2011 Buffalo Bills: How Does NFL Lockout Impact Chan Gailey's Plans?

We are going to take a slight breather from all of the 2011 NFL Draft, which is fast approaching in less than two weeks, to talk about other areas that are also of importance to the Buffalo Bills organization.

The NFL lockout, which has come about due to the inability to come to a mutual agreement on a new Collective Bargaining Agreement with the NFL Players Association, is something that will have an impact on head coach Chan Gailey's overall plans and on general manager Buddy Nix's development of the team, in year two of the new regime.

The Bills are still trying to change the culture of the team to turn them in to annual winners. During the 2010 season, the Bills held a number of Organized Team Activities, (OTAs), throughout the month of May, which will be upon us in two weeks. The team then held their voluntary minicamps in the month of June, and held additional voluntary OTAs in June as well, before summer training camp began in earnest.

Due to the current lockout situation, there is concern that the May OTAs will not be conducted. We want to explore how this situation could impact Gailey and his plans for the 2011 Bills team. 

Chan Gailey Plans for Offense

Coming in to 2011, the Bills offense made some strides in the prior year but still has a long way to go. The offense started out with one of the better red-zone offenses during the first third of the season, but that ratio turned south as the Bills offense started showing all kinds of red-zone issues in the second half of the season.

The offense also started to turn the ball over at an alarming rate in the final stages of the 2010 season and that also has to be a very big concern to Chan Gailey. The Bills turnover ratio was the worst in the AFC in 2010, so taking care of the ball is something the Bills will be hearing often from Gailey and his staff.

Every time there is a change with a head coach, or a new offensive coordinator or new defensive coordinator comes on board, it takes time for the players to make the necessary adjustments to get comfortable operating in that new approach or scheme.

The second year of Gailey's offense should result in the players being more comfortable with their specific roles and how everything fits together. Gailey also has a better feel now for who can do what and can take that back to his drawing board when he tries to come up with new plays or wrinkles for the Bills offense in 2011.

The Bills Quarterback Situation

As things stand now before the draft, the Bills quarterback depth chart is Ryan Fitzpatrick and Levi Brown. There doesn't appear to be any sane reason for the Bills to bring back Brian Brohm after his dismal showing last season.

If the Bills draft a quarterback, which is still subject to debate, the reality is that the new quarterback will not be allowed to have any communication with Gailey until the lockout is lifted. The offseason is ideal for a new quarterback to start gaining as much information as he can on the new playbook and to get a jump start on the offense he are responsible for running.

If the Bills sign a veteran free agent, that would be a result of the new CBA is in place, and that the lockout had been lifted. The veteran would need to get up to speed as quickly as possible, not just to learn the plays but to develop some kind of chemistry with the receivers and backs he is throwing to.

For returning starter Ryan Fitzpatrick, he still needs to develop better chemistry with Marcus Easley, who missed the entire season due to injury. More work with the young trio of David Nelson, Donald Jones and Naaman Roosevelt can only be a good thing. Further work between Fitzpatrick with Lee Evans, Steve Johnson and Roscoe Parrish is just icing on the cake.

Fitzpatrick should benefit from his first offseason where he is coming in to camp knowing that he is the starter from day one. Instead he is locked out and unable to practice with his teammates.

The Bills Offensive Line

Regarding the offensive line, the Bills are looking to integrate all of the new offensive linemen they added during the 2010 campaign, such as Chad Rinehart, Erik Pears, Mansfield Wrotto, Cordaro Howard, Kraig Urbik and for all intensive purposes Ed Wang, who missed most of camp due to his injuries.

In trying to build continuity along the offensive line, you would like to give these players a full compliment of organized practices to pick up as much of the offense they had to learn on the run in 2010, joining the team in mid-stream.

You would like to think that Eric Wood and Demetrius Bell are closer to 100 percent as they continue to come back from their serious injuries of 2009. Regarding Wood, do the Bills officially move him to center, or do they leave him at guard? Giving him as much time to practice at center as is possible would be ideal, if that is the position the Bills have ultimately decided he should be playing.

If the Bills are successful at the draft in landing a strong prospect at left tackle, do they switch Demetrius Bell over to the right side and let the rookie take on the left side? Or do they keep Bell at left tackle and let the new tackle compete with Erik Pears for the right tackle starting job?

Also, what do the Bills do with Geoff Hangartner? If Wood is the starting center, do the Bills retain him, or do they attempt to trade him if he won't be a starter in Buffalo? He could be kept for depth purposes, as having depth on the offensive line is not a luxury we have enjoyed for some time.

For all of the issues above, the lockout will prevent the offensive line from continuing their growth and development. They need as much time together as they can possibly have.

Bills Wide Receivers

Building off of the momentum that started in 2010, the young Bills receivers like Steve Johnson, David Nelson, Donald Jones and Naaman Roosevelt want to continue their development. They already should come in with some degree of confidence that they were able to contribute as much as they did in their rookie campaigns.

Normally, most NFL receivers don't make a major impact until their third year, at least that is the traditional development and growth timeline. The young Bills have already surpassed that, so they don't want to take a step backwards, they want to continue to become even greater contributors.

Without the speed of Terrell Owens to stretch the defense last year, some of Lee Evans numbers suffered. That is where the addition of Marcus Easley should help the team. He needs to be healthy and show the big play ability that the Bills saw when they drafted him in the fourth round in 2010.

For Steve Johnson, he knows that he can now produce in the NFL, so he should have great confidence coming into the new season. The ability to work with his other receivers and his quarterback will allow him to continue his development.

As much as that is true, the opposite of that is also true. Not having any time with fellow receivers or his quarterback will just delay the future growth and throw off the timing issues.

Bills Running Backs

Fred Jackson and C.J. Spiller are hoping for a better 2011 season compared to what happened in 2010. Jackson failed in his attempt to repeat as a 1,000-yard running back, and Spiller was expected to generate more in his rookie campaign than he did with only two touchdowns for the year.

Spiller in particular needs as much OTA activity and time with the Bills coaching staff as anyone. He hopefully comes in to the new season bigger and stronger, not only for being able to break more tackles but also to be able to pick up blitzes better than he did last year.

Spiller needs to have greater confidence in his abilities and learning when and where to pick his spots. He talked frequently about learning how to run with patience and letting the plays develop behind his linemen.

Not much of the above happens until you are on the field with the rest of your team and getting the necessary reps in practice, working with your position coaches and study in the film room. Spiller's development and growth in 2011 will be a key ingredient to the success of the team, and the less time he has with the coaches and Gailey will only hinder that development.

For Jackson, he no longer has to prove to Gailey that he deserves to be the starter, Gailey already knows that. He can come in from week one and work with his offensive line to become even more effective in running the ball. Jackson also needs to work on his pass catching, as he had more than his fair share of drops in 2010.

Bills Tight Ends

It is expected that the Bills will draft a tight end at some point during the 2011 draft to offer up some level of competition to Scott Chandler, David Martin and Shawn Nelson.

This is probably the most disappointing position on the team. Gailey needs to find a way to get the tight ends more involved in the offense. If the offensive line can't protect Ryan Fitzpatrick on their own, Gailey may still need to keep the tight end at the line of scrimmage to offer greater protection for Fitzpatrick.

It is time for Shawn Nelson to step up and demonstrate more skill and talent than what he has demonstrated so far. Hopefully he has found a solution to the migrain headaches that have caused him to miss so many games.

With Scott Chandler, he needs a full offseason and camp to learn the Bills offense and for the coaches to maximize his production, as they are thought to be enamored with his potential.

It remains to be seen who the Bills draft, but it would not surprise me if it was one of the tight ends they saw up close at the Senior Bowl, as they worked with Luke Stocker, D.J. Williams and Preston Dial. From the North team, names to tuck away are Lance Kendricks and Lee Smith.

Since the Bills were dead last in the NFL at completions to their tight ends, this unit needs as much offseason coaching and work as you can imagine. Not being on the field really hurts the players and the team. 

Chan Gailey, George Edwards, Dave Wannstedt and the Bills Defense

Chan Gailey hired Dave Wannstedt to be his assistant head coach, to take charge of the inside linebackers and to be there as an asset to defensive coordinator George Edwards.

Lord knows George Edwards needs the help. After the first year of implementing the new 3-4 defensive scheme under Edwards, the Bills are still smarting from giving up the most points scored on them in the history of the team and being ranked as the worst rush defense in the NFL.

This is the unit that really needs the full benefit of as much OTA activity as is permissible under the NFL rules. From improving upon their performance in the 3-4, to working on the hybrid scenarios that Gailey has been talking about during the offseason, the defense needs to work on everything from basic fundamentals to schemes and improving their blitzes and quarterback pressure.

There are so many defenders who need to have maximum time to learn the defense ranging from Shawne Merriman to Danny Batten to Arthur Moats. Andra Davis missed all of the second half of the season and needs work.

With question marks surrounding all of the tendered free-agent veterans like Paul Posluszny and Donte Whitner, which players wind up back again, and which ones sign elsewhere? Will George Wilson finally be a starter? If so, you want him on the field in a practice setting as much as is possible.

There is lots of work in front of the Bills defensive staff to turn this unit around.

Bills Defensive Line

The Bills know they have to replace Marcus Stroud, who is now with the New England Patriots. They are hoping that the second year for Alex Carrington and Torell Troup will result in greater production from both of them.

The one player that they do not have to worry about is All-Pro Kyle Williams. Whether or not Williams receives an early Christmas present with the drafting of Marcell Dareus, or someone like him to help relieve the constant double-team blocking that he has to encounter remains to be seen.

Spencer Johnson returns, as does Dwan Edwards. They should be solid in their roles, but the improvement of Carrington and Troup will be essential for the defensive line to show marked improvement towards stuffing the run and generating more pressure on the quarterback.

It would help if Buddy Nix comes through with such a deep class of superior defensive line talent to bring the Bills a player or two capable of upgrading the level of play at the line of scrimmage.

Troup, Carrington and the new draft picks will all need maximum time in practice settings to continue to learn the defense and what their expected roles will be. Improving their techniques, shedding their blockers and making plays are required improvements for the defensive line in 2011.

Bills Linebackers

Is there any one individual unit on the Bills roster more uncertain than the linebacker unit?

Potentially, they could be great. The addition of Shawne Merriman, if healthy, would be huge. They could potentially draft Von Miller, Martez Wilson or Kelvin Sheppard. You look at how Arthur Moats came on in the second half of 2010 when he was given a chance to play.

There is the return of youngsters like Danny Batten and Antonio Coleman that have some serious upside or potential.

Then you look at the question marks, like Aaron Maybin. Is this his swan song, or does he finally get it? Will Paul Posluszny be back with the Bills? Is Andra Davis healthy or is he still feeling the effects of the bad shoulder?

Did the improvement in Chris Kelsay over the second half mean that he caught on to the new defense and his role is defined, or was that really a mirage and the player who looked so lost in the first half of the season is really a better indication of what to expect in 2011?

To be sure, Merriman, Batten and Coleman need as much exposure and practice time learning their roles on the Bills defense as is possible, as will all the new draft picks. The lockout hurts this group as much as any, and the sooner they can be on the field together, the better. They have to improve on their abysmal showing from last season.

Bills Secondary

Another Bills defensive unit, another unit with lots of question marks.

Do the Bills resign Donte Whitner? Do they attempt to bring back Drayton Florence or let him walk? Is Terrence McGee healthy? Which Jairus Byrd shows up in 2011 season, the 2009 version or the 2010 version?

Is George Wilson ready to become a starting safety? Is Leodis McKelvin ready to finally develop into a rising star, worthy of the high draft pick the Bills made on him, or is he going to fall off and be another disappointment?

You figure that the Bills will draft some kind of secondary help, whether or not it is a corner or safety, or both, remains to be seen. They need to have a backup plan for whenever Terrence McGee decides he has had enough. If Florence leaves for good, they will need to have another capable starter waiting in the wings if either McKelvin or McGee gets injured, which Bills fans know happens more often than we care to admit.

This is another unit that needs to improve their play and creating more interceptions and turnovers would be one big area that needs to see major improvement. The more time they can get in OTAs the better.

Summary

As young a team as the Buffalo Bills are, they are in the second year of the Chan Gailey and Buddy Nix plan to rebuild the team to become winners. The team made some strides in the second half of the 2010 season, but they need to come out of the gate stronger than they did last year.

Any time you start out the year 0-8, you are going to have serious confidence issues as a team.

Gailey saw the light at the end of the tunnel various times last season, but was quick to point out how disappointed he was with the efforts against the Jets and Patriots to close out the year.

The Bills need the lockout to end as soon as possible and allow the coaching staff to start having interaction with the players. There is much to learn, much to practice, and the growing pains can't start until the team is all together.

Hopefully the new round of negotiations will bring some type of agreement around sooner than later. The Bills need to be all under one roof, not spread out across the country.