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Denver Broncos assistant coach Jim Leonhard.
The Buffalo Bills made a significant decision by hiring Jim Leonhard as their new defensive coordinator.
Leonhard brings a wealth of coaching experience, having served as a defensive coordinator at Wisconsin and as the Denver Broncos defensive passing game coordinator this season.
Bills Could Look to Add Chiefs Linebacker Leo Chenal
Since Leonhard knows many players from various stops throughout his career, he could bring a few with him to Buffalo this offseason. According to Ryan Talbot from Syracuse.com, Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Leo Chenal might be a substantial addition for the Bills.
“Chenal was one of Leonhard’s stars at Wisconsin,” Talbot wrote on Sunday. “In 2021, Chenal emerged as one of the nation’s top linebackers. He recorded eight sacks, 17.5 tackles for loss, while finishing the year with 114 tackles and forced two fumbles in 11 starts under Leonhard.
“In Kansas City, Chenal has emerged as a blitzer and situational run-stuffer, while also improving in coverage. A reunion with Leonhard would give Chenal a larger role in Buffalo, and no one knows how to unleash the athletic player more than the Bills’ new defensive coordinator.”
Chenal played at Wisconsin from 2019 to 2021, where he recorded 106 solo tackles and 25.5 sacks over the course of 29 games. During those three seasons, Leonhard served as Chenal’s defensive coordinator.
Playing in the NFL is quite different from college football, but if Chenal gets back with Leonhard, it might just bring out some of those old college days for him.
Chenal will hit the free agency market this offseason, and Spotrac estimated his market value to be around $4.6 million per season. That is a pretty cheap annual salary for an NFL player, and the Bills should be all over adding Chenal to their team.
Buffalo Could Look at Another Player Leonhard Coached in College
The Bills might consider adding another linebacker who played under Leonhard at Wisconsin. Talbot believes Jack Sanborn could be a solid choice for the role.
“Sanborn was another one of Leonhard’s standout players with the Badgers,” Talbot added. “In his final season at Wisconsin, Sanborn recorded 91 total tackles (16 tackles for loss) and five sacks.
“Sanborn spent the first three seasons of his career with the Chicago Bears before signing a one-year deal with the Cowboys last year in free agency. The linebacker is coming off a down year in which he appeared in just six games and recorded 34 total tackles (1 tackle for loss).”
Sanborn recently completed a one-year, $1.5 million contract with the Cowboys, following three seasons with the Chicago Bears.
Since both Chenal and Sanborn might be on affordable contracts, the Bills could consider adding them to their roster.
Buffalo’s defense could look quite different this upcoming season, and it will be interesting to see which players they bring in to support Leonhard in his first year.
The NFL’s new league is set to kick off on March 11, and there might be a host of new players joining the Bills on that day.
Danny Fisher Is a football journalist covering the Buffalo Bills for Heavy.com. He has covered the NFL for Gridiron Heroics, focusing on the AFC and Penn State football for Nittany Central. More about Danny Fisher
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