Offensive Snap Count Review for the Buffalo Bills

For the first seven weeks of the season, the Buffalo Bills had an imposing offense that ranked among the league's best. There were some missing pieces along the way, most notably lacking depth on the offensive line and a vertical threat in the passing game.

All 53 players on an NFL roster are important, and everyone has their role, so it will be interesting to see who earns more playing time than others.

Who wins the key battles in training camp will determine how the snap counts break down for 2012, but in order to know where you're going, you have to know where you've been.

With help from Pro Football Focus, let's take a look at the Bills' offensive snaps in 2011 and try to draw some conclusions on what could happen in 2012.

Running Backs

Who's Going Up?

Running back C.J. Spiller (470 snaps, 44.2 percent of the team total) earned most of his playing time in the absence of Fred Jackson (578 snaps, 54.3 percent, lost to injury after 10 games), but he played very well, averaging 5.2 yards per carry on 107 handles, adding 39 receptions and scoring six total touchdowns. 

Who's Going Down?

Even coming off a season in which Fred Jackson was on pace to lead the league in yards from scrimmage, the veteran back may lose playing time if he's not fully effective after a fibula injury ended his 2011 season.

The Bills just handed Jackson a solid contract extension, so cutting his playing time now might seem counterproductive, but a backfield featuring two talented backs instead of one feature back is both the present and future of the NFL.

Other Takeaways

The dynamic of the two-headed rushing attack will be a primary focus in training camp and during the regular season. Too many talented, versatile backs is a good problem to have.

Wide Receivers

Who's Going Up?

Chan Gailey himself has pointed out that wide receiver Donald Jones (380 snaps, 35.7 percent) looks good at practice, and although it's still way too early to draw conclusions off that, he was a front runner for a heavy workload in 2011. He injured his ankle in October and again in November before ending the season on injured reserve. 

The Bills are also hopeful that Marcus Easley, who has yet to play a snap in the NFL, can emerge. The 2010 fourth-round pick was a dynamic pass-catcher for one year at UConn, hauling in 48 receptions for 893 yards and eight touchdowns on the season.

Who's Going Down?

He may not lose snaps, simply because of his versatility, but wide receiver/quarterback/special teamer Brad Smith (403 snaps, 37.9 percent) may not be playing as much receiver this year as last. That's especially true now that the Bills have brought in speedster wide receiver T.J. Graham, who is supposed to hep stretch the field.

Wide receiver Naaman Roosevelt (302 snaps, 28.4 percent) might also see decreased playing time; he came into the NFL as an undrafted free agent and has just 25 receptions in his two seasons in the NFL. Despite that, he has averaged 15.8 career yards per reception, so perhaps he can be just the field-stretcher the Bills need.

Other Takeaways

The battle for the No. 2 wideout on the outside will be a fun one to watch, as the explosive deep threat was the biggest missing component from the offense in 2011. The Bills are hopeful that someone will emerge as the clear-cut front runner, but that hasn't happened yet.

Offensive Line

Who's Going Up?

Offensive tackle Chris Hairston (475 snaps, 44.6 percent) could be the one who replaces Demetress Bell as the starter on Ryan Fitzpatrick's blind side. Bell was injured for much of the season after playing 401 snaps in seven games with six starts, and Hairston started seven games in his stead.

If not, though, it could be Cordy Glenn, and that could mean fewer snaps for Hairston.

After ending last season on injured reserve with a torn ACL, center Eric Wood (553 snaps, 51.9 percent) is expected to remain the starter. We'll see how his knee holds up, but after injuring it in November, he should be ready for the season opener.

Who's Going Down?

Kraig Urbik (767 snaps, 72.1 percent) was a big-time contributor in large part because of the injuries on the line. His versatility is a great tool, but if things go according to plan for the Bills this season, Urbik's snap count will be far lower.

Other Takeaways

The Bills' starting offensive line was one of the strongest units on the roster last year, giving up just 29 sacks for the second-lowest total in the NFL. Injury flummoxed their depth and performance, but they have added depth through the draft and should be a solid unit once again in 2012.

Erik Frenz is the AFC East lead blogger for Bleacher Report. Be sure to follow Erik on Twitter and "like" the AFC East blog on Facebook to keep up with all the updates.