Buffalo Bills draft preview (Offense)

By Connor Byrne  |   Thursday, April 27, 2006  |  Comments( 0 )

Buffalo Bills
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With the NFL Draft just two days away, it's time to really begin in earnest to think about what positions the Buffalo Bills will need to address on both sides of the ball. In this installment I'll analyze their offensive needs position-by-position.

The Bills' offense finished 24th in points scored and 29th in yardage last year, so there's no doubt it needs quite a bit of help. This offseason, they've signed free agent tight end Robert Royal, center Melvin Fowler, right guard Aaron Gibson, and receivers Peerless Price and Andre' Davis. From their roster, they've re-signed offensive tackle/guard Greg Jerman and receiver Josh Reed. Still, there are plenty of areas on the Bills' offense that need addressing this weekend.

Quarterback: Currently, the Bills have three quarterbacks on their roster in Kelly Holcomb, J.P. Losman and Craig Nall. They also own the rights to Tory Woodbury and Craig Ochs, two NFL Europe products. Thus, it seems quite unlikely they'll select a quarterback this weekend, unless it's in the latter rounds. If Vanderbilt's Jay Cutler is available at No. 8 when the Bills select, the Buffalo fans should hold their breath because GM Marv Levy might not pass him up.

Running back: This is a big-time position of need going into this weekend for Buffalo. The Bills have their starter set in Willis McGahee, but after that everything's up in the air. Shaud Williams and Lionel Gates are the Bills' next two backs, but they may want to look at a mid-rounder such as ex-Mississippi State back Jerious Norwood, Wali Lundy, formerly of Virginia, or former Tennessee back Gerald Riggs, Jr.

Fullback: There's actually an outside chance this position will be addressed for the Bills this weekend. They bring veteran Daimon Shelton and the younger Jon Goldsberry, but there's no guarantees they're happy with either. However, what may end up happening is keeping Shelton intact, but lining up Robert Royal at the position occasionally as tight end Brandon Manumaleuna did in St. Louis under new Bills offensive coordinator Steve Fairchild.

Tight end: Much like the quarterback position the Bills have a surplus at tight end with Royal, second-year man Kevin Everett, Tim Euhus, Ryan Neufeld and Brad Cieslak. The only way the Bills will draft a tight end this weekend is if Maryland product Vernon Davis is still available at eighth overall; he might be too good for Levy to pass up in that spot, but he'll almost certainly be gone by No. 6.

Wide receiver: The Bills also have a surplus at this position, but it's not filled with elite players. Lee Evans and Peerless Price are the starters right now, Andre' Davis, Roscoe Parrish and Josh Reed will fight for the slot position, and Sam Aiken will fight for the No. 4 position. If the Bills see someone they like on late day one, such as Notre Dame product Maurice Stovall, they may grab him.

Left tackle: With Virginia's D'Brickashaw Ferguson and USC's Winston Justice possibly available when the Bills select, they may find their bookend for the next decade. Ferguson could be gone as early as second, but if he falls past fifth, you might as well hand him a Bills hat. Justice could go to the Bills at the earliest, but he's a possibility in Arizona at No. 10, Philadelphia at 14 and Miami at 16. The best thing about the former Trojan is the fact that the Bills can probably trade down a few spots and pick him, as long as the Cardinals don't take him. St. Louis at No. 10 and Baltimore at 13 could be possible trading partners. There's always a chance Levy likes the Bills' incumbent left tackle, Mike Gandy. Greg Jerman is Gandy's backup, so the Bills clearly need some depth at this position. Daryn Colledge, Guy Whimper, Andrew Whitworth, Jeremy Trueblood and Ryan O'Callaghan could all be possibilities for Buffalo on Day One, which would give them a tackle to groom for the future.

Left guard: This is among the Buffalo Bills' biggest areas of concern right now. Veteran Bennie Anderson is the starter, but he was absolutely awful last season. The organization hasn't shown a ton of faith in second-year man Duke Preston, but it wouldn't be shocking if he won the job. The Bills' best bets are Charles Spencer from Pittsburgh, Davin Joseph from Oklahoma and Deuce Lutui from USC in Rounds Two or Three.

Center: The Bills signed former Minnesota Vikings reserve Melvin Fowler to a four-year, $7.2 million deal last month, which makes it unlikely they'll spend any sort of high-round pick on the position. Chris Chester from Oklahoma is a possibility in the middle rounds, but they may elect to go with Justin Geisinger and Preston as the backups. However, if the best center in the draft, Ohio State's Nick Mangold, is somehow available with the Bills' second-round pick, all bets are off. They pick 42nd, so there's almost no chance of that happening.

Right guard: One of the Bills' best linemen, Chris Villarial, is the penciled in starter at this spot, but he'll be 33 in June. Buffalo's backups are Jason Thomas and Aaron Gibson, a duo that's never proven anything at the NFL level. Thus, they may find themselves in a position to draft a right guard, such as Adam Stenavich of Michigan. The Wolverines have produced great linemen in the past, which would make the Bills wise to take a look at Stenavich with a mid-round pick.

Right tackle: The Bills' most talented lineman, Jason Peters, is etched in at this spot, so don't look for them to address it with any kind of high draft choice. Dylan McFarland and Matt Morgan are the backups. There's an outside shot for a late-round pick, but it won't be someone who makes an impact on the roster next year.

Thus, those are some of the Buffalo Bills' biggest positions of need in the upcoming draft, and some of the areas they seem set at. They have 10 picks in all, which will give them a chance to draft plenty of offensive talent. Tomorrow I'll be back with a defensive preview.

--Connor Byrne can be reached at cbyrne@realfootball365.com
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