2011 NFL Preview: The Buffalo Bills: Nowhere to Go but Up

The Buffalo Bills aren't a great franchise. They weren't a great franchise in the early 90's, and they aren't a great franchise now. After finishing the 2010 NFL Draft, and the lockout looming over the entire NFL, the Bills, one of the NFL's worst teams, are trying to improve on a 4-12 season in which they came in last place in the AFC East. 

The only (true) New York Football team is a team looked down upon in a division with two juggernauts and an underachieving Dolphins team. A team whose fans are it's greatest asset. So where do the Buffalo Bills stand heading into the nonexistent offseason? Well let's dive in.

The offensive side of the ball is the strong point of a bad team. Just because it's better than the defense, doesn't make it a strength. This is 2011, and this is a pass happy NFL, a quarterback driven league. The team lacks that signal caller to lead this offense anywhere near the playoffs. Ryan Fitzpatrick is a decent quarterback, and probably a good citizen and an intelligent human being. Those things don't make up for his lack of talent around him. He doesn't make those around him any better. That's what you need out of a QB. No matter how much talent there is around him, you need a guy who makes those around him better. That's how QB's work. The winners all have some sort of trait that is through the ceiling, Manning & Brady have intelligence, Rodgers & Roethlisberger have escapability, and Brees & Rivers have heart. Not to say any of those guys don't possess a great arm with great accuracy, those are needs to succeed in the NFL. Fitzpatrick doesn't have 'it'. He has above average escapability, with above average intelligence to go with a below average arm and it's matching below average accuracy. What do we have on our hands folks? An average NFL QB. Those don't win games. They don't lose them, but they don't win them.

The WR corps is the strong point of the offense, led by Steve Johnson & veteran Lee Evans. Steve Johnson broke out this year with over 1,000 yards receiving, and 10 TD's. His 6'2, 202 pound frame are prototypical for an NFL standout WR. Lee Evans is on the downside of his career, but is still an above average talent. Youngsters Marcus Easley, Paul Hubbard, Felton Huggins, Donald Jones, David Nelson and the speedy Roscoe Parrish round out this WR corps which is sure to only grow better as they grow together as a unit. Most would look at the RB's and say this is the strong point, Fred Jackson consistently puts up good numbers, and CJ Spiller was recently a high draft pick with explosive ability. Fred Jackson is getting up there in age, and for a RB, that's a death sentence. While I'm a fan of his, that doesn't mean his career isn't about to hit a wall. Even though he didn't play in a big time conference in college, and the wear and tear on his body may be less, it's still there. And CJ Spiller, well he's a poor man's Reggie Bush, who is just a poor man's Ladainian Tomlinson. He hasn't showed me anything to lead me to believe he is the RB of the future for the Bills. He doesn't even appear like he likes to be in Buffalo, ala Willis McGahee. All of this offense is run behind a below average - bad offensive line. None of the talents on this roster are good enough for them to make a run or challenge the cream of the crop on a consistent basis. Things look bleak for the Bills on offense.

Defensively, the team is more sound than their stats would say. The future looks much better on this side of the ball, with almost every position being occupied by someone who looks to be there for a sound part of the future. The Bills run a 3-4, 4-3 hybrid, leaning more heavily on the 3-4 this year according to Buddy Nix. The three DL that will hit the field? Kyle Williams, #3 overall pick Marcell Dareus, and last year's investment, Alex Carrington. All three of them with plenty of good football ahead of them. Williams is the oldest of the group, and sitting behind him is last year's second round pick Terrell Troup. The defensive line seems to be one of the stronger points, looking forward, of the Buffalo Bills. They were awful, absolutely, awful, against the run last year. That looks to improve with Dareus being drafted, and Carrington and Troup seeing more of the field. Dwan Edwards would, and should be a good rotational player on the defensive line. Right behind the Bill's defensive line, is a linebacker corps that should have high hopes. After taking a flyer on Sean Merriman, hoping he could be pre-injuries/steroids Merriman, and at the very least teach the youngsters Antonio Coleman, Danny Batten, Jammie Kirlew, and my personal favorite Arthur Moats the art of pass rushing. (Aaron Maybin missing, because most of his career, all he's been doing is missing.) That's a lot of youth for OLB spots, Moats is highly athletic, and intelligent. I have high hopes he turns into the player he could. Pairing him with a healthy and succeeding Merriman would provide the Bills with a pass rush that's been missing for years. Poz is the ILB for the 3-4, the guy next to him is easily replaced, as they didn't have much going next to him all year, and he still played at his normal high level. Poz is a fan favorite, with good reason for such.

The secondary in Buffalo is a mystery, they put up good stats, but nobody knows what they can really do, because their stats are too inflated since nobody passes the ball against Buffalo anyway. Why should they? The run defense was bad enough to pound the rock over and over again. Byrd appears to be a solid starter in the NFL for years. He has athleticism, intelligence, instincts and desire. He may not have the most of any of it, but he doesn't have many weak points in his game, and that's what I like in a defensive starter. He pairs up with FA Donte Whitner, who was well over drafted, but not wasted. He's been solid in run support, and below average in the pass defense. There is a lot to look forward to if the team can keep these guys together, as they both have very high upside. If they can click in the same year, the Bills will have a very good safety duo. As for the corners, Leodis McKelvin has been a disappointment. He's one of the most inconsistent man coverage CB's in the NFL. Often losing the right to play the #1 WR to Terrence McGee, who is getting up there in age, and down there in production. Luckily, the Bills recognized this, and instead of drafting a QB in the 2nd round, they upgraded this position by drafting the multi purpose DB in Aaron Williams from Texas. He will play the 3rd CB in the nickel, and come in and play safety when asked. (I assume he will slide to SS in passing situations, so Whitner isn't exposed, this will be a tool, not a clutch for the Bills defense, don't expect to see this every down). Overall, I'd say the Bills defense is better off than some think. That doesn't make them good, but they can be, with a little observation, a little luck, and a little 'Lights Out', the Bills defense can make drastic strides in the right direction.

I would look forward to a 7-9 season, and in Buffalo, those are as common as first round running backs, and first round DB's. That's a step in the right direction, but the Buffalo Bills really had nowhere to go but up.