Bills DC says underrated DE is 'a man on a mission' entering 2024 NFL season

Defensive coordinator Bobby Babich is excited to see defensive end Greg Rousseau in the 2024 NFL season.

Nov 26, 2023; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Buffalo Bills defensive end Greg Rousseau (50) against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports / Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

Linear development is envisioned for, but not necessarily expected out of young NFL players, as all individuals grow and evolve at their own personal pace. Fortunately for the Buffalo Bills, defensive end Greg Rousseau has been on an upward trajectory throughout the entirety of his professional career.

Viewed as a gargantuan ball of clay coming out of Miami, the 6-foot-6 defensive end made an immediate impact after being selected by the Bills in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft. He established himself as one of the team’s better run defenders in his rookie season (leading the team in run stops with 41, per PFF) while also providing occasional juice as a pass-rusher, notching four sacks. He carried his prowess against the run over into his sophomore season while getting home more frequently, upping his sack total to eight. 

His first two seasons set the stage for what was a quietly stellar 2023 campaign for Rousseau, a year in which he tallied another 31 run stops. Though his sack total dropped from eight to five, he generated pressure at a more consistent clip, finishing the season with a career-high 62 total quarterback pressures, per PFF. 

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Rousseau is an already established defender of paramount importance to Buffalo’s defensive line, but given his build and the flashes he’s shown throughout his career, there’s reason to believe he could ascend further in his fourth season. Defensive coordinator Bobby Babich praised the defender ahead of Friday’s training camp practice, telling reporters that Rousseau has the mindset necessary to take the next step in his development.

“I’m going to keep saying it, man, Greg Rousseau, first off, is a great person who wants to be the elite of the elite,” Babich said. “That’s what he wants, so he’s willing to put in the work. One of those things that you look for in a player is their ability to listen and to comprehend what they’re saying, and for us to meet and agree on what we’re saying. So we pinpointed a couple of things in the spring for him, and he’s a focused individual. He’s a professional, I keep saying that word, but he is a focused individual. 

Jan 21, 2024; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Buffalo Bills defensive end Greg Rousseau (50) against the Kansas City Chiefs in the 2024 AFC divisional round game at Highmark Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports / Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

“He knows the things. I went up to him the other day before practice and gave him a little reminder of something we talked about in the spring, and immediately he’s like, ‘I got you. No problem.’ Those are the professional conversations that you like to have, and him understanding the why behind what we’re asking him to do. I would say Greg right now looks like a man on a mission. It’s up to him what happens in these practices. That’s up to him, but he’s doing everything he needs to do to get where he wants to go right now.”

Though double-digit sacks shouldn’t necessarily be expected of Rousseau, it seems a natural step for a 24-year-old trait-sy pass-rusher who has evolved into a more complete defensive end throughout his professional career. A 10+ sack season would benefit not only Buffalo’s defense, but the defender’s bank account; with only his fifth-year option remaining on his contract after the upcoming campaign, locking him up to a lengthy extension could be a priority for the Bills in the 2025 offseason.

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