Buffalo Bills 2011: Team's Starter Battles Headed to Free Agency

When Marcell Dareus arrived in Buffalo for his first press conference as a member of the Buffalo Bills, he received a tour around the facility. This picture shows him reflecting on what it would be like to be there playing on Sunday in front of a packed crowd at Ralph Wilson Stadium.

At this point, we know that Dareus will be one of the Bills' starters. But what about the other positions? How many positions seem settled and how many are still open to some outside competition? Buddy Nix has his pecking order established of players that he wants to bring in, so it is just a case of the NFL giving each team the green light to start signing new players to a contract.

This article will focus on the current Buffalo Bills roster, and what position battles look to be shaping up for summer camp.

Quarterback: Ryan Fitzpatrick

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MIAMI - DECEMBER 19: Quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick #14 of the Buffalo Bills throws against the Miami Dolphins at Sun Life Stadium on December 19, 2010 in Miami, Florida.The Bills defeated the Dolphins 17-14. (Photo by Marc Serota/Getty Images)

Ryan Fitzpatrick is the unquestioned leader of the Buffalo Bills' offense. The gunslinger appeared in just 13 games in 2010 and during that time passed for 3,000 yards on the nose. He threw 23 touchdowns and 15 interceptions, so his TD to interception ratio is something he needs to work on in 2011, as that should be more than 2:1. Fitzpatrick completed 57.8 percent of his passes, which is another area he needs to improve on, as the standard in the NFL is at 60 percent.

However, one area where Fitzpatrick excels is in running with the ball. He rushed the ball 40 times last year for 269 yards which is a very healthy average of 6.7 yards/attempt. The problem with that is that he challenges defenders in his running style, and since the Bills have nobody that is tested behind him, that is asking for trouble.

From the 2009 season to the 2010 season, Fitzpatrick saw his touchdown passes go up from nine to 23, his average yards per pass went up from 6.3 to 6.8 per attempt, and his QB passer rating went up from 69.7 to 81.8. All of those are very positive developments and if he continues to improve his game like that, he will be one hot property when his current contract expires at the end of the season.

The only other quarterback on the roster is Levi Brown, so there is no quarterback battle to speak of. Expect to see Buddy Nix bring in a veteran free agent to serve as Fitzpatrick's backup. One example could be Tyler Thigpen, who is only tendered with a seventh-round draft pick by Miami. Thigpen and Gailey worked together at Kansas City. That is as cheap of a veteran quarterback addition as one could ask for in the current NFL.

Running Back

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ORCHARD PARK, NY - DECEMBER 12: Fred Jackson #22 of the Buffalo Bills runs against T.J. Ward #43 of the Cleveland Browns at Ralph Wilson Stadium on December 12, 2010 in Orchard Park, New York. Buffalo won 13-6. (Photo by Rick Stewart/Getty Images)

The Buffalo Bills will have veteran Fred Jackson and second-year back C.J. Spiller returning to carry the ball for the bulk of the running game duties.

While Fred Jackson managed to hit the century mark in 2009, he fell back some in 2010 due to the share the load mentality the Bills employed with the trio of Jackson, Spiller and Marshawn Lynch. When Jackson rushed for 1,062 yards in 2009, he carried the ball 237 times. Last year he got 15 less carries, and that might have been the difference that prevented him from a second century mark finish, as he totaled 927 yards.

He continues to run the ball gaining more than 4.0 yards a carry. The average dipped some from 4.5 to 4.2 a rush, which is somewhat of a concern, but still very acceptable. What is more of a concern is acting as a receiver out of the backfield. His catches dropped from 46 to 31, receiving yards dropped from 371 to 215 and his average yardage per catch went down from 8.1 to 6.9. His first downs as a receiver went down from 20 to nine. The only thing that seemed to go up were the number of dropped passes that he had.

C.J. Spiller enters his second year looking to improve on a dismal rookie season. There were his two touchdowns against New England early in the season, and then he never reached the end zone again for the rest of the year. Nobody expected to see that long of a dry spell stretch from the speedster, but that was the reality. The coaches and Spiller himself seemed surprised that he couldn't do more than he did.

For the 2010 season, Spiller rushed the ball 74 times for 283 yards, an average of 3.8, which needs to improve. He caught 24 passes for 157 yards, which is an average of 6.5 yards per catch. Spiller flashed some of his potential in the return game, returning 12 punts for 175 yards and 44 kicks for 1,014 yards.

The Bills drafted Johnny White out of North Carolina to serve as a change of pace back and more of a third-down specialist. For the 2011 season, the Bills running back battle will be Fred Jackson serving as the main ball carrier, with Spiller expected to put up bigger numbers as he gains more confidence and patience in his rushing ability.

Wide Receivers

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BALTIMORE, MD - OCTOBER 24: Steve Johnson #13 and Lee Evans #83 of the Buffalo Bills celebrate Lee's touchdown against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium on October 24, 2010 in Baltimore, Maryland. The Ravens defeated the Bills 37-34. (Photo by Lar

When the Buffalo Bills come out in a two back, two wide receiver look, those starting two wide receivers figure to be Lee Evans and Stevie Johnson. When the Bills add a slot receiver, that would usually mean Roscoe Parrish. When it expands to a four wide receiver set, that is where things get interesting, as that could include anyone from Marcus Easley, David Nelson, Donald Jones or Naaman Roosevelt.

The latter four receivers, all rookies from the class of 2010, are going to have a fierce battle on the field to determine what is the pecking order for the Bills' receivers. Much like Stevie Johnson stepped up to have a monster year in 2010, the Bills hope one of the ex-rookies can step up to be a bigger contributor in 2011.

At least they have some veterans that they go to for advice. Lee Evans has made 377 catches for 5,934 yards and 43 touchdowns over his career with the Bills. He averages an impressive 15.7 yards per catch. The Bills would probably like to see Evans reverse his downward trend, as his catches the last three years have been dropping from 63 to 44 to 37. 

Steve Johnson demonstrated how somebody can explode in one year, as he went from 10 yards in receptions in 2009, to 82 catches for 1,073 yards, 10 touchdowns and a 13.1 average per catch in 2010.

Roscoe Parrish's season ended early against the Bears in Toronto when he broke his arm. Too bad, because he broke out of Dick Jauron's doghouse in a big way. Parrish made 33 catches for 400 yards, which was an average of 12.1 yards per catch. He posted career highs in yardage and first downs (20). He is still motivated and anxious to be a viable weapon in Chan Gailey's spread offense.

The Bills are looking forward to Marcus Easley being healthy in 2011 and stretching the field with his speed. Hurt early in 2010, Easley never saw the field for one game. He did get to watch his fellow rookies however and saw them produce throughout the year. David Nelson had 31 catches for 353 yards, an average of 11.4 yards per catch and three scores. Donald Jones had 18 catches for 213 yards, an average of 11.8 yards per catch and one touchdown. Naaman Roosevelt had nine catches for 139 yards and a healthy average of 15.4 yards per catch.

It is not yet known how many receiver the Bills will carry, but this group of seven receivers want to be out there catching passes from Ryan Fitzpatrick. This figures to be a very competitive battle in summer camp.

Tight End

Derek Fine, Derek Schouman, Joe Klopfenstein, Shawn Nelson, David Martin, Scott Chandler, Jonathan Stupar, Mike Caussin, Rob Myers, DajLeon Farr, J.P. Foschi, Andrew George and Michael Matthews. What do all of them have in common? They all appeared as a tight end at one point or another on the Buffalo Bills in 2010. Some of them were pure practice squad fodder, but it goes to show how the Bills have been searching for an answer at tight end, only to realize that they still have not found the answer.

The Bills disdained the position at the draft, sighting that they didn't fall right on the big board, to warrant a draft pick. To a degree I buy that, until you realize that the talented Virgil Green (Nevada) was still on the big board when the seventh round began. Other Day 3 results in the fourth round were Jordan Cameron (USC), Luke Stocker (Tennessee) and Julius Thomas (Portland State). The fifth round saw D.J. Williams (Arkansas) and Lee Smith (Marshall) get drafted.

Two potential tight ends that went undrafted were Wesley Saunders (South Carolina) and Charlie Gantt (Michigan State). At least they wouldn't be expensive and offer a low risk to take a look for a tryout. For an interesting story on Saunders, check this out.

So, the battle for the 2011 season is on between Shawn Nelson, Scott Chandler and David Martin for playing time, unless Buddy Nix brings in someone to challenge them.

It has been offered in conjecture that Chan Gailey does not utilize the tight end often in his offensive schemes. That may be true. I would counter with the following. If you had Tony Gonzalez or Antonio Gates on your roster, would you find a way to utilize them in your offense more or less?

Shawn Nelson has the potential but can't find a way to stay healthy to be a reliable option. He seems to have the talent, but the migraine headaches force him off the field. The Bills are high on Scott Chandler, so if he has a full camp to work with Ryan Fitzpatrick, maybe something can develop there.

Fullback Corey McIntyre

Corey McIntyre had a solid year on special teams in 2010, as he made a number of big hits throughout the year. As far as his contributions on offense, McIntyre appeared in all 16 games but only touched the ball eight times for the entire season.

He had four rushes for five yards and one touchdown. The funny thing is that three of his four rushes resulted in a first down, which means that they were all short-yardage situations that he converted on.

McIntyre also had four catches which went for 32 yards. Unfortunately, he fumbled on one of his four catches.

Right now, there is no one on the roster to challenge McIntyre for his job. Perhaps Dave Wannstedt has made a case for his fullback from Pitt, Henry Hynoski, who went undrafted last weekend. We won't know the answer to that until the NFL announces that free agency has started.

Left Tackle Demetrius Bell

During the 2010 season, head coach Chan Gailey would give varying degree of comments on the job that Demetrius Bell was doing at left tackle. Gailey was pleased that he made it through the season without getting hurt, as he had come all the way back from a bad knee operation the year before.

Bell was constantly monitored and the Bills eased him through each week by keeping him out of some practices to stay off the leg. Bell admitted at times that he was not 100 percent, so Bills fans are looking forward to seeing what a healthy Bell can become if he is in fact all the way back.

There does not appear to be anyone on the roster that is ready to challenge Bell for his job. Sure the Bills could rotate somebody over in a pinch, but this is one position that is still dangerously thin in regards to depth.

If the Bills do not sign a veteran free agent, the position figures to be one that the Bills will address early in the 2012 draft.

Left Guard Andy Levitre

This is a great picture, seeing Andy Levitre's helmet about to fly off, while he takes a shot to the face in order to protect his quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick. Levitre continues to perform at a high level, and has been a steadying influence on the Bills' offensive line ever since the Bills made him the 51st overall draft pick in the 2009 draft.

Levitre has not missed one game yet in his two years with the Bills. He has been asked to play left tackle in the past when Demetrius Bell went down, and performed adequately. Levtire has formed a strong bond with fellow 2009 rookie Eric Wood and they represent the core of the Bills' offensive line for years to come.

This is one position the Bills do not have to worry about. If there were only more positions like that on the roster, the Bills would only have to draft for future depth like some of the elite playoff teams. But that is the goal for down the road.

Center

Who will be the Bills' center in 2011? Will it be Eric Wood or will it be Geoff Hangartner? This should prove to be one of the more interesting decisions that emerges out of training camp, whenever that is due to occur.

Wood obviously played center at college, and is very good at the position. But the right guard would only be moved to center if the Bills felt that they had a strong enough replacement lined up to replace Wood in that position.

For now it appears that there is some kind of domino effect in place. If the Bills deem that the right guard candidates can adequately handle the role, Wood will be shifted to center, and the incumbent center, Geoff Hangartner, who served the Bills as captain last year, would be relegated to the bench. If the Bills decide that they are better off with Wood at right guard, then Hangartner would presumably regain his old job back.

If Hangartner does emerge as the center and goes down, at least the Bills know who they would rotate in that position. If Wood starts out the year there, the Bills have to keep Hangartner on the roster for depth purposes.

Right Guard

Assuming that the Buffalo Bills move Eric Wood over to the center position, the right guard position figures to be one of the most intense battles in camp, as there are a number of viable candidates that want to be considered.

Options right now range from Chad Rinehart (6'5" and 307 pounds), Cordaro Howard (6'4" and 314 pounds), Kraig Urbik (6'5" and 323 pounds), Mansfield Wrotto (6'3" and 313 pounds), Ed Wang (6'5" and 301 pounds) and Jason Watkins (6'6" and 325 pounds). Rinehart, Howard and Urbik all had playing time there in 2010, and one of them figures to emerge as the starter when it is all said and done.

Mansfield Wrotto could be viewed as either a guard or a tackle. He could also figure in to the right guard mix depending on how things shake out at right tackle.

Wang may be bumped over to the right tackle job, but his rookie year was basically a lost cause due to a bad thumb injury. Watkins spent last year on the practice squad and is hoping to make the roster.

In terms of playing experience, the breakdown is as follows: Chad Rinehart started seven games, three with Buffalo and four with Washington. Kraig Urbik started two games for Buffalo. Mansfield Wrotto started seven games for Buffalo and five with Seattle. Cordaro Howard started four games with Buffalo, three at right tackle and one at right guard. Ed Wang has not started any games yet.

It is not inconceivable that Buddy Nix could still sign a more experienced free agent to come in and challenge these youngsters for the job, but it figures that there is enough potential talent here to select one of them for the job.

Right Tackle

Similar to the right guard job, the right tackle job also appears to be a spot that is open for competition to determine the eventual starter. Candidates for the job right now appear to be Erik Pears, Ed Wang, Cordaro Howard, Mansfield Wrotto and fourth-round draft choice Chris Hairston.

Hairston (6'6" and 323 pounds) was drafted out of Clemson to come in and compete for the right tackle job. He blocked for C.J. Spiller in college and said he would look forward to doing it in the pros. He is thought to be somewhat of a project, so he doesn't expect to see much playing time in his rookie campaign.

Due to all of the comments made by Chan Gailey, it appears that Erik Pears (6'8" and 305 pounds) has the initial lead role for this job, but nothing is cast in stone yet.

From an experience standpoint, Pears definitely has the edge on playing time. He started one game with the Bills last year, but before that made 30 starts split between the Denver Broncos and Oakland Raiders. Mansfield Wrotto (6'3" and 313 pounds) started seven games with the Bills and five games with Seattle. Cordaro Howard started three games at right tackle for the Bills as a rookie.

With all of these candidates it should prove to be a spirited battle to become the starting right tackle.

Left Defensive Tackle Dwan Edwards

Dwan Edwards entered the 2010 season as the starting left defensive end in the Buffalo Bills new 3-4 defensive scheme, and he figures to resume that role in 2011. Edwards was placed on IR last season in early December, which prematurely ended his first year with the Bills.

Edwards is 6'3" and 290 pounds. He is 29 years old. Coming over to Buffalo as a free agent that had played his entire career with the Baltimore Ravens, Edwards established a career high of 57 tackles in 11 games. He also defended two passes, had one interception, one sack and forced one fumble. For a look at his career stats, you can refer to this.

When Edwards went to IR, Spencer Johnson moved over to left end to start six games for the Bills in 2010. Johnson set a career high with 55 tackles. He also had two sacks, three passes defended and one forced fumble. Johnson (6'3" and 286 pounds) is also 29 years old.

One other defensive end that could figure in to this position, (especially due to the drafting of Marcell Dareus) is Alex Carrington (6'5" and 284 pounds). Carrington recorded only eight tackles and one sack in limited playing time as a rookie. The third-round draft pick in 2010 looks to be on the field more, and will be available to rotate in to the defensive end position throughout the season.

Nose Tackle Kyle Williams

Love this picture of Kyle Williams, who is charging through two Jacksonville Jaguars blockers, with one holding on to his jersey sleeve for dear life. You know that they probably didn't call a holding penalty, but it didn't matter as Williams would break through anyway.

Kyle Williams was the sole representative for the Buffalo Bills in the Pro Bowl game. He deserved the honor. Williams has raised his game to new levels, and continues to get better and better. For more evidence of this, check out this story on Pro Football Focus.

Williams, 6'1" and 306 pounds, is exceptionally strong for his size. He is very hard to move from his nose tackle spot in the 3-4 defense. The LSU Tiger will now probably have a fellow Tiger lining up right behind him in Kelvin Sheppard. They figure to be part of the emotional leaders of the new look defense, along with Marcell Dareus.

Williams had a solid campaign in 2010 while setting career highs in tackles (77), solo tackles (54), sacks (5.5) and fumble recoveries (2). Because he saw so many double-team blocking schemes last year, it will be interesting to see how opponents decide to block the tandem of Williams with Marcell Dareus lining up next to him.

Behind Kyle Williams is Torell Troup. Troup was the Bills' second-round draft choice in 2010, and he started in two games in his rookie year. Troup (6'3" and 315 pounds) recorded 23 tackles and defended two passes. He did not record a sack last year. Troup will be available to rotate in with Williams to keep him fresh throughout each game, as he attempts to step up his game in his second year.

Behind Troup are two young behemoths, Kellen Heard (6'6" and 355 pounds) and the Bills' final draft pick in the seventh round Michael Jasper (6'4 1/2" and 378 pounds). They are young and raw, but also big and powerful.

Right Defensive End Marcell Dareus

The Buffalo Bills became a much tougher football team when they drafted Marcell Dareus with the third overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft. If you ever wondered how strong or tough Dareus was, and you have not yet viewed the lab test that aired on ESPN, this is as good a time as any to see what we mean.

Dareus (6'3" and 319 pounds) is going to be a load for NFL teams to handle. Between the combination of Dareus with Kyle Williams, Bills' defensive line coach Giff Smith should have a field day coming up with moves, stunts and different alignments to keep opponents guessing where they will be lining up on every down. The duo figures to command most of the attention from the offensive line, as it is doubtful that most tight ends or running backs could expect to block or contain them.

What that creates is greater opportunity for the inside linebackers to make plays on the ball carrier and for the outside linebackers to make plays on the quarterback. As long as Dareus and Williams remain healthy all year, the Bills defense just got leaps and bounds better.

Backing up Dareus will be Alex Carrington, who we detailed in an earlier slide. He will be required to give Dareus a breather from time to time, so the Bills are hoping that Carrington can step up his game as well.

Left Outside Linebacker

It is one thing to ask a rookie coming in to the NFL to learn a new defensive scheme, or to change the fundamental way that they react in live action. It is something much different to ask a NFL veteran of seven or eight years to do that, but that is what the Bills asked Chris Kelsay to do.

Kelsay (6'4" and 261 pounds) had what appeared to be two different seasons in 2010. The first season was Kelsay trying to figure out how to play his role as an outside linebacker in the 3-4 defensive set. He was often getting beat to the outside on running plays and generally looked lost for a good portion of the first half of the season.

Defensive coordinator George Edwards made some adjustments, as did Kelsay, and he then started on a run where he was making plays and being a positive contributor on the defense. Evidence of that would come from looking at his stats. In weeks 1-10, Kelsay was credited with 1/2 of a sack and defending one pass. From weeks 11-16, Kelsay picked up three sacks and defended three passes. He recorded his season-high nine tackles in weeks 12 and 17. The defense came easier to him in second half.

For 2010, undrafted rookie free agent Antonio Coleman (6'1" and 248 pounds) was hoping for big things. He was the leading sacker at Auburn for his final two seasons and was hoping to continue that kind of production. Coleman appeared in eight games, mostly on special teams, and made 12 tackles during the season. He did not record a sack.

Coleman will look to continue his learning curve in his second season and try to gain more playing time this year. With all of the talent on the Bills' defensive line, he might find his way in to the enemy backfield more in 2011.

Inside Linebackers

Buffalo Bills General Manager Buddy Nix was very direct in his plans to find bigger inside linebackers to play in the Bills' 3-4 defense. He brought that up often before the draft, as Paul Posluszny is 6'1" and weighs 238 pounds. True to his word, Nix drafted two inside linebackers that fit the bill.

Enter Kelvin Sheppard from LSU (6'2" and 250 pounds), and Chris White from Mississippi State, (6'4" and 240 pounds). Between Posluszny, (assuming he signs on to return to the Bills), Sheppard, White and Andra Davis, the Bills expect that they have identified their starters and backups within that quartet. Another potential option is Reggie Torbor, who signed a four-year deal worth 14 Million in 2010. It is not yet known if he will be considered on the inside or outside.

It is not an automatic given that Posluszny will sign with Buffalo. Bills fans connect with Poz, and he has been a leader on defense for the past few seasons. The Bills did tender him an offer as an unrestricted free agent, but until all of the parameters of the new CBA are defined nobody knows what his status is, or if the Bills tender will even amount to anything or not.

At least the Bills know they have two rookie inside linebackers to coach up and prepare for their first NFL season. That coach would be ex-NFL head coach Dave Wannstedt. He will have two willing players in Sheppard and White as both were consistent standouts at their colleges and led their team in tackles.

Davis (6'1" and 251 pounds) suffered a torn rotator cuff and it impacted his effectiveness. Davis was placed on I.R. on November 8th. For the year, Davis played in six games and made 41 tackles. He did not record a sack. His high point was the Week 5 game against Jacksonville when he recorded 11 tackles and intercepted a pass. For the year Davis forced one fumble and had one pass that he defended.

The Bills are not sure where 2010 rookie Danny Batten will play. Batten (6'4" and 250 pounds) could find himself in the mix at inside linebacker or he could be viewed at outside backer. Either way, Batten is hopeful to not miss the season due to injury again. He missed so much time that Bills fans have forgotten about him, but he could prove to be a real find.

Right Outside Linebacker

Another position that looks like it will have plenty of competition in summer camp is this linebacker slot. Current roster projects at least four players that will be vying for the job, ranging from Shawne Merriman, Reggie Torbor, Aaron Maybin and Arthur Moats. We have mentioned that Torbor could be used on the inside, but you can see that there is already lots of competition without him.

The key to this position is the health of Shawne Merriman, 6'4" and 265 pounds. If he can return to anywhere close to the form that he exhibited in his Pro-Bowl years with the San Diego Chargers, the Bills defense has the potential to become a very strong unit, certainly much stronger than they demonstrated in 2010.

Arthur Moats, 6'2" and 250 pounds, came on in the second half of his rookie year to demonstrate his skills. His rushing the passer was the cause of Brett Favre ending his consecutive starting game streak, and showed that he can be a playmaker.

Aaron Maybin, 6'4" and 250 pounds, has one last chance to prove that he belongs with the Buffalo Bills. While many people were ready to write off Maybin as a complete bust, Chan Gailey is willing to give him one more chance to see if he finally has caught on to all the coaching and pleading to raise the level of his moves, his game and his level of commitment to get better. For now, he has been as disappointing as he has been frustrating.

Left Cornerback

The Bills' secondary wasn't tested that often in 2010 because teams were able to move the ball on the ground so easily. That does not figure to be the case in 2011. With improved depth and talent in the front seven, it will mean that the secondary needs to step up their level of play to keep the Bills' defense off of the field and win the battle of field position.

As we approach the 2011 season, Terrence McGee, 5'9" and 198 pounds, is expected to return as the starter. Leodis McKelvin, 5'10" and 184 pounds, might start on the other side, but there is still a glimmer of hope that Buddy Nix will bring back Drayton Florence for another tour. If that happens, it would result in McKelvin fighting it out with McGee for the starting job.

Everything with Terrence McGee is trending in the wrong direction. His games played in the last four years has been shrinking from 15, 14 11 to nine. Tackles during that time has gone from 78, 66, 48 to 18. His interceptions have done the same, from four to three to one to zero. He will be fighting for his roster spot in 2011.

Leodis McKelvin had a lost year in 2009 due to injury. He appeared in all 16 games in both 2008 and 2010. His tackles went up those two seasons from 32 to 62. His interceptions stayed the same for the two years, turning in two each year. For McKelvin, the Bills want to see more consistent and inspired play coming from him.

If McKelvin can't step up his level of play, the Bills won't hesitate to replace him with Aaron Williams to come in and challenge him. Williams is 6'0" and 204 pounds. He is a physical corner that could challenge for a starting job or should easily handle moving into nickel or dime packages initially, before the Bills are ready to give him additional responsibilities.

Safeties

The Bills safety positions should also offer a reasonable degree of competition. The biggest question is what is the status of Donte Whitner. Is he gone, does he want to come back, and do the Bills even want him back? It appeared that the writing was on the wall after a meeting after the season ended with the Bills extending a low ball offer and Whitner cleaned out his locker as a result and stormed out of OBD as a result.The Bills did extend a tender offer to Whitner, so if he signs elsewhere the Bills may be awarded with an extra draft pick.

So, the Bills did the smart thing and bought themselves some insurance by signing George Wilson to a new contract and drafting Da'Norris Searcy to bring in some new blood to the role.

If for some reason Whitner returns, you would then have Whitner, Jairus Byrd, Wilson, Byron Scott and Searcy to fight it out for the two positions. Jon Corto is listed as a safety, but he is a special teams specialist.

The safeties are hoping that the addition of Dareus and Merriman will result in an increase in rushing the passer. Some hurried throws or being hit while trying to throw were the type of plays that Jairus Byrd excelled at intercepting as a rookie. To show you how the lack of a solid pass rush impacted the secondary, the safeties saw their interceptions total go from a combined 16 in 2009 to 4 in 2010. That is a huge drop.

Right Cornerback

In his post-draft press conference, Buddy Nix announced that we should not assume that Drayton Florence would be leaving the Bills. That was a rather surprising comment, considering that Florence had been quiet during the entire offseason, and his name had not been coming up at all in Bills' news items or reports.

Nix has demonstrated a high enough level of play that the Bills can focus on improving the other side of the field and raising the level of nickel and dime package coverage.

Florence has been a reliable and dependable performer. In the past five years, Florence has only missed a total of three games, which is a stark contrast to Terrence McGee. It will be interesting to see if Nix can bring Florence back. As much as solid corners are in demand right now in the pass-happy NFL, you know that his services will be in demand.

If Florence does not come back, then you have the trio of McGee, Leodis McKelvin and Aaron Williams left to battle it out for the two starting spots. The Bills also drafted Justin Rogers out of Richmond, but he figures to be more of a nickel and dime back initially, as well as a special teams contributor.

Overview

Buddy Nix has continued to deliver on his promise of building the Buffalo Bills through the draft. The team should expect to take a step forward in 2011 compared to the final 2010 results.

The Buffalo Bills offense will feature a 3,000 yard passer in Ryan Fitzpatrick, a 1,000 yard rusher in Fred Jackson and two 1,000 yard receivers in Lee Evans and Steve Johnson. You add to that core group the abilities of C.J. Spiller, Roscoe Parrish, Johnny White and the trio of rookie wide receivers from 2010 and the Bills' offense has the potential to improve on the strides they made in 2010.

The reason for the optimism is that whenever football is once again active, the Bills will have a full camp with all of their skilled positions starters in place, and can work towards building better team chemistry. Not only that, but a second year under a new coach makes it easier for the players to master new offensive schemes.

The defense has to be better against the run based on the addition of Dareus. The Bills will need to keep him fresh and healthy throughout the year. There will be some growing pains with so many young players on the roster, but that is a given. The Bills will be fighting and competing under Chan Gailey, and expect to come out in more close games this year than they did in 2010.

Now we wait for free agency to start and see what other pieces Nix can add to the overall mix. It should be an exciting time whenever it begins.