After working hard through the course of his first NFL offseason, second-year pass rusher Greg Rousseau is looking to make a bigger and more consistent impact for Buffalo defense this fall. He's added more lean muscle mass to his frame and he's also learning at the elbow of veteran pass rusher and teammate Von Miller.
Perhaps that's why Bleacher Report in their listing of ‘X’-factor players for each of the NFL's 32 teams chose Rousseau for the Bills. Here was their assessment.
The Buffalo Bills had the league's No. 1 defense last year in terms of both yards and points per game allowed. However, they lost their sacks leader from last season, Mario Addison, who signed with the Houston Texans in free agency.
That ramps up the pressure on second-year edge-rusher Gregory Rousseau to become the player whom the Bills thought they were getting when they drafted him 30th overall in 2021.
Rousseau showed flashes as a rookie, finishing with four sacks (tied for second on the team). However, Bills defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier told reporters that Rousseau hit the proverbial "rookie wall" last season.
Rousseau had only one sack in his final 12 regular-season games last year, and he had zero across 68 snaps in his two playoff games. That has to change this season.
Rousseau already has a firm grasp of the defensive scheme and believes with a greater familiarity with what the NFL game and the length of the season is all about that his production level will be more sustained throughout the year.
"It's been cool just to know the plays, know how everything goes," he said. "Knowing how to practice at this level. And really now, instead of focusing on learning a defense, I can focus on bettering myself and becoming a better player for the upcoming season."
