Bobby Babich

Bobby Babich To Call Bills’ Defensive Plays

The Bills will have a third defensive play-caller in as many seasons. After debating whether he will keep the play sheet or return to a role as a CEO head coach, Sean McDermott will take the latter route in his eighth Bills season.

New Buffalo DC Bobby Babich will handle the calls, moving the Buffalo defensive play-calling situation back to where it was two years ago. Prior to separating with Leslie Frazier, McDermott let his DC calls the shots.

[RELATED: Offseason In Review: Buffalo Bills]

What I like about Bobby is our experience together and the wisdom he has, both as a secondary coach and a linebacker coach,” McDermott said, via the Buffalo News’ Ryan O’Halloran. “I just feel like he’s a growth-minded individual and coach, and that’s the right approach.”

Babich has observed both McDermott and Frazier call the shots in Buffalo, having been on the team’s staff throughout this regime’s run. The second-generation NFL assistant moved up from assistant DBs coach to safeties coach to linebackers coach during his time in Buffalo. Other teams have taken notice. The Dolphins, Giants and Packers submitted interview requests to Babich. Days later, McDermott promoted him.

The son of former Bears and Jaguars defensive coordinator Bob Babich, Bobby worked with the Browns previously under Mike Pettine and was an assistant alongside McDermott early in Ron Rivera‘s Panthers run. The Babiches worked together on McDermott’s Bills staff from 2017-21, with Bobby’s star rising in recent years.

Overseeing the standout Jordan PoyerMicah Hyde tandem for four seasons, Bobby Babich then was in the LBs role when Matt Milano earned a first-team All-Pro nod in 2022. The Bills have finished as a top-five defense in four of the past five seasons. The team’s playoff outings — with both Frazier and then McDermott calling the signals — have not reflected those rankings, though key injuries have impacted this unit in that span.

Babich, 41, will take his turn in charge this season. He will already be dealing with a shorthanded group, with Milano set to miss months with a biceps tear. The Bills are also breaking in a new safety duo, as the team released Poyer and has not re-signed Hyde. Tre’Davious White also became a cap casualty. As the Bills adjust on that side of the ball, McDermott will take a step back and allow an ascending coach to try his hand.

Sean McDermott: Bills DC Bobby Babich To Receive Look As Play Caller

Leslie Frazier served as the Bills’ defensive coordinator from 2017-22, but he was away from the team last season and he has not returned for the coming campaign. Buffalo has a replacement in place (Bobby Babich), but it remains to be seen if he will call plays.

Babich – promoted from the role of linebackers coach in January – has been with the team since 2017, and he drew coordinator interest from outside teams during the 2024 hiring cycle. This Buffalo gig represents his first DC posting in the NFL, however, and Babich has not called a defense at either the college or pro levels to this point in his career.

Head coach Sean McDermott called plays last year, and he said earlier this month that a final decision will not be made on that front until at least training camp. Whichever direction the team goes, the coach guiding the unit will face considerable expectations. To little surprise, though, Babich will receive the chance to handle play-calling duties this summer before McDermott elects to either hand over the reins or repeat his workload from 2023.

“There’s going to be intentionality on my part to make sure, whether it’s practice or preseason games, that Bobby’s given that opportunity,” McDermott said, via The Athletic’s Tim Graham (subscription required). “So it’s just a matter of when and for how long.”

It would come as little surprise if Babich were to operate as play caller during Buffalo’s exhibition games in addition to training camp practices. McDermott has plenty of experience in that regard dating back to his own DC tenures, and he guided the Bills to a fourth-place finish in scoring defense last year. The team has generally fared well on that side of the ball during the McDermott era (although their postseason performances have not matched regular season showings), and his familiarity with the role could help as a transition to plenty of new faces is made in 2024.

The likes of Tre’Davious White, Leonard Floyd, Tyrel Dodson, Jordan Poyer and (at least for nowMicah Hyde are no longer in the picture for Buffalo’s defense. One of the team’s top storylines will be their ability to fill the vacancies created by those absences, and the decision on play caller will of course be a key topic to follow during the summer. Babich will receive at least a brief look before McDermott makes a final decision.

AFC East Notes: Allen, Bills, Coleman, Staff, Washington, Jets, Patriots, Slater, Dolphins

Having traded Stefon Diggs weeks after letting Gabe Davis walk in free agency, the Bills are facing questions about their receiving corps. The team’s top offseason investment at the position — No. 33 overall pick Keon Coleman — encouraged Josh Allen. Bills GM Brandon Beane said during a Sirius XM Radio appearance he had Allen join coaches in watching some film of receiver prospects. Coleman was among the candidates the superstar passer preferred, expressing his approval after being informed on Day 2 of the draft the Bills would go with the Florida State wideout. Although Coleman did not produce an 800-yard receiving season with the Seminoles, the Bills look set to count on the 6-foot-4 pass catcher as they remake their receiving corps.

Here is the latest from the AFC East:

  • The Jets have moved on from one of the better-known members of their coaching staff. Leon Washington, who had been in place as assistant special teams coach in each of Robert Saleh‘s three seasons, did not see his contract renewed for the 2024 season, per the New York Post’s Brian Costello. This marked the former Jets kick returner/running back’s first full-time coaching gig, after a run of fellowships since his playing career ended after the 2014 season. A Jets contributor from 2006-09, Washington earned All-Pro honors in 2008. Earlier this offseason, the Jets lost special teams assistant Michael Ghobrial to the Giants. Dan Shamash, who helps advise Saleh in terms of game management, is now listed as an ST assistant for the team. Brant Boyer remains in place as the team’s ST coordinator.
  • Rome Odunze may well have been the Jets’ preference at No. 10, but after the Bears went with the Washington wideout at 9, the team was set on Penn State tackle Olu Fashanu. The Jets were also high on Washington tackle Troy Fautanu, according to ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler, but the team carried some long-term durability concerns about the Pac-12 blocker. Two other tackles — Taliese Fuaga (Saints) and Amarius Mims (Bengals) — went off the board before Fautanu, who slid to the Steelers at No. 20. Some teams flagged Fautanu’s knee as a medical concern, SI.com’s Albert Breer notes. It appears the Jets were one of them.
  • Odell Beckham Jr.‘s Dolphins contract includes a void year, which will drop his cap number by a bit. The new Miami WR3 will count $2.1MM on the team’s 2024 cap, per OverTheCap. Beckham signed a one-year, $3MM deal with the Dolphins; the team will take on a $900K dead money charge in 2025 if OBJ is not re-signed by the 2025 league year.
  • The Bills have either decided on their defensive play-caller, only to not reveal the choice publicly, or they are still in the process of determining who will call the signals come September. Sean McDermott said (via the Buffalo News’ Jay Skurski) he is delaying this decision until at least training camp. McDermott called plays last season, with the Bills having moved on from longtime defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier, but the Bills now have a DC again in Bobby Babich. The Bills have been a top-five defense in each of the past three seasons, though their units — as key injuries hit in each season — have struggled in the playoffs.
  • Matthew Slater‘s immediate transition to coaching will come in a full-time role, according to ESPN.com’s Mike Reiss. The perennial Pro Bowl special-teamer is working as a “right-hand man” to Jerod Mayo, with Reiss noting the new Patriots HC is receiving input from his former teammate regarding team-building and character development. Slater, 38, spent 16 seasons with the Patriots, coming into the league in the same 2008 draft class Mayo did.
  • Staying with that 2008 draft class, one of its members recently landed a scouting gig. The Dolphins hired Beau Bell as a pro scout, according to InsidetheLeague.com’s Neil Stratton. A 2008 fourth-round Browns draftee, Bell only played five NFL games. He will make the move to a full-time role after receiving an apprentice opportunity with the Rams and serving as GM of the Arena Football League’s Philadelphia Soul.

2024 Offensive/Defensive Coordinator Search Tracker

After a crowded carousel previously stopped, the 49ers opened their defensive coordinator position. Here is how the NFC champions’ search looks:

Updated 3-2-24 (10:00am CT)

Offensive Coordinators

Atlanta Falcons (Out: Dave Ragone)

Buffalo Bills (Out: Ken Dorsey)

  • Joe Brady, interim offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach (Bills): Hired
  • Thad Lewis, quarterbacks coach (Buccaneers): Interviewed

Carolina Panthers (Out: Thomas Brown)

  • Marcus Brady, senior offensive assistant (Eagles): Interview requested
  • Brad Idzik, wide receivers coach (Buccaneers): Hired

Chicago Bears (Out: Luke Getsy)

Cincinnati Bengals (Out: Brian Callahan)

  • Andy Dickerson, offensive line coach (Seahawks): To interview
  • Dan Pitcher, quarterbacks coach (Bengals): Promoted

Cleveland Browns (Out: Alex Van Pelt)

Las Vegas Raiders (Out: Mick Lombardi)

Los Angeles Chargers (Out: Kellen Moore)

New England Patriots (Out: Bill O’Brien)

New Orleans Saints (Out: Pete Carmichael)

Philadelphia Eagles (Out: Brian Johnson)

  • Jerrod Johnson, quarterbacks coach (Texans): Interviewed
  • Kliff Kingsbury, senior offensive analyst (USC): Interviewed 1/23
  • Kellen Moore, offensive coordinator (Chargers): Hired

Pittsburgh Steelers (Out: Matt Canada)

Seattle Seahawks (Out: Shane Waldron)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Out: Dave Canales)

Tennessee Titans (Out: Tim Kelly)

  • Nick Holz, passing game coordinator (Jaguars): Hired
  • Thad Lewis, quarterbacks coach (Buccaneers): Interviewed
  • Eric Studesville, associate head coach/running backs coach (Dolphins): Interview requested

Washington Commanders (Out: Eric Bieniemy)

  • Chip Kelly, former head coach (Eagles/49ers): On team’s radar
  • Kliff Kingsbury, senior offensive analyst (USC): Hired

Defensive Coordinators

Atlanta Falcons (Out: Ryan Nielsen)

Baltimore Ravens (Out: Mike Macdonald)

  • Zach Orr, inside linebackers coach (Ravens): Promoted

Buffalo Bills

  • Bobby Babich, linebackers coach (Bills): Promoted
  • Mike Caldwell, former defensive coordinator (Jaguars): Interviewed
  • Sean Desai, former defensive coordinator (Eagles): To interview

Chicago Bears (Out: Alan Williams)

  • Joe Barry, former defensive coordinator (Packers): To interview 1/27
  • Chris Harris, secondary coach (Titans): To interview
  • Eric Washington, assistant head coach/defensive line coach (Bills): Hired
  • Terrell Williams, assistant head coach/defensive line coach (Titans): To interview

Dallas Cowboys (Out: Dan Quinn)

Green Bay Packers (Out: Joe Barry)

Jacksonville Jaguars (Out: Mike Caldwell)

Los Angeles Chargers (Out: Derrick Ansley)

  • Jesse Minter, defensive coordinator (Michigan): Hired

Los Angeles Rams (Out: Raheem Morris)

Miami Dolphins (Out: Vic Fangio)

New England Patriots

  • DeMarcus Covington, defensive line coach (Patriots): Promoted
  • Michael Hodges, linebackers coach (Saints): To interview
  • Tem Lukabu, outside linebackers coach (Panthers): To interview
  • Christian Parker, defensive backs coach (Broncos): Interviewed

New York Giants (Out: Don Martindale)

Philadelphia Eagles (Out: Sean Desai)

  • Mike Caldwell, former defensive coordinator (Jaguars): Interviewed
  • Vic Fangio, former defensive coordinator (Dolphins): Hired
  • Ron Rivera, former head coach (Commanders): Interviewed 1/22

San Francisco 49ers (Out: Steve Wilks)

  • Gerald Alexander, safeties coach (Raiders): Interviewed 3/1
  • Daniel Bullocks, defensive backs coach (49ers): Interviewed 2/28
  • David Merritt, defensive backs coach (Chiefs): To interview
  • Nick Sorensen, defensive passing game specialist (49ers): Promoted
  • Brandon Staley, former head coach (Chargers): Interviewed

Seattle Seahawks (Out: Clint Hurtt)

Tennessee Titans (Out: Shane Bowen)

  • Brandon Lynch, cornerbacks coach (Browns): Interviewed 1/30
  • Dennard Wilson, defensive backs coach (Ravens): Hired

Washington Commanders (Out: Jack Del Rio)

  • Joe Cullen, defensive line coach (Chiefs): Considered a candidate
  • Joe Whitt, defensive backs coach (Cowboys): Hired

Bills Promote Bobby Babich To DC

The Bills elected to retain Joe Brady as their full-time offensive coordinator, and the team has taken a similar approach on defense. Linebackers coach Bobby Babich has been promoted to DC in Buffalo, Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo of NFL Network report. The move is now official.

Babich has a longstanding relationship with head coach Sean McDermott, having been a member of Buffalo’s staff since 2017. Over that span, he has worked alongside the team’s safeties and linebackers while spending time with both McDermott and ex-DC Leslie Frazier. After the latter stepped away, McDermott took on play-calling duties for the 2023 season.

The younger Babich drew extensive interest for DC posts, including one in the AFC East. The Giants requested an interview with Babich earlier this month. That would have been a fairly natural fit, considering two ex-Bills bastions — Joe Schoen, Brian Daboll — are running the Giants now. The Packers then sent out an interview request, preceding Dolphins interest about their again-vacant job. Rather than see Babich depart for one of those positions, the Bills will elevate the 40-year-old assistant.

It will be interesting to see if McDermott keeps the play-calling reins or entrusts Babich, who has coached multiple positions during the Bills’ four-season run as AFC East champions. The son of former NFL DC Bob Babich, Bobby coached the Bills’ safeties from 2018-21 and has been the team’s linebackers coach for the past two years. Standout performances from midlevel investments have ensued during that time, and after D-line coach Eric Washington left to become the Bears’ DC, Babich will take over the post Frazier held for years.

During Babich’s time as safeties coach, Micah Hyde and Jordan Poyer grew from part-time starters for their previous teams — the Packers and Browns, respectively — into impact players as Bills. The 2017 free agency pickups transformed from bargain signings to one of the best safety tandems of the 21st century, each signing multiple contracts with the Bills and becoming Pro Bowlers. During Babich’s first season in charge of Buffalo’s linebackers, former fifth-round pick Matt Milano earned first-team All-Pro recognition. Both Terrel Bernard and Tyrel Dodson played well this season following Milano’s injury.

Bob Babich served as defensive coordinator for the Bears, Lions and Jaguars from 2007-15. His stop in Buffalo — as linebackers coach — in 2017 led to both Babiches coaching under McDermott. Bobby has a pre-Buffalo history with McDermott, breaking into the league during the latter’s time as Panthers DC during the 2010s. Bobby Babich coached Poyer in Cleveland as well. After a lengthy grooming period, the Bills will gauge Babich’s chops running a defense.

Sam Robinson contributed to this post.

Dolphins Request To Interview Bills LBs Coach Bobby Babich For DC Position

A new, rising name in defensive coaching circles, Bills linebackers coach Bobby Babich has been requested to interview for the Dolphins open defensive coordinator position, per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. With Vic Fangio expected to be departing for the Eagles defensive coordinator position, Miami will look at the possibility of bringing in a promising, young coach to replace him.

Babich started his NFL coaching career with the Panthers in 2011 after five years of coaching at the collegiate level for Kent State and Eastern Illinois. He later had a stint with the Browns as an assistant position coach before spending a single season at FIU as secondary coach and defensive pass game coordinator.

Babich has spent the past seven seasons in Buffalo under head coach Sean McDermott, starting as an assistant defensive backs coach before earning a promotion to safeties coach in 2018. After four years in that role, Babich replaced his father, Bob Babich, as the Bills’ linebackers coach in 2022. During his first season as Buffalo’s LBs coach, Babich helped guide Matt Milano to his first All-Pro season. In the years before coaching up this year’s linebackers, Babich coached what many thought to be the league’s best safety tandem in Micah Hyde and Jordan Poyer.

If all requests are granted, this will be three interviews for Babich for defensive coordinator positions. He’s scheduled to interview with the Packers and has been requested to interview for the Giants’ job, as well. So far, he is only the second candidate mentioned for the job in Miami, joining former Chargers head coach Brandon Staley in contention.

Packers Request DC Meetings With Bobby Babich, Aden Durde; Team Interviews Christian Parker

The coordinator carousel is now in full swing, and the Packers are adding names to their search to replace Joe Barry. While a few former Rams staffers have come up, Green Bay is now targeting two voices without backgrounds under Sean McVay.

Matt LaFleur‘s team has requested permission to meet with Bills linebackers coach Bobby Babich and Cowboys defensive line coach Aden Durde for their DC role, NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo and ESPN.com’s Todd Archer report. Additionally, NFL.com’s James Palmer reports the Packers have interviewed Broncos DBs coach Christian Parker for the gig Thursday.

The Babich meeting will come to pass, per Garafolo, and it would surprise if Durde did not interview for the job as well. Teams cannot block this type of elevation, with the Packers’ DC holding play-calling responsibilities due to LaFleur’s status as an offense-oriented HC. After Barry served in the role for three years, the Packers are set to hire the third DC of the LaFleur era.

Babich, 40, has been on Sean McDermott‘s staff from the beginning. After coaching the Bills’ Micah HydeJordan Poyer tandem for four seasons, Bobby Babich took over for his father, Bob, as linebackers coach. The Bills dealt with a few injuries at that position this season, most notably Matt Milano‘s October season-ender, but Milano earned All-Pro honors in the younger Babich’s first year in charge. The Packers join the Giants in targeting him for a promotion.

Turning up on Hard Knocks in 2021, Durde became known to viewers as the British coach on Dallas’ staff. Dan Quinn brought Durde over from Atlanta in 2021, and he has coached the Cowboys’ D-line since. Durde, 44, has coached Micah Parsons — well, sort of, with Dallas refusing to label the superstar defender as a pure defensive lineman — throughout his career while overseeing one of the league’s better D-lines. This marks Durde’s first connection to a DC opportunity.

Just 32, Parker is viewed as a rising talent. The Patriots are also targeting the Broncos assistant for their DC post. Both Nathaniel Hackett and Sean Payton retained Parker despite neither having hired him. The Vic Fangio hire has coached Patrick Surtain and Justin Simmons in Denver, helping both to All-Pro honors. The Broncos also unearthed a potential long-term slot corner, in Ja’Quan McMillian, as a rookie UDFA this season.

Courtesy of PFR’s Offensive/Defensive Coordinator Search Tracker, here is how the Pack’s DC search shapes up so far:

Giants Request DC Interview With Bills’ Bobby Babich

The list of Giants defensive coordinator candidates continues to grow. According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the Giants requested permission to interview Bills linebackers coach Bobby Babich for their defensive coordinator job.

Babich has spent the past seven seasons in Buffalo, four of which he worked alongside current Giants head coach Brian Daboll. Babich started as an assistant defensive backs coach in Buffalo before earning a promotion to safeties coach in 2018. After four years in that role, Babich replaced his father, Bob Babich, as the Bills’ linebackers coach in 2022. During his first season as Buffalo’s LBs coach, Babich helped guide Matt Milano to his first All-Pro season.

Babich started his NFL coaching career with the Panthers in 2011. He later had a stint with the Browns before spending a single season at FIU.

As our 2024 Offensive/Defensive Coordinator Search Tracker shows, Babich is now the fifth candidate to potentially replace Don Martindale in New York. The rest of the group includes:

Elsewhere in New York, the Giants interviewed Larry Izzo this past weekend for their special teams coordinator vacancy, per ESPN’s Jordan Raanan. The former Patriots special teams ace was the Texans ST coordinator in 2016 and 2017. He’s spent the past six seasons in Seattle, including the past three as the special teams coordinator.

Izzo joins a growing list of candidates to replace Thomas McGaughey in New York. Matt Harper, Carlos Polk, and Michael Ghobrial were among the names previously connected to the open position.

Bills LBs Coach Bob Babich To Retire

Bills linebackers coach Bob Babich intends to retire after nearly 40 seasons on the sidelines, Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com notes. Babich has been with Buffalo since the start of Sean McDermott‘s tenure in 2017.

While Babich settled onto the position coach tier during the latter part of his career, he enjoyed two tenures as an NFL defensive coordinator and a six-year stay as North Dakota State’s head coach. Bob Babich’s son, Bobby, is on track to become Buffalo’s next linebackers coach, per Wilson.

A college coach from 1984-2002, Babich broke into the NFL as linebackers coach with the 2003 Rams and trekked to Chicago under Lovie Smith a year later. Smith promoted Babich to assistant head coach in 2006, the Bears’ most recent NFC championship-winning season, and the latter was Chicago’s DC from 2007-09. Babich was with the Bears throughout Smith’s nine-year Windy City tenure.

Babich, 60, later became Jacksonville’s DC, overseeing that unit during the first three seasons of Gus Bradley‘s HC run. The Jaguars fired him following the 2015 slate, but he resurfaced to help McDermott’s Bills rebuild, one that included key contributions from linebackers Matt Milano and Tremaine Edmunds.

Bobby Babich has been the Bills’ safeties coach since 2018. During that time, Micah Hyde and Jordan Poyer have operated as one of the NFL’s top back-line duos in recent memory. The younger Babich came to Buffalo after a three-year stay as Cleveland’s DBs coach.

New York Notes: Staley, Jets, Anderson, Bills

Aside from facing off in three playoff games in a seven-season stretch from 1993-2000, the Giants and Vikings can’t exactly be classified as rivals. Well, the teams may have some animosity for a bit. The Vikings denied Kevin Stefanski a chance to interview for the Giants’ OC position, and Minnesota’s QBs coach being the previous favorite for that job could make matters difficult for Pat Shurmur.

The Vikings complicated this search further by hiring Eagles QBs coach John DeFilippo to succeed Shurmur as Minnesota’s OC, bypassing Stefanski and poaching a coach off Philadelphia’s staff.

This is relevant because Duce Staley remains under contract with the Eagles, Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com reports. Staley, Philly’s RBs coach, is said to be viewed as the Giants’ next choice for the OC role. But with Frank Reich in contention to become the Colts’ head coach, the Eagles could well deny their NFC East rivals permission to speak with Staley. This would keep the 42-year-old assistant in Philly in an attempt to foster some continuity in the event Reich leaves. This chain of events unfolding would make Staley a logical candidate to be the next Eagles OC.

The Giants have not yet requested permission to speak with Staley, but if the Eagles were to block the move, Darrell Bevell and Harold Goodwin may be the next coaches in line. Both are coaching free agents. Ralph Vacchiano of SNY.tv gives an edge to Bevell in the event Staley stays in Pennsylvania. Complicating this further, Bevell has been mentioned as a possible Colts OC.

Here’s the latest out of the Big Apple:

  • The Jets not landing Kirk Cousins could give Josh McCown another chance, with Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News writing a McCown/No. 6 overall pick solution would be the best bet at a Cousins contingency plan. A Nick Foles trade would not be as likely, per Mehta, who would be “stunned” if the Jets offered the Eagles one of their two second-round picks for the Super Bowl MVP. With Carson Wentz not a lock to be ready by Week 1, the Eagles would be unlikely to unload Foles for a third-rounder given his current stock and potential importance to a title defense.
  • Mehta adds the Jets are not planning to cut Robby Anderson because of his recent arrest. However, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com notes no extension offer should be expected anytime soon. Gang Green’s leading receiver in 2017, Anderson will be an RFA after next season. However, the January arrest produced three felony charges. And the 24-year-old wide receiver has a history of encountering police. Cimini reports he has 10 traffic violations on his record since 2014, all coming in Florida. His 941-yard season notwithstanding, Anderson may be on thin ice.
  • Both Jermaine Kearse and Quincy Enunwa are due to be UFAs after 2018, and the Jets have some of the most cap space in the league. Cimini would be surprised if the Jets used a sizable chunk of that space to outbid the competition for Jarvis Landry. Instead, he envisions a realistic pursuit of Allen Robinson, noting that since his ACL tear occurred in September, the 24-year-old Jaguars receiver would be a better bet as a long-term investment that had the injury taken place later in the season. If the Jets did land Robinson, Cimini writes the team will likely look to trade Kearse.
  • Two Alabama assistants will be part of Sean McDermott‘s second Bills staff. William Vlachos and Shea Tierney will make their way from Tuscaloosa, Ala., to Buffalo to become Bills offensive assistants, Mike Rodak of ESPN.com tweets. These two will follow Brian Daboll, the Bills’ new OC, in making this move.
  • While John Butler was hired to replace secondary coach Gill Byrd, the Bills have shifted assistant DBs coach Bobby Babich‘s title to safeties coach, Rodak notes (on Twitter). Rodak expects Butler to focus more on corners this year.