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Football's Future
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Team Needs: BUFFALO BILLS
Like most thrill rides, the 2004 Bills season started slow and bumpy,
thrilled fans in the middle, and came to an abrupt halt at its conclusion.
The campaign started with painful losses to Jacksonville, Oakland, the
Patriots and the Jets, crippling high preseason expectations. Then, sparked
by Willis McGahee and the number two rated defense in the NFL, the Bills
reeled off 9 wins in their next 11 games only to lose the season finale to
the Steelers 29-24 and miss the Playoffs by one game. Bills fans can be
encouraged that the team showed plenty of improvement under the guidance of
rookie Head Coach Mike Mularkey and looks poised for a solid run in 2005.
First year Head Coach Mike Mularkey is joined by Offensive Coordinator Tom
Clements and Defensive Coordinator Jerry Gray. The rest of the staff boasts
experienced minds like Bobby April who turned around the Special Teams, Jim
McNally who is one of the best offensive line coaches in the League and QB
Coach Sam Wyche, who coached the Bengals to the Super Bowl in 1988. It’s a
dynamic group of wisdom and youthful exuberance.
Despite the presence of a 12-year veteran the quarterback position will be
up for grabs. Drew Bledsoe finished the year with his worst QB Rating
(76.7) in seven seasons. Backup J.P. Losman can certainly hand the ball to
McGahee as well as Bledsoe did but he also provides more athleticism as the
signal caller. The Bills like Losman’s ability to create out of the pocket
and this added dimension that might land Bledsoe in a backup role or perhaps
somewhere like Dallas playing for his former coach Bill Parcells.
The offensive line finally came together under Coach Jim McNally. Free
agent Left Tackle Jonas Jennings will probably take more money elsewhere but
the Bills can fill that void by moving Trey Teague from Center to Left
Tackle. Ross Tucker played well at Center when Teague missed time and will
likely be the snapper next season. Mike Williams started to play like the
4th overall selection and big things are expected from him in 2005.
Wide receiver remains a concern despite the fact that rookie Lee Evans had a
breakout year. Moulds remains a premier wideout and this tandem combined to
catch 136 passes for 1,886 yards and 14 scores. But Josh Reed was sub par
in the slot position, averaging only one catch per game and zero touchdowns.
Tight end is a concern after Mark Campbell and Tim Euhus both went down
with knee injuries. They should recover fully by training camp but some
Tight End insurance is clearly needed.
The defense might lose free agent Tackle Pat Williams but it is still filled
with Pro Bowlers Takeo Spikes and Sam Adams, as well as emerging stars like
Nate Clements and Terrence McGee. Veteran leadership is provided by Lawyer
Milloy, London Fletcher, and Troy Vincent (now a safety due to McGee’s
stellar play at corner). Free agents Rashad Baker and Jabari Greer have
added nice depth to the defensive backfield and Chris Kelsay solidified the
Left Defensive End position opposite Aaron Schobel. The Bills should make a
concerted effort to sign Williams and keep the NFL’s #2 ranked defense
together. Buffalo has a championship caliber defense and they will give the
Bills a chance to win on a weekly basis.
Terrence McGee is headed to Hawaii as a Kick Return specialist. The 2nd
year pro averaged 26.3 yards per return and reached the end zone three
times, a Bills record. Brian Moorman is one of the better punters in the
League and seems to have mastered the tricky weather conditions in Western
New York. Those are the two reasons why the Bills Special Teams ranked
first in the League in 2004. Place kicker Rian Lindell, on the other hand,
is a huge liability. The Bills rarely try a kick from 40+ yards. Despite
making 24 of 28 kicks this season he seems to miss at the most inopportune
times.
Travis Henry is not happy with his diminished role on the team and with the
permission of Donahoe, he and his agent are actively seeking a trade.
Unfortunately for the Bills and Henry the draft is loaded with the likes of
Carnell Williams and Ronnie Brown from Auburn, Cedric Benson from Texas, and
Vernand Morency of Oklahoma State. The free agent market also boasts stars
like Shaun Alexander and Rudi Johnson. Teams interested in Henry include
Miami, Oakland, Arizona and Tampa Bay. I wouldn’t be surprised to see the
Bucs deal for Henry as Tampa Bay holds 11 overall picks and four in the top
100 this April. The Bills selected Travis 48th overall out of Tennessee and
will take something similar in return.
Potentially without Henry and Bledsoe, the Bills still believe they are a
playoff team in the waiting. They will look to a solid run game, a
dominating defense and a strong special teams unit to get to the Postseason.
Many believe Losman will be an upgrade to the aging Bledsoe and trading
Henry will allow the Bills to address a key need in the draft. The AFC East
boasts the Patriots and it’s hard to see New England anywhere else but first
place but Buffalo has a good chance of finishing ahead of the Jets and
gaining a postseason berth for the first time since 1999.
Positions of Need:
KICKER: Despite Bledsoe’s poor game against the Steelers you can argue that
the momentum shifted when Lindell’s kick sailed wide from 28 yards out. The
Steelers scored a few plays later to take the lead for good. Had Lindell
made the chip shot momentum stays with the Bills and I might be writing
about the Bills in the Postseason.
WIDE RECEIVER: Moulds and Lee Evans provide the one-two punch that reminds
Bills fans of Moulds and Peerless before Price’s career went south,
literally, in a trade with Atlanta. But without a threat in the slot,
defenses can focus on taking away either Moulds or Evans and this offense
isn’t as dangerous.
TIGHT END: A blocker is more important than a catcher assuming the Bills
address the slot receiver. Buffalo might address this position through free
agency and trust that Campbell and Euhus recover fully.
OFFENSIVE LINE: Jonas Jennings should be playing for the Falcons in 2005.
That means the Bills need to provide obtain more depth on their O-line. The
Bills are blessed with players that can play multiple positions so getting
the best athlete available would be a good idea.
DEFENSIVE LINE: Hopefully Pat Williams will resign with Buffalo but he’s
going to command top dollar on the free agent market. Ron Edwards and
Justin Bannan have played well in rotation and the Bills are high on 2004
third round pick, Tim Anderson from Ohio State.
Potential Draft Day Selections – Below are some players to look for. They
are listed alphabetically:
David Baas OL Michigan
Marion Barber III RB Minnesota
Mark Clayton WR Oklahoma
Fred Gibson WR Georgia
Michael Munoz OT Tennessee
Mike Nugent K Ohio State
Mike Patterson DT USC
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