Evaluating the Bills’ offensive personnel (Part IV)

By Connor Byrne  |   Friday, February 10, 2006  |  Comments( 0 )

Buffalo Bills
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Thursday, in the first part of my evaluation of the Buffalo Bills' offense, I took a look at the team's reserves. In doing so, I decided which players deserved to maintain their spots on the Bills' roster, and which ought to seek employment with another team.

Today, I'll analyze the Bills' offensive starters. Undoubtedly, some will end up elsewhere, while some will maintain their jobs in Buffalo.

Quarterback-

Ten-year veteran Kelly Holcomb started eight of the Bills' games last season and did a solid job. The former Cleveland Browns' backup compiled a record of 4-4, with a solid QB rating of 85.6. However, he does not possess the arm strength to go deep, or the legs to pose a threat as a runner. Verdict: The Bills' new offensive coordinator, Steve Fairchild, has an affinity for J.P. Losman and that will more than likely lead to Holcomb returning to his duties as the team's backup quarterback. Realistically, a Holcomb-led team probably isn't going to do any better than 8-8. The best thing for the Bills to do is see if they have themselves a franchise quarterback in Losman.

Running back-

Former Miami Hurricanes star Willis McGahee turned in a fairly disappointing performance in the 2005 season. After a strong season in 2004, it was expected that McGahee would compete for the NFL's rushing and touchdown title. Unfortunately, he averaged just 3.8 yards per carry and scored only five touchdowns. McGahee was tremendous in the season's first half, but fell off after he proclaimed himself to be the NFL's best running back. He's got a long way to go to pass the likes of LaDainian Tomlinson, Larry Johnson, Shaun Alexander, and Edgerrin James. Verdict: There is not necessarily any guarantees that McGahee will still be on the Bills' roster next season. He's already calling for a bigger contract, and that could pose a problem for the organization. New GM Marv Levy called for character players but McGahee's character can be easily questioned based on the past year's shenanigans. Despite these issues, the Bills should still stick with McGahee for at least one more season.

Fullback-

33-year old Daimon Shelton struggled mightily in 2005 as the Bills' starting fullback. His blocking was sub-par by his standards, and he took too many key penalties. The reason he continued to start was because the Bills did not have anyone else on the roster that could have started instead. Shelton is still under contract with the Bills, but his future is up in the air. His saving grace could be the fact that his former head coach in Chicago, Dick Jauron, is now the Bills' head coach. Verdict: The fullback is a dying position in the league. The Bills should strongly consider cutting Shelton, and maybe even cutting the position in general in favor of a predominantly single-back set.

Wide receiver-

32-year old Eric Moulds wrote another chapter in a stellar career as he recorded a team-high 81 catches in 2005. He's been a special receiver throughout his career. Someone who can catch a boatload of passes, block, and for the most part, be a good teammate who goes about his business quietly on the field. However, Moulds came under fire in 2005 for his blatant criticism of Losman. That criticism damaged Losman's psyche, and angered many of the team's fans. It all culminated in Moulds' disagreement with the Bills' offensive coaching staff in week 13's loss to Miami, leading to a one-game suspension. Verdict: Moulds' cap number is far too large for him to remain in Buffalo at his current contract. Will he restructure to finish his career in Buffalo? That may be doubtful at this point. He's already redone his contract on multiple occasions, he is not a Losman fan, and he may want to go to someplace like Dallas or Washington where it will be easier to win. Moulds' career in Buffalo is all but over at this point.

2005 was a year of inconsistency for sophomore receiver Lee Evans. The 2004 first-round pick started the season slowly, but ended with a bang in November and December. The inconsistency was undoubtedly not his fault, but the fault of the coaching staff's inability to involve him, and the instability at the quarterback position. Evans has world-class speed and has incredibly good hands. If it's thrown his way, he'll catch it nine times out of ten. Verdict: With Moulds' likely departure, Evans is in position to take over as the Bills' top receiver. Evans certainly has the talent to become one of the AFC's best receivers in 2006.

Tight end-

Mark Campbell was barely utilized at all last season in the Bills' offense. In this day and age of athletic tight ends like Tony Gonzalez and Antonio Gates, Campbell hardly fits in. He doesn't possess the speed or hands to be one of the league's better tight ends. Verdict: Still under contract, Campbell will likely return to the Bills as their second tight end. Second-year man Kevin Everett will be the Bills' go-to tight end.

Left tackle-

In his first season as the Bills' tackle, veteran Mike Gandy did an adequate job. On rare occasions Gandy would get beaten by an opposing lineman, but for the most part, he did a nice job of protecting the quarterback. His run-blocking certainly needs work at this point. Still, the ex-Bear did show a decent amount of promise. Verdict: Gandy is a cheap option for the Bills at this point. He's not a great player, but he manages to get along nicely. The Bills can save money by keeping Gandy at left tackle, and spending money on other positions that need more help.

Left guard-

Former Baltimore Raven Bennie Anderson had a nightmare season in 2005. He was probably the Bills' worst lineman, but maintained his status in the starting lineup because the team's depth was so poor. He signed a free-agent contract prior to 2005 that clearly ended up being a mistake for the Bills. His run and pass-blocking are horrendous. Also, the amount of penalties Anderson took were inexcusable. Verdict: The Bills would be wise to release Anderson, take a minimal cap hit, and look to free agency, the draft, or backup Duke Preston.

Center-

Highly-expensive veteran Trey Teague disappointed yet again in 2005. His blocking as a whole leaves a great deal to be desired. In fairness to Teague, his natural position is tackle, so he doesn't get all the blame. However, after spending the last four years as the Bills' center, it is natural to expect some kind of improvement. Unfortunately for the Bills, that was not the case with the ex-Denver Bronco. Verdict: The 31-year old Teague is an unrestricted free-agent and probably will not be re-signed by the Bills. Expect Buffalo to make a big-time push for New Orleans Saints' Pro Bowler LeCharles Bentley. There is also a reasonable possibility that the Bills could turn to Preston, a versatile, young backup.

Right guard-

2005 was one of veteran Chris Villarial's worst seasons. The former Chicago Bear struggled mightily with his blocking, and much like the Bills' other linemen, took too many penalties. Still, he is one of the Bills' better linemen, and it might cost the team too much to release him at this point. Villarial greatly respects Jauron, and that could lead to a better performance in 2006. Verdict: The Bills should give the veteran Villarial one more year to prove he can still play at a reasonably high-level. Nobody is expecting a trip to Honolulu, but some stability would be nice.

Right tackle-

Undoubtedly the Bills' best and most promising lineman, second-year man Jason Peters shined in 2005. The former undrafted tight end from Alabama gelled nicely into the position, and learned a lot from line coach extraordinaire Jim McNally. Peters is a strong blocker and he has solid discipline as well. Peters taking a penalty was a rarity for Buffalo last year. Verdict: Peters is a restricted free-agent who may garner offers from other teams. The Bills should and will match any reasonable offers that come Peters' way this off-season. He won't get paid any astronomical amount, but should receive a decent stipend.

The Bills' offense clearly needs some help this off-season. As I noted on Thursday, Buffalo's offensive depth is poor, and that is going to need a facelift in the coming months. There is a real possibility that the Buffalo Bills could have as many as 6-8 new offensive starters from the end of last season to the beginning of 2006.

Questions? You can reach Connor via e-mail at cbyrne@realfootball365.com
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