Last season it seemed the Buffalo Bills just could not make up their minds. Was it going to be incumbent J.P. Losman or rookie Trent Edwards at quarterback? Were they going to use Lee Evans as a deep threat or a possession receiver? Should Marshawn Lynch get all the carries or should he share with Fred Jackson and Anthony Thomas? And between all the indecision, the Bills managed to finish with a 7-9 overall record, and failed to meet the expectations of many people who felt they should have been a playoff team in 2007.
However, the biggest story of the Bills’ season was the injury to tight end Kevin Everett on a kickoff return in the first game of the season. You only needed to see the play once to know that Everett was severely injured, paralyzed from the neck down. After an experimental surgery, Everett had not only regained feeling in his extremities but he eventually walked again, making for a nice ending to what looked to be a tragic story.
Heading into the 2008 season, the Bills have the playmakers in Lynch and Evans to warrant some serious fantasy football attention, but the questions remains, how long will they let Edwards go before they flip the switch and call on the guy that the Bruno Boys Fantasy Football staff calls "Just Pathetic" Losman?
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Key Departures
Anthony Thomas (RB) — With the emergence of Lynch, losing Anthony Thomas won’t hurt the Bills all that much, but the reality is that Thomas is the only departure that could be considered ‘key’. Thomas was somewhat of a goal line back for the Bills in 2006 but saw his role diminish last season, gaining just 89 yards on 36 carries and no touchdowns. Not that he was much of a gamebreaker two years ago anyway as he gained just 378 yards on 107 carries and two touchdowns in 2006. Plus, with the emergence of Fred Jackson, it made the A-Train expandable, as Jackson is quicker, more agile and a better pass catching running back.
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Key Additions
Courtney Anderson (TE) — Again, with the Bills remaining quiet in free agency, the signing of the former Oakland Raiders and Detroit Lions tight end is one of the only key additions at this point. Anderson had a few decent season for the Raiders before last year where he played in just two games for the Lions. His best season came in 2005 when he caught 24 passes for 303 yards and three touchdowns.
Marcus Stroud (DE) and Kawika Mitchell (LB) — The Bills are doing a good job at rebuilding their defense without spending a ton of money. Stroud and Mitchell are instant upgrades for Buffalo and gives the Bills playmakers at every level on the defensive side of the football. Also, with Stroud and Mitchell combining for 5.5 sacks in 2007, it should help improve a defense that had just 26 sacks in 16 games last season.
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2008 Bruno Boys Crystal Ball
Trent Edwards (QB) — It appears the Bills have settled on Edwards as their quarterback and for good reason; they won with him under center. The problem with Edwards is his completion percentage dropped considerably from his first five games (66.1 percent) to his last four games (43.7 percent). Additionally, all seven of his touchdowns last year came in just three of the 10 games he played in. However, Edwards often displayed poise in the pocket that most other rookies dream of. The potential is there and the Bruno Boys feel that he should start delivering on that potential this year. Still, he has just 10 games of experience under his belt and will continue to experience some growing pains. Expect about 3,000 yards 15 touchdowns and 15 interceptions, which is similar to what current San Francisco 49ers quarterback Alex Smith did during his sophomore season.
J.P. Losman (QB) — With Edwards taking over, the Losman era has officially come to an end in Buffalo. Still, should Edwards go down, Losman would make for a serviceable backup. His relationship with wide receiver Lee Evans could be good for two touchdowns against the right defense, so he might be worth keeping an eye on. Also, the first time you see Edwards struggling, you might want to grab Losman on the waiver wire, as the Bills are used to playing musical chairs at the quarterback position.
Marshawn Lynch (RB) — Lynch did just about what was expected of him in his rookie season but now he’ll be counted on to do more. And it’s realistic to expect his numbers to rise in just about every category. In his first eight games last year, Lynch had no 100-yard games and average over 4 yards a carry just once. In the second half of the season, he had three 100-yard games and 4.4 yards per carry and that came in just six games. He essentially got better and stronger as the season went on so it’s safe to bank on 1,400 yards and 12-13 touchdowns. Plus, us Bruno Boys like consistency, and Lynch never scored less than 7 fantasy football points in a game last season.
Lee Evans (WR) — Evans had an atrocious start to the 2007 season, catching just 12 passes and no touchdowns in his first five games. Things picked up a bit in the second half of the season, but overall it year was a small disappointment for Evans and the people who picked in fantasy drafts. Evans and Edwards weren’t always on the same page and it will be interesting to see if he can develop the same rapport he had with Losman. For now, play it conservative and expect a repeat of 2007 for Evans.
Josh Reed (WR) — In 2007 we learned that Reed can catch the ball after he caught the second most passes (51 receptions) in a season since 2003. Unfortunately he added no touchdowns. In real deep leagues, or in leagues that reward receptions, Reed can be considered an option. Other than that, he should be kept on your leagues waiver wire, as you can't count on anything more than 45 catches for 460 yards and one touchdown.
Roscoe Parrish (WR) — Parrish had his best season both as a receiver and as a kick returner, gaining 792 combined yards with two touchdowns. Parrish has increased his number of receptions by about 10 each year and it’d be beneficial for head coach Dick Jauron to try and continue that trend this season. Expect around 40 receptions for 430 yards and two touchdowns as well as 30 kick/punt returns for 450 yards and one touchdown.
Robert Royal (TE) — Royal quietly had a solid season at tight end for the Bills, setting career highs in receptions (25) and yards (248) while catching three touchdowns. With the addition of Courtney Anderson, the Bills will have viable receiving options at both tight end spots, which should open up the offense. Expect 30 receptions, for around 275-300 receiving yards and 3-4 touchdowns. Not great numbers, but Royal is always a red zone threat, and can be used as an adequate bye week fill-in.
Courtney Anderson (TE) — Anderson showed his potential when he was with the Raiders and there’s no doubt that Jauron and the Bills want to get Anderson involved in the passing game immediately. Anderson is slightly better at extending the play than Royal, so expect about 20-25 catches for 300 yards and two touchdowns. Now let's just up he stays healthy.
Rian Lindell (K) — Scoring 96 points, Lindell had his worst season since 2003, his first with the Bills. But the problem wasn’t Lindell, as he connected on 88.9 percent of his field goal attempts for the second-best mark of his career. Instead it was simply the Bills offense. While a lot of that will depend on how Edwards progresses this season, a return to triple digits can be assured.
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Rookies to Watch
James Hardy (WR) — Getting this tall possession receiver in the second round was a pretty good coup for the Bills as a lot of teams had the former Indiana standout as a first round pick on their draft boards. Hardy provides a perfect complement to Lee Evans and Josh Reed and should immediately help open up the passing game for quarterback Trent Edwards. Unfortunately, this likely also means more opportunities for Evans and Reed and not so many for Hardy.
Hardy’s size (6 feet, 7 inches) and good hands make him a good candidate to contribute right away. However, with inexperience at quarterback combined with the fact that most receivers don’t do much until their second year in the league makes Hardy a bench guy at the most until he proves otherwise.
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Other Team Capsules
NFC WEST - ARI I STL I SF I SEA
NFC SOUTH - ATL I CAR I NO I TB
NFC NORTH - CHI I DET I GB I MIN
NFC EAST - DAL I NYG I PHI I WAS
AFC WEST - DEN I KC I OAK I SD
AFC SOUTH - HOU I IND I JAX I TEN
AFC NORTH - BAL I CIN I CLE I PIT
AFC EAST - BUF I MIA I NE I NYJ