The Bills have the longest playoff drought of all teams in the NFL and after firing head coach Rex Ryan and assistant Rob Ryan they are going for a new look. Former Panthers defensive coordinator Sean McDermott will take over as head coach as this below-average team looks to finally make the playoffs.
Arrivals/Departures
Arrivals: Micah Hyde, Patrick DiMarco, Jordan Poyer, Vladimir Ducasse, Andre Holmes, Corey Brown, Mike Tolbert
Departures: Stephon Gilmore, Robert Woods, Aaron Williams, Zach Brown, Corey Graham, Nickell Robey-Coleman, Mike Gillislee
Offence:
Tyrod Taylor remains the quarterback even with rumours swirling around that he would not return, but he took a pay cut to stay. Taylor needs to work on his throwing but he has the legs to make himself a dual-threat quarterback. The Bills offence will rely heavily on the running game as they have one of the best backs with LeSean McCoy. McCoy plays a vey similar style to Barry Sanders due to his quick acceleration and shifty feet. The Bills added two of the few fullbacks left in the game with Patrick DiMarco and Mike Tolbert who will add a new dimension to the offence.
Their number one receiver is still Sammy Watkins who has looked good when he stays healthy which he struggles to do. Rookie second-round pick Zay Jones will be the backup as they hope he will make leaps in his first season, Former Panther Corey Brown and former Raider Andre Holmes were brought in to back them up during free agency. Reliable tight end Charles Clay returns with Nick O'Leary backing him up. The offensive line looks good as elite guard Richie Incognito returns who is best known for his bullying incident in Miami. Veteran Eric Wood will anchor the line at center again with Cordy Glenn protecting Taylor's blindside. John Miller and Dion Dawkins round out the offensive line.
Defence:
The defensive line is the best unit on the Bills defence with one of the best nose tackles in Marcell Dareus anchoring the line. Kyle Williams and Jerry Hughes are passed their prime but they add experience and skill to the unit. The other defensive end spot will go to sophomore Shaq Lawson who underperformed in his rookie year with Adolphus Washington, Ryan Davis and Max Valles serving as backups. In Lorenzo Alexander's first nine years in the NFL he never passed 2.5 sacks in a season but he exploded making the pro bowl last season with 12.5 sacks. His production will probably go down a bit with age though. Last year's second-round pick Reggie Ragland missed the season but he will get a chance to start at middle linebacker with Ramon Humber lining up on his outside with Alexander. If Ragland struggles in his first year Preston Brown will fill in as a good depth player. With the loss of Stephon Gilmore to the division rival Patriots, the Bills drafted Tre'Davious White in the first round to line up with Ronald Darby. Veteran Shareece Wright and Leonard Johnson were added via free agency to provide leadership for the young guys. Micah Hyde and Jordan Poyer were brought in to play safety with Colt Anderson backing them up.
Special Teams:
Dan Carpenter was allowed to walk away after another disappointing season as kicker leading to signing former Seahawks kicker Steven Hauschka. Colton Schmidt will be the punter again while Brandon Tate will continue to excel at returning punts and kickoffs.
Starters:
Offence
|
Defence
|
Sammy Watkins
|
Shaq Lawson
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Zay Jones
|
Marcell Dareus
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Cordy Glenn
|
Kyle Williams
|
| Richie Incognito |
Jerry Hughes
|
Eric Wood
|
Ramon Humber
|
John Miller
|
Reggie Ragland
|
Dion Dawkins
|
Lorenzo Alexander
|
Charles Clay
|
Ronald Darby
|
Tyrod Taylor
|
Micah Hyde
|
Patrick DiMarco
|
Jordan Poyer
|
LeSean McCoy
|
Tre'Davious White
|
2017 Draft:
27. Tre'Davious White
37. Zay Jones
63. Dion Dawkins
163. Matt Milano
171. Nathan Peterman
195. Tanner Vallejo
Top 10 Players:
10. Tyrod Taylor
9. Cordy Glenn
8. Jerry Hughes
7. Kyle Williams
6. Ronald Darby
5. Sammy Watkins
4. Richie Incognito
3. Marcell Dareus
2. Lorenzo Alexander
1. LeSean McCoy
Season Prediction: 4-12 (3rd in AFC East)
Last Year: 7-9
Photo credit for Mike Tolbert goes to http://bleacherreport.com/. LeSean McCoy goes to http://espngo.com/. Marcell Dareus goes to http://www.buffalobills.com/. Tyrod Taylor goes to http://www.foxsports.com/.
