With progress, slow though it may be, occurring in the labor talks between players and NFL owners, I’m optimistically beginning another chapter in the preseason tome. The initial player analysis and rankings have been put forth. I’ve handed out sweater vests with the appropriate “S” and “B” stitching to designate the sleepers and busts for the year ahead (I’ll shuffle those lists up and set up the return queue once free agency begins en masse). Now, it’s time to take a step back and take a broader perspective and highlight different components of the team.
The series begins in Buffalo, where Chan Gailey looks to work magic behind 2010 fantasy superhero Ryan Fitzpatrick.
Quarterback
The Bills chose to bypass the myriad quarterback options available in the 2011 NFL Draft. As such, 2010 fantasy hero Ryan Fitzpatrick stands under center once again for Chan Gailey’s offense. Fitzpatrick’s cornerback mentality and willingness to take shots downfield made him a fantasy hero. He passed for 3,000 yards with 23 touchdown passes against 15 interceptions (five lost fumbles). His low completion percentage (57.8%) was generated by the necessary heaves downfield and the lack of depth in the receiving corps behind Steve Johnson. That isn’t to say that Fitzpatrick has pinpoint accuracy. I’m just inferring that the running backs will be more involved, particularly C.J. Spiller (see below), and that Fitzpatrick will operate more efficiently in Gailey’s offense this season. The addition of Marcell Dareus to anchor the defensive line should also pay immediate dividends. But, Rome wasn’t built in a day.
Fourth-year player Brian Brohm enters the season as Fitzpatrick’s chief backup. Brohm has attempted 52 passes in his three NFL seasons (27-of-52 for 252 yards with zero touchdowns and five interceptions). There was talk of Brohm ascending to the top spot, but the Harvard product will be back under center and gunning downfield.
Offensive Line
The Bills yielded 24 sacks last season. Fitzpatrick played with better pocket presence, to be sure, but that raw number is impressive given the high number of passing attempts (441). The offensive line will return essentially intact and should benefit from the defensive upgrades made during the NFL Draft. I’ll be curious to see this unit work in year two of Chan Gailey’s regime, particularly if C.J. Spiller is ready to take the next step forward in his development.
Running Back
Fantasy owners climbed aboard the bandwagon of C.J. Spiller last season. The rookie was expected to amass a sizable workload in tandem with Fred Jackson, particularly once Marshawn Lynch departed for Seattle. Instead, Jackson handled the bulk of the carries and Spiller owners were left despondent after reaching for him early. Jackson carried the ball 222 times to Spiller’s total of 74.
Spiller shan’t overrun Jackson outright. He already was a factor in the passing game, catching 24 passes against Jackson’s 31. I do anticipate that we see a more equitable split of the workload and for Gailey to have worked through numerous iterations of new wrinkles to spring Spiller on the edge. He’ll slide in drafts as owners retreat following last year’s disappointment (440 total yards). The upside in Gailey’s system is immense.
Wide Receiver
The Bills’ offense relied heavily on the downfield heroics of Stevie Johnson throughout the 2010 season. Johnson amassed 82 receptions (three or more in 15 of 16 games) and topped 1,000 receiving yards (1,073) with 10 touchdowns, three of which came in that memorable “Why so serious?” game against Cincinnati. He’s the leader of this receiving corps and the obvious beneficiary of the timing improvements with Ryan Fitzpatrick.
The other leader in the receiving corps is long-time Buffalo burner Lee Evans. Evans was relegated to the role of bystander in 2010, as the former fantasy hero produced just 37 receptions and 578 receiving yards. Speculation in Buffalo is that the Bills are working through the playbook to find new ways to get the ball into Evans’ hands instead of relying on the 40-yard long-distance strikes of old. We’ve heard that refrain before, and fantasy owners will take a wait-and-see approach in drafts this summer.
The third leading receiver was Roscoe Parrish, who logged 33 receptions in eight games. He’s an intriguing change-of-pace receiver if sound, but does his best work in the return game.
The Bills are expected to be active to bolster the receiving corps once free agency gets underway. Whether they can land a Plaxico Burress or Braylon Edwards remains to be seen. Perhaps they can bring Terrell Owens back for another run?
Tight End
The tight end position was virtually invisible for the Bills in 2010. Jonathan Stupar was the leading receiver among tight ends with 12 receptions for 111 yards. Shawn Nelson was expected to take on a larger role in 2010, but he was suspended four games for violating the league’s substance abuse policy and appeared in only five games before being shut down because of migraine headaches.
Kicker
Rian Lindell returns to Buffalo for the final season of a five-year contract. He was limited to just 21 field goal attempts in 2010, down 12 from 2009 and 17 from his 2008 efforts. Lindell converted 31-of-32 PATs. He remains a viable long-distance kicker (2-of-5 from 50+ in 2010), but opportunities were few and far between in 2010. Lindell may become a plug-in option down the line as the Bye weeks progress, but owners will need to see some semblance of consistency before jumping onboard.
Defense/ST
The Buffalo defense was sieve-like in 2010. The run defense ranked dead last season at 169.6 yards allowed per game. By way of contrast, the Steelers allowed 62.8 rushing yards per game to lead the league.
To address this issue, the Bills celebrated the availability of defensive tackle Marcell Dareus in the 2011 NFL Draft. Dareus (6-foot-4 and 306 pounds) immediately fortifies the defensive line and gives this unit a new identity against the run.
Dareus was the first of four straight additions to the defense in the draft and one of six overall. Cornerback Aaron Williams (six feet and 205 pounds) was selected in the second round and will crack the rotation in short order.
The Bills also need to find a force to disrupt opposing passing games. They believe that that man will be linebacker Shawne Merriman, a three-time Pro Bowler with 43.5 career sacks. Buffalo generated just 27 sacks last season to tie for 27th in the NFL.
Another piece of the puzzle to be addressed is the contract of safety Donte Whitner. The horrid play of the defensive line forced Whitner to amass 140 tackles (96 solo) in 2010.
