Buffalo Bills 2006 Preview
After a disappointing 5-11 finish to a year that looked like it could have been promising, it seemed clear that changes were in the air in Buffalo. Both sides of the ball needed re-vamping, and it certainly came. Gone are OL Bennie Anderson (free agency, to Miami), DTs Justin Bannan (free agency, to Baltimore) and Sam Adams (free agency, Cincinnati), and once-standout but now aging S Lawyer Milloy (free agency, Atlanta).
The biggest cut to the team was the trade of WR Eric Moulds to Houston, marking the end of any piece of the Jim Kelly era in Buffalo.
New in town are faces like DT Larry Tripplett, S Matt Bowen, WR Andre Davis, TE Robert Royal C Melvin Fowler, OGs Aaron Gibson and Tutan Reyes, QB Craig Nall, and the beginning of the second tenure of WR Peerless Price, although he is hardly considered as peerless as he was when he left.
The draft brought S Donte Whitner, DT John McCargo, CB Ashton Youboty, and S Ko Simpson, among others. How all of these new pieces will work for Buffalo, especially with new head coach Dick Jauron in town (coach of the 13-3 Chicago Bears in 2001), remains to be seen, but it looks like the beginnings of a promising future in Buffalo.
Offense
Quarterback: The biggest change here is the three-way QB battle going into training camp. 2004 first-rounder J.P. Losman was a disappointment last year, but had his bright spots and there is a feeling that he could still become a good NFL QB with time and seasoning.
10-year veteran Kelly Holcomb started the 2005 season as the backup to Losman, but became the starter partway through the year and starts tentatively at the top of the depth chart in training camp. Fifth-year vet Craig Nall has spent his entire career behind the legendary Brett Favre, and the Bills are hoping that the experience translates into a quality starter as it did in the past with Mark Brunnell and Matt Hasselback.
Whoever wins the job will have to show good leadership as well as the ability to execute the new offense with a minimum of mistakes. Expect Holcomb to take the job at least early on, with Losman and Nall getting looks down the road should the team struggle.
Running Back and Full Back: The starter's role is firmly held by Willis McGahee, who returns to health after a rocky and injury-plagued 2005 season. Who will be behind him remains to be seen.
The Bills brought in RB Anthony Thomas, one of Jauron's Bears and a disappointment since Jauron's firing in Chicago, to compete with second- and third-year players Lionel Gates and Shaud Williams for the backup role. If Thomas wins the spot, expect Gates and Williams to duke it out for a third-down role, with the better special-teams contributor in camp having the early edge.
No matter how it winds up, however, Buffalo's depth at RB should be much better than it was last season. At fullback, Daimon Shelton is still the starter, and even though the team brought in Alan Ricard and Jon Goldberg, it will take an astounding effort from either player to unseat Shelton or backup Joe Burns, who's value increases with his ability to be a solid short-yardage running back and special-teams contributor.
Wide Receiver and Tight End: With longtime No. 1 Eric Moulds gone, former first-round pick and third-year receiver Lee Evans is now the primary target for whoever winds up starting at QB. An electrically quick receiver, Evans really just needs to work on getting consistent separation from opposing defensive backs.
The No. 2 and slot receiver jobs are wide open, with Peerless Price, Josh Reed, and Andre Davis being the primary competitors. Roscoe Parrish and Jonathan Smith are also expected to work for the slot position.
Consistent play will be key for the Bills' receivers, something that has marred their performance in recent years, but whether or not they achieve that will hinge on QB play more than ever this season. It's a talented group, so good things can be expected.
At tight end, Robert Royal was brought in as much for his blocking as anything, but he can be a valuable short-range and red zone target with his size. Kevin Everett lost his rookie season to a knee injury that continued to slow him in mini-camps, so no one is quite sure what to expect from him this season. That aside, he is very athletically gifted and wowed a lot of people in camps last year before going down.
The third spot is expected to go to Ryan Neufeld again, an above average blocker and a good special-teamer. Overall, it's not an astounding TE unit for Buffalo, but it is solid and will get the job done.
Offensive Line: This much-maligned unit in 2005 got a much-needed overhaul for the 2006 season, replacing underachieving LG Bennie Anderson and C Trey Teague with Tutan Reyes and Melvin Fowler. The depth has also been re-vamped, with rookie Brad Butler and Aaron Gibson joining the depth chart as guys who can swing between OT and OG.
The biggest cut to the team was the trade of WR Eric Moulds to Houston, marking the end of any piece of the Jim Kelly era in Buffalo.
New in town are faces like DT Larry Tripplett, S Matt Bowen, WR Andre Davis, TE Robert Royal C Melvin Fowler, OGs Aaron Gibson and Tutan Reyes, QB Craig Nall, and the beginning of the second tenure of WR Peerless Price, although he is hardly considered as peerless as he was when he left.
The draft brought S Donte Whitner, DT John McCargo, CB Ashton Youboty, and S Ko Simpson, among others. How all of these new pieces will work for Buffalo, especially with new head coach Dick Jauron in town (coach of the 13-3 Chicago Bears in 2001), remains to be seen, but it looks like the beginnings of a promising future in Buffalo.
Offense
Quarterback: The biggest change here is the three-way QB battle going into training camp. 2004 first-rounder J.P. Losman was a disappointment last year, but had his bright spots and there is a feeling that he could still become a good NFL QB with time and seasoning.
10-year veteran Kelly Holcomb started the 2005 season as the backup to Losman, but became the starter partway through the year and starts tentatively at the top of the depth chart in training camp. Fifth-year vet Craig Nall has spent his entire career behind the legendary Brett Favre, and the Bills are hoping that the experience translates into a quality starter as it did in the past with Mark Brunnell and Matt Hasselback.
Whoever wins the job will have to show good leadership as well as the ability to execute the new offense with a minimum of mistakes. Expect Holcomb to take the job at least early on, with Losman and Nall getting looks down the road should the team struggle.
Running Back and Full Back: The starter's role is firmly held by Willis McGahee, who returns to health after a rocky and injury-plagued 2005 season. Who will be behind him remains to be seen.
The Bills brought in RB Anthony Thomas, one of Jauron's Bears and a disappointment since Jauron's firing in Chicago, to compete with second- and third-year players Lionel Gates and Shaud Williams for the backup role. If Thomas wins the spot, expect Gates and Williams to duke it out for a third-down role, with the better special-teams contributor in camp having the early edge.
No matter how it winds up, however, Buffalo's depth at RB should be much better than it was last season. At fullback, Daimon Shelton is still the starter, and even though the team brought in Alan Ricard and Jon Goldberg, it will take an astounding effort from either player to unseat Shelton or backup Joe Burns, who's value increases with his ability to be a solid short-yardage running back and special-teams contributor.
Wide Receiver and Tight End: With longtime No. 1 Eric Moulds gone, former first-round pick and third-year receiver Lee Evans is now the primary target for whoever winds up starting at QB. An electrically quick receiver, Evans really just needs to work on getting consistent separation from opposing defensive backs.
The No. 2 and slot receiver jobs are wide open, with Peerless Price, Josh Reed, and Andre Davis being the primary competitors. Roscoe Parrish and Jonathan Smith are also expected to work for the slot position.
Consistent play will be key for the Bills' receivers, something that has marred their performance in recent years, but whether or not they achieve that will hinge on QB play more than ever this season. It's a talented group, so good things can be expected.
At tight end, Robert Royal was brought in as much for his blocking as anything, but he can be a valuable short-range and red zone target with his size. Kevin Everett lost his rookie season to a knee injury that continued to slow him in mini-camps, so no one is quite sure what to expect from him this season. That aside, he is very athletically gifted and wowed a lot of people in camps last year before going down.
The third spot is expected to go to Ryan Neufeld again, an above average blocker and a good special-teamer. Overall, it's not an astounding TE unit for Buffalo, but it is solid and will get the job done.
Offensive Line: This much-maligned unit in 2005 got a much-needed overhaul for the 2006 season, replacing underachieving LG Bennie Anderson and C Trey Teague with Tutan Reyes and Melvin Fowler. The depth has also been re-vamped, with rookie Brad Butler and Aaron Gibson joining the depth chart as guys who can swing between OT and OG.
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