will need to find diamonds in the rough like Leonard Johnson who can help fill in for missing pieces on the roster. The rookies the Bills drafted, especially cornerback Tre'Davious White, will be particularly important as they will need to contribute right away for the team to have any chance of ending its long playoff drought. If Sean McDermott can continue to bring in players like Leonard who fit into his system though, he will have no excuse when the Bills don't perform at a high level next year.
