Bills’ Von Miller on Leslie Frazier: ‘I didn’t see it coming’
Like you, Von Miller said hearing Leslie Frazier was going to step down from his defensive coordinator position with the Buffalo Bills was a shock.
Miller was taking in the combine last week in Indianapolis. He was did so with general manager Brandon Beane as he was shadowing the Bills’ front office leader.
Miller hasn’t been shy about his desires about being a GM one day. He got a crash course on things coming out of left field while at the combine when Frazier surprisingly stepped down.
“I didn’t see it coming. I didn’t see it coming. He had a great year with us the last year, and he’s had several great years the whole time he’s been there. So, I didn’t see it coming, especially the timing of it,” Miller told the Buffalo News.
Miller thought Frazier would have stepped down at the end of the 2022 season instead of weeks later.
Beane explained that part.
Buffalo’s coaching staff was off the week before the combine. Per the GM, during Frazier’s time away from the Bills, he came to the conclusion he needed more time away from football.
Beane later added that had the 63-year-old wanted to coach next season, Frazier would have been Buffalo’s defensive coordinator.
“Talked through some things and ultimately… he doesn’t want to retire, but he wants to take a step back,” Beane said.
In the long term, it’s unclear if or exactly where Frazier will return to football. In Buffalo? Or elsewhere?
As for the shorter term, aka next season, the Bills are holding their cards close to their chest as usual.
Beane and head coach Sean McDermott were mum at the combine about what the team will do next. What makes most sense is McDermott calling plays, essentially being the defensive coordinator, since he’s done it before.
“I’m sure he’ll be even more hand’s on at this point,” Beane said on McDermott. “I’ve seen him [call plays] for a long time.”
As for Miller, he said that pulling double duty might be difficult for McDermott. But Miller thinks McDermott is one of the few that could pull it off.
Miller has reference too since he’s seen it done before with the Denver Broncos.
“If anybody can do it, it’s coach McDermott. It’s been done before. Coach (Vic) Fangio, we had the top-five defense, and he was the head coach and the DC,” Miller said. “It’s just a year. It’s not like he doesn’t know the defense. We’re running his defense. Everything will be good. I firmly believe that.”
