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2009 Team Report: Buffalo Bills

Quarterbacks

Starter: Trent Edwards
Backup(s): Ryan Fitzpatrick, Gibran Hamdan, Matt Baker

Starting QB: After showing promise during his rookie season, Trent Edwards entered 2008 as the clear starter. He got off to a great start while leading the team to a 4-0 record in September but was knocked out of the game early in Week 5 on a hit to the head from safety Adrian Wilson. Despite a couple impressive games against San Diego and Kansas City, Edwards and the Bills struggled down the stretch and lost nine of their last 11 games. Edwards is a very accurate passer as evidenced by his completion percentage of 65.5, which ranked sixth in the league, but the Bills offense was generally too conservative. His production should get a big boost thanks to the addition of Terrell Owens, but the schedule also figures to be much tougher this year. If Edwards can stay healthy and show continued improvement, he should finish among the middle of the QB2 tier.

Backup QB: Ryan Fitzpatrick entered the league in 2005 as an unheralded seventh-round draft pick out of Harvard. He had an impressive debut with the Rams, throwing for 310 yards and three TDs while leading the Rams back from a 24-3 halftime deficit to a 33-27 overtime win. After a trade to the Bengals, Fitzpatrick saw extensive action in 2008 while filling in for Carson Palmer. He only managed to throw eight TDs in 13 games but generally showed good accuracy and decision making. Fitzpatrick was also a very active scrambler and finished as the league's third-leading QB rusher with 304 yards. He signed a three-year contract with the Bills this offseason and should fit in well as an experienced backup who can step in if needed. Gibran Hamdan originally entered the league as a seventh-round draft pick of the Redskins in 2002.

Running Backs

Starter: Marshawn Lynch
Backup(s): Fred Jackson, Dominic Rhodes, Xavier Omon, Bruce Hall
Fullback(s): Corey McIntyre

Starting RB: Marshawn Lynch followed up his impressive rookie season with a very similar campaign in 2008. Although his rush attempts declined as the Bills moved to more of a committee approach with Fred Jackson, he also became much more active in the passing game. Lynch is an explosive talent with the ability to do just about everything you need him to. He runs extremely hard and often refuses to go down on first contact, which has made him particularly effective when he gets near the end zone. Unfortunately, Lynch has had some off-field problems in recent years which resulted in the commissioner suspending him for the first three games of the season. Lynch has shown a lot of promise at this point in his career, but he'll need to be more consistent and stay out of trouble if he wants to prove that he belongs among the league's elite RBs. The addition of Terrell Owens at WR should help open up some running room, but the offensive line has just two returning starters from last year and looks like a major question mark. Despite the suspension, which could still be reduced, Lynch looks like a strong RB2 with RB1 upside.

Backup RBs: The Bills enter 2009 with the best RB depth they've had in a long time. Fred Jackson has emerged as a very productive backup RB for the Bills the past two seasons. He has started four games in place of an injured Marshawn Lynch and shown very little drop-off when called upon. Jackson doesn't run with the same type of power that Lynch does, but he's a great change of pace back who works very well out in space. The Bills went to more of a committee approach at RB last year, which helped Jackson double his touches. To give the team better depth as it deals with Lynch's suspension, the Bills signed veteran Dominic Rhodes to an incentive-laden two-year contract. After a disappointing season in Oakland, Rhodes was very productive for the Colts last year while sharing time with Joseph Addai. He figures to share time with Jackson during the first few weeks of the season, and the two will also compete with each other to determine who the primary backup is once Lynch returns to the lineup.

Fullback: Corey McIntire bounced around the league and NFL Europe before signing with the Bills in Week 5 last year. He replaced Darian Barnes who was released. He's a prototypical fullback who is unlikely to make much of an impact as a rusher or receiver.

Wide Receivers

Starters: Terrell Owens, Lee Evans
Backups: Josh Reed, Roscoe Parrish, Steve Johnson, James Hardy, Justin Jenkins, Felton Huggins, C.J. Hawthorne

Starting WRs: Terrell Owens is one of the best and most controversial players in the league. Coming off a disappointing season that was filled with drama, the Cowboys decided to release him this offseason and he signed a one-year contract with the Bills soon after. He fills a huge need for the team, but it seems like a strange fit given the conservative nature of the Bills coaching staff. At 35 years old, Owens may have lost a step, but he also has 38 TDs over the past three years and his size should make him a very reliable target for Trent Edwards inside the red zone. Owens still has the ability to command a lot of attention from defenses, which should help open things up for Lee Evans on the other side of the field. Evans is 28 years old and coming off a frustrating season in which he broke 1,000 yards for the second time in his career but also finished with just three TDs. Evans appears to be the perfect complement to Owens as he's one of the league's best deep threats and not the type to complain when he's not getting enough targets. This tandem has to be considered one of the league's best.

Backup WRs: Josh Reed was pretty much the starting WR2 by default in recent years but he's a much better fit playing from the slot. He lacks ideal speed to gain separation on the outside but changes directions quickly, is great running with the ball in his hands, and is an excellent downfield blocker. The addition of Owens will push Reed back to the slot and likely hurt his numbers, but he should still see plenty of playing time and remain an effective check down option for Edwards. Roscoe Parrish is an elite punt returner, but his contributions as a receiver have been disappointing. He has game-breaking speed but is small and lacks the strength needed to play anything but a situational role. Steve Johnson was a late round pick a year ago who showed flashes that suggest he could emerge as a productive player. James Hardy was a second round pick a year ago who struggled to adjust to the level of competition and suffered a torn ACL late in the season. With Owens signed to a one-year deal, there's a good chance that both Hardy and Johnson will be competing for a starting job in 2010.

Tight Ends

Starters: Derek Fine
Backups: Shawn Nelson [R], Derek Schouman, Jonathan Stupar

With the offseason release of three-year starter Robert Royal, the Bills will likely go into training camp with an open competition for the starting TE job this year. Derek Fine was a fourth-round pick out of Kansas last year. He saw limited playing time but looked impressive in a game against the Jets when he finished with four receptions for 43 yards and a TD. While the players he is competing against are probably better receivers, Fine could have an edge as a blocker. The Bills may have found a long-term starter when they selected Shawn Nelson in the fourth round of this year's draft. Nelson will likely need to improve his blocking, but he has good size, soft hands, and is the only player in this group with enough speed to threaten defenses and create mismatches. Derek Schouman is undersized for the TE spot but a good athlete who initially saw time as an H-back.

Place Kicker

Rian Lindell : Several years ago, there were concerns over Rian Lindell's long range field goal abilities. He proved the critics wrong over the subsequent three year span. Last year the concerns resurfaced when he missed seven attempts from 40+ yards. Nonetheless, the Bills finished 12th in kicker scoring on the strength of numerous attempts. Lindell hit 30 of 38 (78.9 percent) on field goals. He also added 34 PATs. In his nine years in the NFL, Lindell has never missed an extra point. The coaching staff and most of the offense return for 2009, so it might seem that they could once again provide Lindell with numerous field goal opportunities. The past two decades have proven otherwise, a the large majority of teams were unable to repeat in that category.

Kick and Punt Returners

Kick Returners: Leodis McKelvin, Fred Jackson, Terrence McGee, Dominic Rhodes, Roscoe Parrish

Although CB Terrence McGee is one of the better KRs in the NFL, the Bills were able to limit him to three kickoff returns last year and let him focus on defense. McGee had ranked in the top twenty for fantasy returners each of the previous four years. Allowing them to do so was rookie CB Leodis McKelvin, who had averaged 23.2 yards on 33 kickoff returns during his last year at Troy. For the Bills last year, he handled 52 kickoff returns (28.2 avg.) and scored once. He ended up as the 9th ranked fantasy returner in the NFL. Backups include WR/PR Roscoe Parrish (2 returns, 20.0 avg. last year) and RB Fred Jackson (12 returns, 15.1 avg.). A new possibility this year is free agent acquisition RB Dominic Rhodes who led the Colts in 2005 (41 returns, 20.9 avg.) and 2004. FB Corey McIntyre and safety George Wilson each had one kickoff return last year.

Punt Returners: Roscoe Parrish, Fred Jackson, Leodis McKelvin, Jairus Byrd

After he recovered from a hand injury, Roscoe Parrish emerged as the Bills top punt returner as anticipated during his rookie year in 2005. He has since proven to be one of the top punt returners in the league. Last year he averaged 15.3 yards on 21 returns and scored another TD. But this year he might be the odd man out on the wide receiver roster and end playing elsewhere. If that happens, the Bills do have options. Fred Jackson proved capable last year (7 returns, 16.6 avg.) Although Leodis McKelvin primarily handled kickoffs last year, he did return two punts (13.0 avg.). In 2007 at Troy he averaged 17.4 yards on 25 punt returns and scored three TDs on punts bringing his college career total to seven. Second round draft pick safety Jairus Byrd averaged 12.3 yards on punt returns for Oregon last year and scored once. The Bills have placed in the top seven for fantasy return points each of the last five years.

Offensive Line

Projected Starters: LT Langston Walker, LG Kirk Chambers, C Geoff Hangartner, RG Brad Butler, RT Demetrius Bell
Key Backups: C/G Seth McKinney, C Eric Wood [R], T Jonathon Scott, T Chris Denman, G Andy Levitre [R]

This is a unit in disarray at this time, but there is some hope on the horizon. They jettisoned franchise left tackle Jason Peters in a trade with the Eagles. The two sides could never come together in contract talks, and this is a big loss for the Bills up front. The two players projected to start at guard are former tackles. Demetrius Bell is slotted to start at right tackle with no career starts, and Langston Walker is nothing more than a serviceable tackle is likely a liability on the left side. The starting lineup however could look very different after training camp as rookies Eric Wood (center) and Andy Levitre (guard) will get a long look for starting positions. Another interesting possibility is four-year veteran tackle Jonathon Scott, who struggled with Detroit but has enough skill to emerge as the starter in Buffalo. Third-year tackle Chris Denman may also be in the mix. Keep an eye on this situation during training camp to see how it all breaks down.

Team Defense

The 2008 season was a disappointment for a Bills defense that had grand expectations. They managed middle of the pack rankings in several categories including a respectable 14th in both points and yards allowed, and finished with the 13th rated pass defense. On the other hand, the 22nd rated run D left plenty to be desired, and they floundered in the all-important big play columns finishing in the bottom half of the league with 24 takeaways while only four clubs posted fewer sacks. The Bills did very little in free agency to help the defense, adding only corner Florence Drayton who will likely be the nickel back. The other significant additions came via the draft where pass rushing DE Aaron Maybin was picked up in Round 1, and ball hawking DB Jairus Byrd was selected in the second. The rookies will contribute right away but the most significant factor here is probably the return of DE standout Aaron Schobel from injury. On paper the Bills don't seem to have made great improvement. They do, however, have a lot of talented young players on this squad. Don't be surprised if they begin to gel by mid-season and finish strong this year.

Defensive Line

Starters: DE Aaron Schobel, DE Chris Kelsay, DT Marcus Stroud, DT Kyle Williams
Backups: DE Ryan Denney, DE Aaron Maybin (R), DE Chris Ellis, DT Spencer Johnson, DT John McCargo

Starting DL: Aaron Schobel has been one of the most consistent and durable fantasy defensive ends for most of his career. However, he will be 32 years old when the season starts and is coming back from a painful Lisfranc foot injury that wiped out most of 2008 for him. Chris Kelsay received a big pay raise after the 2006 season but he has only responded with 4.5 sacks in 30 games since then. He's a decent run defender with limited upside who will probably see most of his playing time on early downs. Marcus Stroud had a positive impact in his first year with the Bills and they rewarded him with a new 4 year, $28 million contract that included $12 million guaranteed. Although his single sack was a disappointment, he managed to stay healthy for all 16 games and could certainly return to being a top-10 DT this year. Kyle Williams is undersized for the position but plays with a very high energy level. He was able to take advantage of the double teams that Stroud commands to put up the best numbers of his career.

Backup DL: Ryan Denney is a very similar player to Kelsay in that he's primarily a run defender who is best suited to playing on early downs. Denney was the biggest benefactor of Schobel's injury last year and will likely compete with Kelsay for the starting LDE job. To address a glaring weakness, the Bills spent their 1st round pick on Aaron Maybin who some considered the best pure pass rusher in this year's draft. He is an explosive player who should contribute right away as a pass rush specialist. Chris Ellis was a 3rd round pick last year who failed to make an impact, but he should compete for more playing time this year. Spencer Johnson is a quick, undersized tackle who should to remain an active part of the DT rotation. John McCargo has been a bust since the Bills traded up to select him in the 1st round a few years ago.

Linebackers

Starters: MLB Paul Posluszny, SLB Kawika Mitchell, WLB SLB Keith Ellison
Backups: ILB John DiGiorgio, OLB Pat Thomas, OLB Nic Harris (R), OLB Alvin Bowen, OLB Blake Costanzo

Starting LBs: After missing his rookie year with a broken arm, Paul Posluszny started all 16 games last year and finished just outside the top-20 fantasy LBs. Although he can be overpowered and take bad angles at times, he is an everydown player who should improve on last year's numbers. Kawika Mitchell was a valuable free agent addition last year who wound up playing almost every snap. He brings much needed size to help in defending the run but also has enough athleticism to cover most tight ends. Keith Ellison is good in coverage but he's also a weak link on the Bills defense because he can easily be overpowered at the point of attack. His experience makes him a favorite to start at the remaining OLB spot once again, but he could be pushed by some other players on the Bills roster.

Backup LBs: John DiGiorgio is a former undrafted free agent who played well in relief of an injured Posluszny during the 2007 season. He was limited to special teams play last year before suffering a torn ACL in October, but he should be healthy for the start of the season. Pat Thomas was signed to a 1-year deal after starting 9 games for the Chiefs last year. He should provide some experienced depth at the position and contribute on special teams. Nic Harris is a physical safety drafted in the 5th round out of Oklahoma who will be converted to linebacker and could be a future starter. Alvin Bowen was a 5th round pick a year ago who figures to be back in the mix at LB after missing his rookie season with a knee injury suffered during training camp. Blake Costanzo is a former practice squad player who saw a lot of action with the special teams units last season.

Defensive Backs

Starters: SS Donte Whitner, FS Ko Simpson, CB Terrence McGee, CB Leodis McKelvin
Backups: SS Bryan Scott, SS John Wendling, FS Jairus Byrd (R), FS George Wilson, CB Ashton Youboty, CB Drayton Florence, CB Reggie Corner, Cary Harris (R), Ellis Lankster (R)

Starting DBs: Donte Whitner was taken with a top-10 draft pick in 2006 and although he hasn't made nearly enough big plays to justify that pick, he is a leader and valuable member of the defense. The Bills have moved him to free safety at times to try and put him in a better position to make plays, but not much has worked as seen by his 2 career interceptions in 43 games. Ko Simpson was largely a disappointment last year after showing promise as a rookie. He played in all 16 games but failed to record a single interception and will likely need to earn the starting job during the preseason. Terrence McGee has been one of the most consistent fantasy CBs in the league over the past 5 years. He is a small but physical corner who fits very well in the Bills defense who also happens to be entering the last year of his contract. Leodis McKelvin was the highest-rated cornerback in last year's draft and the Bills selected him 11th overall. It took him some time to adjust but he finished the season strong and has the potential to develop into an elite fantasy CB. The loss of Jabari Greer in free agency to the Saints will open up a starting spot for him.

Backup DBs: Bryan Scott is an experienced veteran who played a significant role for the Bills last year. He was often used at strong safety, where his size and cover skills made him a tough matchup for opposing tight ends. John Wendling is an athletic player entering his 3rd year whose contributions have primarily come on special teams. Jairus Byrd is a ballhawk who the Bills drafted in the 2nd round out of Oregon. Although he played cornerback in college, the Bills are expected to convert him to safety and give him a chance to compete for the starting free safety job. George Wilson is a former wide receiver who has made a successful transition to safety, although he is best suited as a backup. Ashton Youboty missed most of the season with a foot injury, but he flashed some fantasy potential and will compete for the nickel CB job this year. Drayton Florence was a free agent bust in Jacksonville last year but he is an experienced corner who will also compete for the nickel job. Reggie Corner was a 4th round pick a year ago who showed some potential and could be in the mix for more playing time. Cary Harris and Ellis Lankster were both late round picks this year who should compete for a roster spot but might need to spend some time on the practice squad before contributing.

Last modified: 2009-06-01 09:38:07