Which Coordinator Will The Buffalo Bills Lose?

Buffalo Bills offensive and defensive coordinators Brian Daboll and Leslie Frazier have gotten significant attention for NFL head coaching vacancies recently. Especially in New Jersey, since former Bills assistant general manager Joe Schoen runs the Giants now. And now that Buffalo’s season has ended, could the team lose one (or both) of them?

Brian Daboll

Last season, I thought Brian Daboll would become the head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers or the Jacksonville Jaguars, but those two teams went the opposite direction. Daboll has never been a head coach before, but has 20 years of NFL coaching experience. He has been an offensive coordinator for the Browns, Dolphins, Chiefs, and (currently) the Bills. Daboll also coached for Nick Saban at Alabama, winning a National Championship. Brian Daboll has been a big part of Josh Allen’s development since he has been in Western New York. I wonder how it affects Allen if (or when) he moves on?

Possible Replacement

I don’t think it would affect Allen that much. Why? Because I expect quarterbacks coach Ken Dorsey to be promoted to offensive coordinator. The two work together closely in practice and during the game. I expect the Bills to stay in-house on replacing Daboll if he moves on.

Ken Dorsey played college football at The University of Miami. Ken Dorsey won a national championship at Miami in 2001 and was drafted the seventh round of the 2003 NFL Draft by the San Francisco 49ers. Dorsey started his NFL coaching career with Carolina, where he was a pro scout under Ron Rivera from 2011-2012. The following season, Dorsey became the quarterbacks coach, where he would coach Cam Newton for five seasons. After the 2017 season, Dorsey would take a break from coaching, spending one season as the Assistant Athletic Director at Florida International University. In 2019, he would return to coaching with the Buffalo Bills to coach Josh Allen.

Leslie Frazier

Bills Defensive Coordinator Leslie Frazier, is also a head coaching candidate. Frazier has been an NFL head coach before with the Minnesota Vikings from 2011 to 2013. If the Giants decide to go the defensive route, I think Leslie Frazier would be the right hire. Frazier has coached under Super Bowl Champion coaches Andy Reid, Tony Dungy, and John Harbaugh, so he came from a good coaching tree. The only thing that I would worry about with Leslie Frazier being a head coach again is that he had just one winning season during his four years with Minnesota. If Leslie Frazier moves on for his second chance as a head coach, who replaces him?

Possible Replacements

Former Broncos coach Vic Fangio has been brought up, but if the Bills decide to stay in-house, you have two options. You have defensive line coach Eric Washington who was Rivera’s defensive coordinator with Carolina in 2018-19. The Bills have a second option in linebackers coach Bob Babich, who has had two stints as a defensive coordinator for two different teams, the Bears (2007-09) and the Jaguars (2013-15). Mike Zimmer is also available. However, I don’t know if he would want to go back to being a defensive coordinator after being a head coach with the Vikings for eight seasons.

So if the Buffalo Bills do lose one of these dependable coordinators, I will be happy that they get their chance. Additionally, I am confident that Sean McDermott will pick the right successor. If I had make a prediction, I think Ken Dorsey takes over as OC and Eric Washington as DC.