Buffalo Bills Team Needs
By: Jason Chernofsky
Defensive Tackle
The Bills clearly missed Big Pat Williams this past season as they fell from 7th in rush defense to 31st, and allowed nearly 40 more rush yards per game. They also fell from 4th in the league in sacks to 13th. Tim Anderson didn't look like the great player that the Bills hoped he would be, and now with Sam Adams cut, and Ron Edwards slated to be a free agent, the Bills are in serious trouble with their interior DL. They need more of a run-stuffer than an undertackle, so Haloti Ngata of Oregon would fit in round 1, and there are a few free agent options too. Ma'ake Kemoeatu is a relatively proven and rising youngster, but the Ravens look to bring him back. I could see them going after Ryan Pickett, who has disappointed with the Rams, but has all of the tools needed to be a great defensive tackle. If neither of them are fits, Grady Jackson and Russell Davis are big guys who could plug holes pretty well themselves, but aren't as young as Pickett or Kemoeatu.
Tight End
A Bills tight end hasn't had a succesful season since Riemersma caught 53 for 590 from Van Pelt and Johnson in 2001. They desperately need an upgrade to make Losman's job a little bit easier. Their top option, Mark Campbell, is a free agent, so they really have no starting options right now. Maryland's Vernon Davis may fall to the 8th overall pick, and they would likely scoop him up if he did, but if not, other options include Jeb Putzier, who was a Broncos cap casualty, and a few guys that should be available in rounds 2-3, namely UCLA's Marcedes Lewis, USC's Dominique Byrd, and Anthony Fasano of Notre Dame fame.
Safety
With Lawyer Milloy cut, that leaves them with a 35 year old Troy Vincent as the only reliable starter, and he won't be getting any younger. They could pick up a free agent stong safety, such as former Ram Adam Archuleta, or former Titan Tank Williams, but they need youth at FS, so they should also be adding a safety at somepoint in the draft. Michael Huff is worth a long look in round 1, although Daniel Bullocks or Donte Whitner would make sense in round 2, while later round options include Jahmile Addae and Marcus Demps.
Offensive Line
With Mike Williams officially achieving bust status, the Bills need to move on. Jason Peters seems to be a lock to return as a starter, and is a very solid one at that, but the Bills need help with the rest of the line. Mike Gandy is a poor starting option at tackle, but he may be a solid guard fit if given the chance. Bennie Anderson could be back as a starter, but he can be easily upgraded over, and he could be cut. As for right guard, Chris Villarrial seems to be a solid enough starter, but wasn't very good last season. With the Bills not too interested in re-signing Trey Teague, Duke Preston should take over at center, and he is a risky starter, as he has little experience starting.
So, what do they do? They will probablty stick Peters at one of the tackle positions (left or right) and Preston at center. They could move Gandy back to guard, which would leave Anderson and Villarrial fighting for the other spot, and would seem to help them out a bit there. However, no matter how they work it out, they have a strong need at tackle, and they could use an upgrade at guard, and possibly center as well, as Preston is a risk. They could look for a tackle as high as round 1, where Winston Justice will be available, but it seems more likely that they will land Andy Whitworth or Daryn Colledge in round 2.
Wide Reciever
With Moulds all but cut, the Bills will likely have a serious need opposite Lee Evans at WR. Josh Reed is a free agent, and Roscoe Parrish is by no means ready to start, nor is he really starting material. They could look to upgrade via the draft, but I think free agency is the better route, as they really need more of a veteran presence to replace Moulds. Even afterwards, they need some depth, either through the draft or free agency, and that is the case even if Moulds stays, as they would then need a young guy to eventually replace him as a starter.
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