Well, the season is still months away, but with the draft over, and teams starting to shake the rust off in OTAs and mini-camp, the sound of football is getting fans revved up.

With many of their core players returning, as well as their injury-reserve players becoming healthy, the Buffalo Bills appear to be a strong force in the AFC, and should contend for a playoff bid. After two consecutive 7-9 seasons under coach Dick Jauron, and with last season marred by injury, the Bills had another strong offseason, addressing many of their needs, and seem ready to make the leap so many fans have been waiting for.

Quarterback: Lets start by talking about the most important, and most scrutinized, position. Last year's starter J.P. Losman (6'2" 212 lbs) is now the backup to second-year player Trent Edwards. Edwards takes over after a strong, but inconsistent, rookie campaign. One that saw him and J.P. both have two turns as the starter. Edwards went 5-4 in his role under center, while Losman went 2-5.

Losman has struggled with inconsistent play throughout his short career, infuriating coaches and fans alike. Couple that with the fact that he was drafted during the Donahoe regime (first round, 22nd pick), and it seems to spell the end of Losman's playing career in Buffalo. He is a young and athletic gunslinger with a powerful arm, and will certainly catch on somewhere. He is also a good teammate and outstanding citizen.

Trent Edwards (6'4" 231 lbs) was a third-round draft pick (92nd overall) last season out of Stanford. He was a highly-touted prospect coming out of Los Gatos High school. Injuries derailed his promising college career, along with being on a pretty bad team in a strong conference. Edwards was expected to take a couple years to groom behind Losman, but an injury to Losman's knee in Week Three against the Patriots ended that idea.

Edwards played admirably last season, considering how he was thrown into the fire, and after an injury to his wrist gave Losman another chance at starting, he didn't lose confidence in himself. He got another shot while almost saving the season with two straight wins, which saw us in the playoff race until Week 15 where the Bills lost in the snow game to Cleveland 8-0.

Edwards had one of his best games against the Miami Dolphins, throwing for 165 yards and four touchdowns. He also had a great game against the Jets on Week Four, throwing for 234 yards, and against the Redskins, throwing for another 257 in a come-from-behind victory.

Edwards is a smart, technically sound QB, who is calm under pressure (see the game against the Redskins). He reads defenses quickly and delivers the ball with his quick release. He has an underrated arm and a compact release, and he has good pocket awareness for a young QB.

He has good leadership skills and takes command of the huddle, getting the information out and getting everybody lined up. He had a good offseason, putting on 30 pounds of muscle to better withstand the rigors of a full season. He has good potential and great expectations. If Losman stays for this season, which I think he will, then expect the Bills to keep two quarterbacks on the 53-man roster and maybe one on the practice squad.

Running Back: This is arguably their strongest position on the roster. With Marshawn Lynch (5'11" 215 lbs) returning for his second season after his first offseason in an NFL strength and conditioning program. Lynch was a beast last season, running over people for 1,115 yard and four yards per carry, despite missing three games due to an ankle injury. Lynch got stronger and quicker in the offseason, and he looks to break out in 2009.

Lynch was the Bills' first-round pick (12th overall) last season out of the University of California, and he did not disappoint. He made crucial plays and ran over opponents, even when it seemed like plays where over. He would say that he was in "BEAST MODE". He had his breakout game against the Bengals

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