Bills switching to 4-3 defence

Buffalo Bills head coach Chan Gailey confirmed Monday that the team will be switching to a 4-3 defence under new defensive co-ordinator Dave Wannstedt.

Wannstedt is a two-time NFL head coach -- in Chicago 1993-98 and Miami 2000-04. He was added to the Bills' staff last season after spending six years as head coach at the University of Pittsburgh.

Under George Edwards, who was fired after the 2011 season, the Bills used a lot of four-man fronts last season, so it will not be a major overhaul for the defence.

"If you look around the league today people are playing four-man fronts and three-man fronts, they're playing a little bit of everything," Gailey said. "We're going to try and put our guys in position to be successful, whatever that position might be."

In the new alignment, Buffalo will use Marcel Dareus and Kyle Williams at defensive tackle which will be the clear strength in their base defence.

Chris Kelsay will take over at defensive end, while the team has prioritized upgrading their pass rush and will likely use a pick to boost the defensive end position in April's draft.

Sophomore Kelvin Sheppard will take over at middle linebacker, while veteran Nick Barnett is expected to shift to outside linebacker. Currently, it is unclear where the

injury-prone Shawne Merriman fits in the new defence.

The Bills will have the No. 10 overall selection in the 2012 draft.