1. DC Leslie Frazier likes what he sees in from Ed Oliver and Tremaine Edmunds
Leslie Frazier has been coaching since 1988. He's been with the Bills since 2017 and will have two players born a decade after he started coaching lead his defense. On Tuesday, Frazier fielded questions from the media on Ed Oliver and Tremaine Edmunds.
Oliver has been thrusted into the spotlight after being selected with the No. 9 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. The Houston native is known to wreck interior offensive lines and can break through double and even triple teams.
Even without pads on, Frazier likes what he sees.
"Ed's done a really good job up to this point," Frazier said. "I don't think it's been overwhelming for him, with the meetings along with what we're doing on the practice field. You see his quickness, you see his burst. As he continues to get a better grasp on what we're asking him to do on defense, I think you'll see more of his athleticism as well. Up to this point, we've been impressed with what we've seen and we'll just keep watching his maturation over the next few months."
Part of Oliver's adaptations to the NFL include having to learn and pick up a new system. He also has to deal with a different locker room. Frazier is glad to have a veteran like Star Lotulelei and someone who went through it a year ago with Harrison Phillips to help him in the meeting room.
While Oliver will have the lights on him during every play, it's going to be up to Edmunds to call out the plays and organize the defense. It was a role he was just starting to take on at the end of last season and a reason he was named the AFCs Defensive Rookie of the Month in December.
"Probably the biggest thing is the confidence," Frazier said regarding Edmunds' growth this offseason. "It's extremely high now and you see it in the way he communicates, he has a much better grasp of what we want to get done on defense and what his role is within that. His ability now to communicate with no hesitation, to know exactly what we're looking for as a coaching staff, you see the evidence in the way he's practicing and the way he's communicating with his teammates, which gives those guys confidence in our middle linebacker. He's grown over the offseason and from some of the things that happened as a rookie as well."
Frazier knows there is still work to do with his middle linebacker and in his first year he's grown tremendously. It's still early in the process and he'll grow a ton more, says Frazier.
2. Tre'Davious White makes CBS Sports' top 25 under 25 list
Based on what players have done so far, their future projection, and positional value CBS Sports writer Sean Wagner-McGough narrowed down the top 25 players in the NFL under the age of 25. This list does not include rookies.
McGough admitted to his mistake of not including Tre'Davious White on last year's list and has amended it in the 2019 edition.
White comes in at No. 22, ahead of players like JuJu Smith-Schuster, Roquan Smith and Myles Jack.
Over the past two seasons, he's picked off six passes, defended away 26 passes, and made 97 solo tackles. He didn't grade out as well last season by PFF's standards, but his overall body of work through two years makes him a worthy selection. As the Bills' team website noted after the season, citing PFF, "White allowed just 0.68 yards per coverage snap this season, the fourth-lowest rate amongst all eligible cornerbacks."
3. Bills superfan Pancho Billa's wish to come true at 'Pancho's Pack' event
Prior to his passing, Bills superfan Ezra "Pancho Billa" Castro, uttered a selfless wish, asking fans to donate backpacks filled with school supplies, instead of sending flowers, in his memory. On Monday, June 10, that wish will come true.
In honor of Castro, over $100,000 has been given to The Teacher's Desk of Buffalo for the 'Pancho's Pack' program by Bills players, fans and organizations throughout the country. The funding is enough to provide 10,000 backpacks to children in need this school year. Bills players, staff, representatives from The Teacher's Desk and volunteers will come together at New Era Field to help fill over 4,500 backpacks. Once complete, 3,000 bags will be sent to Texas, Castro's home state, and the remaining allotment will be distributed throughout Western New York.
The event, which was spearheaded by Bills players who were touched by Castro's story, is just one of several smaller packing events that will take place in the coming months.
For more information on volunteer opportunities, e-mail volunteer@theteachersdesk.org.
