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This segment of the Buffalo Bills’ season review for 2011 deals with the defensive side of the ball. The team itself made a major statement regarding the defense when they fired coordinator George Edwards following the final game and replaced him with Dave Wannstedt. Whether the move was fair or not, the numbers warranted it. Statistically, the defense was worse in almost every category in 2011 than they were the previous year, and the players looked dazed and confused playing the scheme they were using. You have to believe Wannstedt will be able to develop some of the younger players, and here is a position-by-position look at the players he’ll have to work with on the current roster:

Defensive Linemen

Marcell Dareus – he had a decent rookie season, getting better as the year went on. He was forced to play a couple of different positions due to injuries, and was a productive player for the most part, even leading the team in sacks. He will definitely be an anchor of the team’s D-line for years to come.

Kyle Williams – he is a Pro Bowl caliber player and the defense really took a hit when he went down. The defense automatically gets better when he’s back next year, and his return combined with a more experienced Dareus will solidify the interior line.

Torell Troup – he was a second round draft pick and hasn’t played like one so far. Supposedly the coaches liked what they saw from him in training camp, but a nagging back injury hindered his play and he eventually wound up on injured reserve. Next season will be his third with the team and should be a make-or-break year.

Dwan Edwards – a starting defensive end, he’s a servicable player but not much of a difference-maker. This should be a spot that the team looks to upgrade if the opportunity presents itself in either free agency or the draft.

Alex Carrington – the NFL is a copy-cat league, and a current trend is taking players who are natural defensive linemen and moving them to linebacker. The Bills did this with at least 3 players, including Carrington, and I feel it’s hindered his development. He’s shown some pass rush ability in his 2 years on the team, but he hasn’t really progressed. When injuries put him in the starting lineup, back at defensive end, toward the end of the season, I thought he was starting to settle in and play decent football.

Spencer Johnson – another player who has always been an effective piece of the D-line rotation who was moved to LB. He made a big play in the Denver game, but in my mind he is not a linebacker, and the hope here is that Wannstedt returns to a base 4-3 alignment and the natural DEs return to that position.

Chris Kelsay – I’ve never been a big fan of his, and watching him try to cover backs out of the backfield after he was moved to LB was painful. He played the best games I’ve seen him play in his entire career here the last 2 games, and it’ll be interesting to see  if he can thrive in whatever scheme Wannstedt decides to use, hopefully a simplified one. Kelsay is officially listed at LB on the roster, but I’m including him with the defensive linemen, where he belongs.

Kellen Heard – he’s a big body space eater who has worked his way into the interior line rotation, and should make the 2012 roster. Heard is only 26 and should get even better with more experience.

Lionel Dotson – it appears Buddy Nix, in 2011, tried to do for the D-line what he did in 2010 for the O-line – that is, find some gems on the waiver wire to help strengthen the unit. Dotson finished the season on the active roster and saw some playing time but didn’t distinguish himself much.

Jarron Gilbert – a third year player who had cups of coffee with the Bears and Jets, he was signed mostly with an eye toward the 2012 training camp. He’s a fringe player and I don’t give him much chance to make the team next year.

Kyle Moore – his pedigree is similar to Gilbert’s – a fringe player who has kicked around for a couple of years. He did have some game experience, with Tampa Bay, before joining the Bills and made a couple of plays in limited playing time when given the chance. He has some pass rush ability which gives him a shot at sticking on the 2012 roster.

Linebackers

Nick Barnett – a great free agent signing by Nix. He’s a veteran and a leader both on the field and in the locker room, and best of all, is a playmaker. Barnett was without a doubt an upgrade over Paul Posluszny.

Kelvin Sheppard – one of a number of rookies who played their way into the starting lineup as the year progressed. He is a tough physical player who should be a fixture at inside linebacker as long as he continues to improve. If  Wannstedt goes to a 4-3, Sheppard should be the middle backer with Barnett moving outside, where I feel he would excel.

Danny Batten – he was an unknown going into 2011, having missed the entire 2010 season due to injury. I would say he was somewhat of a disappointment in 2011, but still too young to completely write off. Like a lot of players on the defense, next year will be make-or-break for him.

Arthur Moats – he is an enigma. In 2010, he was the top rookie the Bills had, providing some pass rush and even gaining some national notoriety when he sacked Brett Favre, effectively sending him into retirement. Rather than develop into a force in 2011, he wound up mostly on the bench early on, yet later in the year when he got back on the field, provided some pressure on opposing QBs. Wannstedt needs to find a role for this kid that takes advantage of his quickness and playmaking ability.

Andra Davis – he is apparently a great guy in the locker room who has helped the younger players develop, but his playing days look  to be behind him. He may make the club again next year if they decide they need to keep some veteran depth, but I don’t see him being much of a contributor.

Kirk Morrison – actually if the Bills decide they need some veteran depth in 2012, Morrison would be a better option. He’s 4 years younger than Davis and still has a little gas in the tank. He was signed after the season had started, and given a full offseason of OTAs and training camp, should get a great shot at making the 2012 roster.

Shawne Merriman – this experiment has been a total failure so far, but he apparently will be back for one more shot at a comeback next year. I don’t put much stock in him making any contribution.

Reggie Torbor – spent most of 2011 on injured reserve, and doesn’t really fit in the team’s 2012 plans. Their linebacking corps has been loaded with old, recycled veterans the last couple of seasons, and they need to cut ties with some of them and find some players.

Chris White – his rookie year was cut short by injury, but before he got hurt showed some promise. At the very least he should be a good special teams contributor.

Robert Eddins – I haven’t included practice squad players in these reviews, but Eddins was a guy who showed flashes of having the ability to play in the NFL during last year’s preseason. The coaches must have thought along the same lines because they kept him around. He looked to me to be a very hungry player who wants to play in the NFL, and could be a diamond in the rough.

Scott McKillop – he was a post-season “future” free agent signing. A former 5th round pick of the 49ers, he is rehabbing from major knee surgery, but was an All American in college at Pitt, playing for Wannstedt. He has a reputation for being a good special teams player.

Defensive Backs

Jairus Byrd – he had a solid season and was one of a few bright spots on the defense in 2011. He possesses a great combination of ball-hawking skills and tackling ability, and my advice to Wannstedt would be to put him in a role similar to what Pro Bowl safeties Ed Reed and Troy Polomalu play – allow him to do some free-lancing to take advantage of his playmaking ability.

George Wilson – if you’re going to allow Byrd to free-lance, your other safety has to be a solid guy who has the ability to direct the other secondary players into the right spots, and Wilson fits that description. He got to where he is today the hard way, like a lot of other Bills’ players, and in 2011 was a definite upgrade over the previous starter, Donte Whitner.

Aaron Williams – by the end of the season he played his way onto the field, and got better with each game. He made rookie mistakes along the way (some of which looked like confusion from playing a too-complicated scheme) but he is a good cover guy who has physical toughness and good tackling ability, a trait missing from a majority of NFL secondary players these days.

Terrence McGee – he’s a solid player when he’s able to stay on the field, decent in coverage and also a solid tackler, but the Bills just can’t count on him to stay healthy for a full season and should make sure they have plenty of cornerback depth going into training camp.

Bryan Scott – he’s getting up in years and the team will likely look to find a replacement soon, but I still like his versatility and I feel he needs to be on the 2012 roster.

Da’Norris Searcy – he is the obvious replacement for Scott’s role on the team, and was impressive when he got on the field in 2011. A big, physical safety, he should be molded into a guy whose role is to cover the big, effective tight ends around the league (see Rob Gronkowski).

Leodis McKelvin – if he had been drafted in the 3rd or 4th round instead of being a high pick, the perception of him would be completely different. He wound up the season so far down the depth chart that he rarely got on the field with the defense, yet still kept a positive attitude and made major contributions on special teams as a gunner and punt returner. I’d like to see if a simplified scheme that emphasizes players using their physical talents helps his game.

Reggie Corner – he was originally cut at the end of the 2011 preseason but brought back after injuries struck the secondary. I would be surprised if he’s even invited back to training camp next season.

Drayton Florence – a savvy veteran who had his ups and downs this year, he will probably be in for a battle to hold onto a starting spot at cornerback in 2012.

Justin Rogers – a late round draft pick, he worked his way into significant playing time near the season’s end, and made some plays. He also did a great job returning kickoffs which will help him win a roster spot in 2012.

Josh Nesbitt – an undrafted free agent who started out on the practice squad, then was promoted to the regular roster due to injuries. If he makes the 2012 roster, it’ll be due to special teams play.