What the Buffalo Bills' New Additions Mean for 2015

Could this be the year the Buffalo Bills end their 15-year playoff drought?

The last time football's version of the lovable losers reached the postseason, the world was just eight days removed from the pandemonium surrounding Y2K.

But this year's team has a different feel to it. New head coach Rex Ryan provides the franchise with a swagger it has been sorely lacking.

"

As [owner] Terry [Pegula] likes to say, “we have one ego," Ryan relayed during his introductory press conference. "And I go, “yes sir, that’s exactly right.” When he hired me that ego got a little bigger.

"

In need of a bell-cow running back for Ryan's ground-and-pound offense, General Manager Doug Whaley went out and acquired arguably the best back in the game in LeSean McCoy. Last season, only DeMarco Murray had more carries than Shady did. According to NFL.com, McCoy converted 312 rushing attempts into 1,319 yards and five touchdowns.

Gary Wiepert/Associated Press

Then came free agency, which was another opportunity to upgrade a Bills offense that scored an average of just 21.4 points per game in 2014, which according to ESPN.com ranked 18th in the league.

Placing an emphasis on speed, Buffalo's new regime went out and signed Percy Harvin and Charles Clay. The former is a dynamic playmaker, who helped the Seahawks clinch Super Bowl XLVIII by returning the opening kickoff of the second half 87 yards for a touchdown. In eight games with Ryan's Jets this past season, Harvin registered 29 receptions at an average of 12.1 yards per catch and 350 total yards, per ESPN.com.

James Kenney/Associated Press

Clay has the versatility to line up in the backfield, at the end of the line or even split out. According to NFL.com, he produced 58 catches for 605 yards and averaged 10.4 yards per reception in his final season with the Dolphins.

Combine this trio with burgeoning star Sammy Watkins and you suddenly have a Bills team that now has the potential to supplement their top-five defense with a top-10 offense. In other words, Buffalo's playoff drought may finally be over.

What might keep the Bills out of the postseason? For starters, McCoy, the new focal point of the offense, faces several challenges. Rick Drummond of Pro Football Focus wonders if he can sustain his customary level of success despite transitioning from what PFF ranks as the NFL's top-rated run-blocking offensive line to the unit PFF ranked dead last in 2014.

How will he handle running in a much harsher environment than Philadelphia? Furthermore, how much of a toll did back-to-back seasons with more than 300 carries take on Shady?

Buffalo also traded for Matt Cassel this offseason, who represents a slight upgrade from Kyle Orton. The fact he is unlikely to serve as anything more than a temporary solution until a franchise quarterback is found makes it unlikely the Bills surpass the Patriots in the AFC East.

However, Orton nearly led the team to a Wild Card berth, so even a small improvement at the game's most important position could prove to be the difference in whether the Bills end their 15-year postseason drought.

As long as the defense is not plagued by injuries, it figures to remain in the top five under Ryan. Therefore, it is the answers to the questions posed above that will ultimately determine whether the Bills get back to the playoffs for the first time in over a decade.