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In speaking with reporters on Monday afternoon, Buffalo Bills head coach Chan Gailey informed reporters that he'd fired defensive coordinator George Edwards - and that Dave Wannstedt, last year the team's Assistant Head Coach and Inside Linebackers Coach, will take over Edwards' duties.
Edwards had been the Bills' defensive coordinator for two years, in which time frame his defenses were generally terrible. In 2010, the Bills had the No. 24 defense in the league, but the worst run defense, which surrendered 170 yards on the ground per game. The Bills shaved 30 yards off of that average in 2011, but still ranked near the bottom of the league in every defensive category. They gave up 27 points per game in both seasons.
The promotion of Wannstedt is one that fans have seen coming since Wannstedt's hiring a year ago. The real question moving forward is what scheme the team will use; GM Buddy Nix has been adamant for two years that he's in the business of acquiring 3-4 personnel, but Wannstedt has exclusively coached the 4-3 in over 16 years in the NFL. That question will be one of the more prominent story lines to follow as the Bills enter yet another off-season of change.