Front Office / Coaching
Any critiques of the past regime would be a moot point since they’re all gone, so fans will have to wait and see what kind of players the team begins to accumulate under new GM Doug Whaley and coach Doug Marrone. One thing about the new regime – they certainly aren’t afraid to cut ties with the recent past and move on with new players, while at the same time embracing the past teams and eras that were successful. Veteran leaders like Ryan Fitzpatrick, George Wilson, Nick Barnett, Bryan Scott, David Nelson, Donald Jones, Terrence McGee, Rian Lindell, Andy Levitre and Corey McIntyre were jettisoned, while other vets like Fred Jackson, Scott Chandler, Erik Pears and Arthur Moats were selectively kept around. Instead of keeping the status quo and trying to build around it, the club seems perfectly comfortable going into the season with new, and unknown, quantities in important positions, like quarterback, the receiving and linebacking corps, and in the kicking game. Marrone deserves credit for having the guts to do that in this era of extreme coaching carousels in the NFL. Also, the team moved from relying on old coaching retreads like Gailey and Dave Wannstedt to young, fresh coordinators in Nathaniel Hackett (offense) and Mike Pettine (defense). The team may or may not get any better, but things will at least certainly be different in 2013.
Offense
Hackett plans on running an up-tempo, fast -paced offense and will have to do it with a rookie quarterback at the helm, a stable of young, inexperienced receivers and an offensive line that isn’t used to the fast pace and doesn’t appear to have much depth if injuries start to pile up. The team didn’t show much in preseason but if their offense looks anything like what they showed flashes of in the opening exhibition game against the Colts, they could be exciting and enjoyable to watch. They need to take advantage, early in the season, of the fact that their opponents won’t have much of a book on them to game-plan how to stop them. They also have to make a point of working hard to establish an efficient running game. They certainly have the backs to accomplish it.
Defense
The same thing can be said for Pettine’s defense as the team’s offense – they didn’t show much in preseason, and need to use the uncertainty of what they plan on doing to get off to a good start. It’s encouraging that they plan on being aggressive, but the past regime said the same thing, and Wannstedt’s unit was very vanilla and among the worst in franchise history. Talk is cheap. Fitzpatrick took a lot of flak from fans for not producing more wins, but in my mind the offense was adequate most of the time. It was the defense that cost them most games.
Special Teams
The Bills should be fairly solid on special teams this season, as they transition from veterans Lindell and Brian Moorman to younger, stronger legs in the kicking game. Still, those stronger legs – punter Shawn Powell and kicker Dustin Hopkins – need to prove they can kick in the swirling Ralph Wilson Stadium winds in November and December. There are all kinds of options on the roster to use in the return game, so the Bills have talent and depth there.
Here’s a position-by-position look at the Bills’ roster going into the 2013 season:
Quarterback
QB E.J. Manuel
The Bills may have planned on breaking in top draft pick EJ Manuel slowly as their franchise quarterback, but that option disappeared when Kevin Kolb suffered a concussion in preseason. So now Manuel will do what has become the norm in the NFL – take the reins of his team in his rookie year. Not only that, another rookie, undrafted Jeff Tuel, will serve as the primary – actually the only – backup. Both Manuel and Tuel showed flashes of brilliance in the exhibition games, but are unproven when the real bullets fly. Still, despite their inexperience, most Bills’ fans will certainly prefer the potential of the two rookies over another season of Fitzpatrick and Tyler Thigpen.
Running Back
RB C.J. Spiller
Marrone and Hackett have stated that they want to stretch the field with long passes more often this year, but it shouldn’t be a surprise if, in the end, the emphasis of the team’s attack is on the running game. C.J. Spiller has to be a focal point of the offense, and has to be on the field at key times in games this year, not on the sidelines because, as Gailey said last season, “it was Fred’s turn”. Jackson and Tashard Choice will be great complimentary backs, and using both Spiller and Jackson at the same time should be an option, but Spiller has to be an important weapon in both the running and passing game. The club will also feature a new blocking back at fullback – undrafted rookie Frank Summers.
Receivers
WR Robert Woods
Other than Stevie Johnson and tight end Scott Chandler, the Bills’ receiving corps will feature mostly new players. The best of the newcomers, and most likely to start opposite Johnson, is rookie second round pick Robert Woods. He is described as “NFL ready” and hopefully he is. The players who should be the options for “stretching the field” are T.J. Graham, who looks vastly improved, and rookie speedster Marquise Goodwin. Marcus Easley, who’s been around for a few years but rarely healthy, may as well be a newcomer. He can be an important cog in the passing game if he can stay healthy. Chris Hogan is the other new receiver. Backing up Chandler are veteran Lee Smith, strictly a blocker, and rookie draft pick Chris Gragg.
Offensive Line
OT Erik Pears
The offensive line wasn’t very deep last season, and now they don’t have Levitre or Chris Hairston, who is on the non-football illness list. Injuries here could ruin the club’s season, and it didn’t help to have guard Doug Legursky hurt in the final exhibition. The starting five is a solid unit with Eric Wood at center, Kraig Urbik and Colin Brown at guards, Cordy Glenn and Erik Pears at tackle. Behind them is mostly uncertainty with unproven players like Sam Young, Thomas Welch (who is good for a mistake a game so far in his short career) and Legursky. Chances are that some players who aren’t even on the team’s roster now will be in the starting lineup on the O-line later in the year.
Defensive Line
DE Alex Carrington
There’s no way a defensive unit with the talent the Bills have on the defensive line should have fared as badly as they did in 2012. The team has potential Pro Bowlers in Kyle and Mario Williams, an up-and-comer in Marcell Dareus and a solid, improving veteran in Alex Carrington. The new coordinator, Pettine, has to put both Williams’ in position to make plays, and do what needs to be done to develop Dareus into the impact player he needs to be. The depth for this unit is provided by three new additions to the team in Alan Branch, Jay Ross and Corbin Bryant, replacing the departed Chris Kelsay and Spencer Johnson.
Linebackers
LB Kiko Alonso
The Bills’ linebacking corps, like the receiving corps on offense, has undergone an extreme makeover from last year. Gone are players like Nick Barnett (cut) and Kelvin Sheppard (traded) – replaced by faster players with more range, like Manny Lawson, Jerry Hughes, Marcus Dowtin, Jamal Westerman and rookie Kiko Alonso. Hughes looks like a much better player than the guy he was traded for (Sheppard), and he and Dowtin should help provide some pass rush off the edges. Returning vets Nigel Bradham and Arthur Moats round out the ‘backers. Alonso is a very intriguing prospect, as he is a tall, rangy linebacker who reminds me of Hall of Famer Ted “The Mad Stork” Hendricks. He has the look of a playmaker.
Defensive Backs
S Aaron Williams
The Bills’ chances of improving on defense took a major blow when Stephon Gilmore went down with an injury that will keep him out 6-8 weeks. Gilmore was being counted on to develop into a “lockdown” cornerback who would be a cornerstone of the unit. Now the team has to count on getting decent production from some guys who haven’t necessarily distinguished themselves with their ability to cover receivers – players like Leodis McKelvin, Justin Rogers and Ron Brooks, and newcomers like Nickell Robey and Brandon Burton, who was just added to the roster after being cut by Minnesota. There are a lot of question marks at safety also. Jairus Byrd, who should be one of the unit’s stars, is sulking over being hit with the franchise tag and it’s a mystery how much and how well he’ll play going into the regular season. Aaron Williams, moved to safety this year after being drafted as a corner, hasn’t distinguished himself. Neither has another draftee from last year – Da’Norris Searcy. It may not be long before returning veteran Jim Leonard plays himself into the lineup. The club also drafted two new safeties in Duke Williams and Jonathan Meeks. Will they try to develop one of them to phase out Byrd if he remains a problem?
Overview
If nothing else, this is going to be an interesting season for a team that hasn’t been able to escape the losing doldrums for over a decade. They may not even match their predecessor’s six wins, or they could soar to a playoff spot. At this point they are a complete unknown, and could go either way, or land somewhere in the middle. Hopefully they at least show some progress as the season goes on, and the new players like Manuel, Woods, Goodwin and Alonso give the fans some hope for the future.
It’s become a tradition for this post to include, for any Bills fans who need to get psyched a little more for the start of the season, the link below:
Buffalo Bills – Shout Song
