BILLS FANTASY NEWS

February 9, 2006 12:00 PM ET

The Mike Mularkey era ended in Buffalo when the former head coach stepped down shortly after his second year on the job. Mularky apparently was at odds with the direction of the franchise, which also jettisoned president/general manager Tom Donahoe in early January and brought back Marv Levy as the club's top decision-maker.

Levy wanted to follow Mularkey and Gregg Williams—both first-time head coaches—with a more experienced leader, and many speculated the 80-year-old former coach would tab himself for the job. However, after interviewing the recently fired Mike Sherman and Dom Capers, Levy went with Dick Jauron and his 36-50 career mark, most recently augmented by his 1-4 stint as the Lions' interim coach.

Mix in the fact that 87-year-old owner Ralph Wilson has said he wants to get more involved in the day-to-day operations of the club and you've got a real recipe for excitement in Buffalo, rivaling the spiciest of the city's eponymous chicken wings.

Or not.

Still, much of the talent that had Buffalo thinking playoffs last season remains. They'll certainly have to play better than their underachieving 5-11 campaign last year, but we're saying there's a chance.

Needs
On paper, the Bills seem to have things under control. They have a veteran quarterback grooming a talented former first-round pick, a solid running back, quality receivers, and an offensive line that blends early draft pick with veterans who had proven success before signing coming to Buffalo.

That recipe didn't cook up as well as expected last season, and many of the fingers are pointing at the guys up front—specifically Mike Williams, the former first-round pick who started the year at tackle but lost his job and ended up being a reserve guard. He's a $10 million cap hit next year, which is high even for a starting lineman and completely unacceptable for a backup. Center Trey Teague could become an unrestricted free agent, and the potential loss of both he and Williams would leave Buffalo's line with a serious talent void to be filled.

Wide receiver Eric Moulds just restructured his deal, but he too presents a potential double-digit cap hit that the Bills may not be willing to absorb. Lee Evans enters his third year, traditionally the time when receivers step up their play, but he certainly benefits from having the veteran Moulds on the other side of the field.

The Bills need to decide who'll be throwing Evans and possibly Moulds the ball as well; another season of alternating Kelly Holcomb and J.P. Losman does the team no good in the short or long haul. Obviously, the club wants Losman to take the job and run with it, but injuries and a sub-50 percent completion rate last season forced Holcomb into the lineup.

Buffalo should be set at running back with Willis McGahee in the fold, but despite his sub-par year he's already making rumblings about a contract extension. There's little depth behind McGahee, and with so many other holes to fill the Bills can't afford to spend free agent money or a first-day draft pick on a player they hope will be nothing more than insurance.

Defensively, the Bills will need to crack open the vault to resign UFA cornerback Nate Clements, who wants to be paid like one of the top corners in the league—and certainly deserves to be. With money already committed to Lawyer Milloy and Troy Vincent in the secondary, it may be tough for Buffalo to cough up the money necessary to keep Clements in town.

Salary Cap Situation
The Bills are approximately $10 million under the projected $92 million salary cap for 2006, according to NFL.com.

Unrestricted Free Agents
QB Shane Matthews, WR Sam Aiken, C Trey Teague, DT Ron Edwards, DT Justin Bannan, DE Ryan Denney, CB Nate Clements, CB Kevin Thomes, LS Mike Schneck

Restricted Free Agents
LB Mario Haggan, LB Angelo Crowell, LB Josh Stamer

Free Agent Signings
None.

The Draft
Don't be surprised if the Bills go big on the first day of the upcoming draft. While offensive line is their most pressing need, unless D'Brickashaw Ferguson miraculously falls to them or they reach for Winston Justice with the eighth pick the Bills will likely select a defensive player in the first round and hope a quality offensive lineman like Eric Winston, or Max Jean-Gilles remains on the board when they pick in the second round, 40th overall.

Many mock drafts show Buffalo targeting defensive tackle Haloti Ngata with their first pick, and the 6-5, 338 pound former Oregon Duck would certainly fill the hole in Buffalo's defense left by the departure of Pat Williams following the 2004 season. The Bills could also look at an edge rusher like Mario Williams or Mathias Kiwanuka, but their biggest needs remain inside.

Injury Watch
Losman was banged around quite a bit last season, playing in just nine games due to shoulder, thigh, and knee injuries as well as general incompetence. Holcomb missed a couple games with a concussion, but he'll have plenty of time to shake off the cobwebs before minicamp. The passing game should get a boost from the return of tight end Kevin Everett, who tore knee ligaments in minicamp and missed his entire rookie season. If the Bills use a first-day pick to dip into this draft's deep pool of tight end talent, you can take it as a sign they don't believe Everett will be a) healthy or b) the answer to their needs at the position. Linebacker Takeo Spikes, who ruptured his Achilles' tendon in late September and missed the rest of the season, is already off crutches and into his rehab; his return would certainly turn around a once-proud defense that took several giant steps backwards in 2005.

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