For the third straight season in 2008, the Buffalo Bills finished 7-9 under coach Dick Jauron.  Last season was a bit different, as the team won five of their first six, before dropping eight of their final ten.  They were unable to win a game within the competitive and tough AFC East, which led directly to their demise, as they were 7-3 outside the division.  The team suffered through another string of injuries, and a definitive inability to punch the ball in once getting into the red zone.  These are all pratfalls that the Bills will look to avoid or overcome in 2009 in order to be a more successful club, and avoid a decade long playoff drought.

To that end, the Bills have been moderately proactive in free agency, and still have some cards to play should they want to make a deal before the draft later this month.  Ryan Fitzpatrick is the new backup QB, coming over from Cincinnati after starting a good chunk of the 2008 season when Carson Palmer was shelved with an elbow problem.  Fitzpatrick is intelligent, having gone to Harvard, mobile, and can work in the Bills system.  He replaces J.P. Losman, who to me was nothing more than another Rob Johnson.  Losman suffered by having my dreaded three I's of quarterbacking:  indecisive, inefficient, and ineffective.  Idiotic would work too if you were looking for a different choice.  Losman is still out looking for a job, and it might take him a while.

One of the biggest problems for the Bills last season was finding a competent threat to play opposite Lee Evans.  Evans was routinely double covered or had opponents roll safety help to his side in order to shut him down.  Let's face it, Josh Reed, Roscoe Parrish, and James Hardy weren't striking fear in the hearts of opponents.  To that end, and in a move that set the NFL community abuzz, Buffalo went out and signed talented, yet temperamental wide receiver Terrell Owens to a one year deal.  Owens in the past two seasons, Owens caught one fewer touchdown himself (25) than all the Bills combined through the air (26).  Couple that with his size and ability to make plays, and the Bills passing game just got that much more dangerous.  Owens also makes plays in the red zone, which means moving the chains and putting 7 up instead of 3.

The other major problem was on the offensive line.  Duke Preston sucked at center, and his play was summed up by a play just before halftime in the finale against New England.  With the Bills out of timeouts and in the red zone, Preston kept going after Vince Wilfork and refused to stop.  The referee, as by rule, did not stop the clock from winding down in order to get the ball spotted and Buffalo came up empty.  He also was ill equipped to stop the big defensive tackles like Kris Jenkins that are in the division.  Preston since has signed with Green Bay, and tried to act tough, but came off as a petulant child.   He made a statement that he was glad to go to Green Bay because "they were perennial contenders."  Note to Preston:  Green Bay was 6-10, finishing third in the NFC North, ahead of the winless Lions.  Way to be on the ball there.  Couple that with the fact that the Packers gave him a 2 year, $2 million deal with NO guaranteed money and a $150,000 signing bonus and it shows that there wasn't much interest in him.  Geoff Hangartner was brought in from Carolina to man the position.  Hangartner has versatility, having played guard as well, which will help the Bills. 

Derrick Dockery, he of the largest contract in Bills history, was a bust last season, giving up a ton of sacks and looking as bad as Bennie Anderson did after he came over from Baltimore.  Not sure what his problem was, but he went back to Washington in free agency after being cut loose by the Bills.  That leaves his partner in crime on the left side of the line, Jason Peters.  Peters held out last season looking for more money.  This went on all through training camp right up until a couple days before the season opener with the Seahawks, by which point Peters was out about 600 grand in fines for his absence.  When he came back, he was far from the dominant player that he was in 2007, as he was beaten routinely on the edge, and failed to protect Trent Edwards' blind side.

Now, we're looking at the same road, as Peters wants to be the highest paid left tackle in the NFL.  That's right:  Peters wants in the neighborhood of $11 plus million a year.  Never mind the fact he was out of shape last season, or the fact that the Bills still have him under contract for two more seasons.  You have to prove your worth in order to get the bucks.  That is how it's always been.  Peters needs to show he is worth more money to get it.  If he is going to have this attitude, it might be better for Buffalo to deal him, and get some value out of the deal.  There has been interest for Peters, and should Buffalo be able to pick up a first and another decent choice for him, it would give the team the opportunity to get a decent lineman in the draft and still address one of their other needs with the other first round choice.  Either Peters softens his stance, or he might find himself out of town.  Pretty hefty demands for a guy who was an undrafted free agent that played tight end at Arkansas.

Defensively, the Bills didn't lose much from last season.  Jabari Greer left via free agency to New Orleans, who were desperate to get a corner, and gave Greer $23 million over four years.  Not bad for another undrafted free agent, who missed the last six games last year with a knee injury.  The Bills will probably plug last year's first round pick, Leodis McKelvin, into the role.  McKelvin is an extremely talented athlete, who was explosive on kick returns, and did return one of his two picks for a score, plus a kickoff on Monday night against Cleveland.  The Bills added Drayton Florence to replace the loss of Greer, and he'll probably be the nickel back. 

So far, so good when you look at the grand scheme of things.  Owens gives Edwards another threat receiving wise, which will make him and Lee Evans better.  It should open holes for the tandem of Marshawn Lynch, should he avoid a long term suspension, and Fred Jackson on the running game.  The defense will benefit from a healthy Aaron Schobel, and hopefully a pass rushing defensive end in the draft.  The linebackers are stout, and the safety tandem of Donte Whitner and Ko Simpson deliver teeth rattling shots with regularity.  The special teams group run by Bobby April is second to none.

The big issues are as follows:  Can the Bills and Peters reach an agreement, or deal him before the draft to address that need?  Can Lynch avoid off the field issues after this and focus on being the franchise running back in Buffalo?  Will Owens be able to stay on a tight leash and help this team develop into a contender?  Will the Bills pull the trigger and try to get a TE via trade, or will they go after Brandon Pettigrew from Oklahoma State?  There are rumblings that Bus Cook, the same agent for Jay Cutler and Brett Favre, was in town recently talking to Bills management.  It is rumored that Tony Scheffler wants out of Denver, and he a more than competent pass catching tight end threat.  Scheffler, who caught 40 balls for 645 yards and three scores last year, is on the block because he doesn't fit in Josh McDaniels' offensive scheme, as he relies more on tight ends who can pass block.  Scheffler is 6'5 and can stretch the sea, evidenced by a 72 yard grab and run last season.  He could be had most likely for no more than a third round choice.  I'd like to see the Bills make a move here.

We'll stay on top of any and all Bills news as it comes out, so stay tuned.