Don't Panic
04-25-2010, 02:31 PM
There will most likely be more additions to the Bills roster after today, but we are probably looking at pretty much what our roster will be for 2010 today. I thought it would be a good time to see where we stand heading into the summer.
OFFENSE
QB - Edwards, Fitzpatrick, Brohm, Brown. I really didn't expect a lot of change here, and there wasn't. I know that many feel this area needing big-time shoring up, but I think with the needs we had elsewhere and what was available, the FO decided to see how these guys shake out. A bit surprised we didn't make a play for Campbell yesterday though. I see Fitz as the #2 no matter what. If Brohm can impress in camp, then maybe he challenges Trent for the starting job by opening day. If not, he will be battling Brown for the 3rd string spot. If by chance he does earn the starting job, I wouldn't be surprised to see Edwards cut before September. No matter how you cut it, mediocrity is about the best you can expect from the Bills QB position this year.
RB - Spiller, Jackson, Lynch, Bell. An area of strength becomes an are of dominance... so long as they are blocked for. Hard to say who the starter will be, or if there will even be one, but Spiller looks to get the majority of the touches (20-25/game). Jackson should still be in the mix as the traditional between the tackles back. Lynch looks to be headed elsewhere. If he does stay, I will be very interested to see how Gailey uses this three-headed monster.
WR - Evans, Johnson, Hardy, Parrish, Easley, Jackson. Definitely a lot of opportunity for this group. With Evans being the only established receiver of the bunch, someone is going to have to step up. Chances are Easley won't be ready just yet, so I imagine we'll see Hardy, Jonshon and Jackson battle it out for the #2 WR spot while Parrish takes the #3. I expect Parrish to have a good year now that he has an offensive-minded coach who can take advantage of his talents properly. Still, without a proven QB throwing to them and a quality OL to buy time for them, it is hard to expect much of anything from this group in terms of production. A year of progress would be a victory in my book.
TE - Nelson, Schouman, Stupar. Not a bad bunch, considering their best years are ahead of them. They are a diverse group and should give Gailey added flexibility in play calling. As with the WRs, hard to expect much, but a year of progress would suffice.
OT - Bell, Meredith, Green, Wang, Chambers. Hmmm... these would be great backups! In all seriousness, it's hard to say we're not in trouble when looking at this bunch. There is the potential for them to do well as soon as this year, but that is probably expecting too much. This is the one area I hope OBD is still active with before camp breaks.
OG/C - Wood, Levitre, Calloway, Hangartner. Above average, and our guards are only going to get better. There are other vets who may be in the mix here too, but only as depth. Hard to say who that will be at this stage though.
It's not a group that instills confidence in the average fan, but with better play calling and ball management, they could finish in the middle of the league statistically. The backs should be good for 45-50 touches if Lynch sticks around. Figuring out the LT issue would be a huge boost as well.
DEFENSE
DE - Edwards, Stroud, Carrington, Spencer. Could be a real nice group. Won't dominate, but there is quality and depth. I think Carrington is going to surprise. If Stroud can make the transition we should have little to worry about here.
DT - Troupe, Williams, Harvey, McCargo. Once again, not bad. It remains to be seen whether or not Troupe will be ready to be a day one starter (let's hope so). Williams, if used sparingly, will be very effective. Has McCargo's departure finally come?
OLB - Schobel(?), Maybin, Kelsay, Ellis, Batten. Yikes. Not one proven player at their position in the bunch. Hopes are high for Maybin, and from what little I've heard it seems Batten could make some noise, but still... a LOT of unknown quantities here. Could be where we get burned on D this year.
ILB - Poz, Mitchell, Davis, Harris, Moats. Should be solid. Even if Mitchell gets cut, we still should have above average ILBs. Looking forward to seeing Poz in his true element and if Moats can make some waves early on.
CB - McKelvin, McGhee, Florence, Corner, Youboty. Deepest position on the D. I love this group, and this scheme should fit them well. As with Poz, I think McKelvin is going to shine in this system. Florence as a nickel is about as good as you could ask for.
S - Whitner, Wilson, Byrd, Scott. Another solid group. It will be interesting to see how Edwards uses Whitner this year. I think like Parrish, he will have his best year yet. Even if Byrd's numbers aren't as good as last year, he is always a threat for a big play and opponents will be wary of him in game planning.
The transition will be tough, but not as tough as one would have imagined back in January. Maybin will be key... I know it is only his 2nd year, but dude needs to show we didn't make a mistake drafting him so high. I think this unit grows and gels as the season progress, and I could see them being in the 10-15 range by season's end.
Two steps forward... that should be the theme of the year. This schedule is pretty brutal, so 8-8 is about as good as we can hope for. That is unless Trent Edwards throws for 4000 yards and Aaron Maybin racks up a dozen sacks. Still, we are headed in the right direction, and for that I am happy.
OFFENSE
QB - Edwards, Fitzpatrick, Brohm, Brown. I really didn't expect a lot of change here, and there wasn't. I know that many feel this area needing big-time shoring up, but I think with the needs we had elsewhere and what was available, the FO decided to see how these guys shake out. A bit surprised we didn't make a play for Campbell yesterday though. I see Fitz as the #2 no matter what. If Brohm can impress in camp, then maybe he challenges Trent for the starting job by opening day. If not, he will be battling Brown for the 3rd string spot. If by chance he does earn the starting job, I wouldn't be surprised to see Edwards cut before September. No matter how you cut it, mediocrity is about the best you can expect from the Bills QB position this year.
RB - Spiller, Jackson, Lynch, Bell. An area of strength becomes an are of dominance... so long as they are blocked for. Hard to say who the starter will be, or if there will even be one, but Spiller looks to get the majority of the touches (20-25/game). Jackson should still be in the mix as the traditional between the tackles back. Lynch looks to be headed elsewhere. If he does stay, I will be very interested to see how Gailey uses this three-headed monster.
WR - Evans, Johnson, Hardy, Parrish, Easley, Jackson. Definitely a lot of opportunity for this group. With Evans being the only established receiver of the bunch, someone is going to have to step up. Chances are Easley won't be ready just yet, so I imagine we'll see Hardy, Jonshon and Jackson battle it out for the #2 WR spot while Parrish takes the #3. I expect Parrish to have a good year now that he has an offensive-minded coach who can take advantage of his talents properly. Still, without a proven QB throwing to them and a quality OL to buy time for them, it is hard to expect much of anything from this group in terms of production. A year of progress would be a victory in my book.
TE - Nelson, Schouman, Stupar. Not a bad bunch, considering their best years are ahead of them. They are a diverse group and should give Gailey added flexibility in play calling. As with the WRs, hard to expect much, but a year of progress would suffice.
OT - Bell, Meredith, Green, Wang, Chambers. Hmmm... these would be great backups! In all seriousness, it's hard to say we're not in trouble when looking at this bunch. There is the potential for them to do well as soon as this year, but that is probably expecting too much. This is the one area I hope OBD is still active with before camp breaks.
OG/C - Wood, Levitre, Calloway, Hangartner. Above average, and our guards are only going to get better. There are other vets who may be in the mix here too, but only as depth. Hard to say who that will be at this stage though.
It's not a group that instills confidence in the average fan, but with better play calling and ball management, they could finish in the middle of the league statistically. The backs should be good for 45-50 touches if Lynch sticks around. Figuring out the LT issue would be a huge boost as well.
DEFENSE
DE - Edwards, Stroud, Carrington, Spencer. Could be a real nice group. Won't dominate, but there is quality and depth. I think Carrington is going to surprise. If Stroud can make the transition we should have little to worry about here.
DT - Troupe, Williams, Harvey, McCargo. Once again, not bad. It remains to be seen whether or not Troupe will be ready to be a day one starter (let's hope so). Williams, if used sparingly, will be very effective. Has McCargo's departure finally come?
OLB - Schobel(?), Maybin, Kelsay, Ellis, Batten. Yikes. Not one proven player at their position in the bunch. Hopes are high for Maybin, and from what little I've heard it seems Batten could make some noise, but still... a LOT of unknown quantities here. Could be where we get burned on D this year.
ILB - Poz, Mitchell, Davis, Harris, Moats. Should be solid. Even if Mitchell gets cut, we still should have above average ILBs. Looking forward to seeing Poz in his true element and if Moats can make some waves early on.
CB - McKelvin, McGhee, Florence, Corner, Youboty. Deepest position on the D. I love this group, and this scheme should fit them well. As with Poz, I think McKelvin is going to shine in this system. Florence as a nickel is about as good as you could ask for.
S - Whitner, Wilson, Byrd, Scott. Another solid group. It will be interesting to see how Edwards uses Whitner this year. I think like Parrish, he will have his best year yet. Even if Byrd's numbers aren't as good as last year, he is always a threat for a big play and opponents will be wary of him in game planning.
The transition will be tough, but not as tough as one would have imagined back in January. Maybin will be key... I know it is only his 2nd year, but dude needs to show we didn't make a mistake drafting him so high. I think this unit grows and gels as the season progress, and I could see them being in the 10-15 range by season's end.
Two steps forward... that should be the theme of the year. This schedule is pretty brutal, so 8-8 is about as good as we can hope for. That is unless Trent Edwards throws for 4000 yards and Aaron Maybin racks up a dozen sacks. Still, we are headed in the right direction, and for that I am happy.