Can Fine, other vet additions make a difference? (Photo Source)

Prior to the 2008 NFL Draft - in fact, prior to the free agent signing period of this past March - we took a look at the Buffalo Bills' roster position by position, breaking down then-current personnel, finding holes, and building our community needs list.

Now that free agency and the Draft have been completed, and the Bills have infused their roster with new talent, it's time to repeat our process.  Where has Buffalo gotten better?  Where have they gotten worse?  How will additions impact which Bills veterans remain on the roster?  These are questions that we'll attempt to answer over the next week or so.

We continue those discussions today with an examination of Buffalo's stable of tight ends and fullbacks.  To view our previous discussions on Buffalo's TE situation (pre-off-season), bang it here.

Robert Royal: Once considered the most mediocre starter on Buffalo's offense, Royal... well... still holds that distinction, at least in my eyes.  Don't get me wrong, I think Royal is a good player to have on this team - he's a good blocker, a good guy to have on the sidelines, and a solid character guy.  But he's not a starting-caliber tight end in the NFL, and he'll hold that role in Buffalo again in 2008.

Royal is a nice short-area target for Trent Edwards but needs to become far more consistent both catching and securing the ball.  He's not a big-play threat, either.  Royal would be an ideal #2 tight end for red zone work and his blocking ability (see: Bruener, Mark), but unfortunately he'll play above that role for yet another season.

Derek Schouman: A seventh-round draft pick in 2007, Schouman was released prior to the season, added to the team's practice squad, and elevated to the regular roster after a slew of injuries at tight end.  He ended up on IR himself, and faces a fierce battle for a roster spot with so many players vying for so few roster spots at tight end and fullback.  Schouman may be able to play both, however; if he can, he might have a leg up on the competition.

Tim Massaquoi: Another in-season 2007 addition for the Bills, Massaquoi is a longshot to make the roster.  He does have some special teams potential, however, and may be a guy who gets a call back to Buffalo in the event a guy on the roster goes down.

The Additions: Courtney Anderson, Teyo Johnson, Derek Fine
We clung to the vain hope all off-season that the Bills would search for impact at the tight end position.  They courted big names like Alge Crumpler and were very high on Dustin Keller and Fred Davis on draft day, but ultimately, the Bills chose size as their consolation prize to a difference-maker.  Both Anderson and Johnson stand at 6'6", giving the Bills much more red zone potential at the position than they employed a year ago.  Fine (6'3") seems the likely replacement for Royal in a year or two while playing special teams early in his career.  The Bills have talent at the position, but don't employ one guy who can block, catch and stretch a defense vertically.  That element has been missing from Buffalo's offense for a long time.

The Subtractions: Michael Gaines, Kevin Everett, Ryan Neufeld
Gaines provided solid production as a mid-season street free agent signing, but was snapped up early in the free agent signing period as a blocking back for the Detroit Lions.  Neufeld, a special teams ace as a Bill, was a UFA and the team chose not to re-sign him, while Everett's devastating injury has turned into a touching story on a national level.

Jonathan Evans: People tend to forget that in terms of Bills fullbacks, it's Evans who is the longest-tenured fullback on Buffalo's roster (he spent part of '07 on the team's practice squad).  With two new guys in the fold, however - and the team keeping two fullbacks at a maximum - Evans is seemingly a longshot to make the roster.

The Additions: Darian Barnes, Mike Viti
Barnes is an NFL veteran who signed a one-year deal in January; he's known as a solid blocker and an OK special teams player, but offers little else.  Viti has already gained recognition with the fan base, hailing from the Army and checking into Buffalo with his hard hat and lunch pail in tow.  Barnes and Viti seem the two most likely candidates to start at fullback; the loser may not even make the roster.

The Subtractions: None.

Pre-Season Outlook: Unlike 2007, tight end and fullback are no longer one morphed-together "H-Back" position in Buffalo.  Turk Schonert's new offensive scheme will bring back the traditional blocking back, and Buffalo's tight ends will focus on more traditional tight end roles.

As it stands right now, only two of the nine players mentioned here - Royal and Fine - are virtual locks to be on the opening day roster.  The other seven may be fighting for as few as two positions, though three seems more likely.  One thing is certain - this position is a crap shoot, and all of these players have a lot to prove, even if they do make the roster.

Change: Red zone size.

As always, your thoughts on Buffalo's tight end and fullback situation are welcome and encouraged in the comments section.

Mitchell adds size, versatility to LB corps (Photo Source)

Last season, despite a rash of injuries, rookies at quarterback and running back, and incredibly long odds, the Buffalo Bills were playing for their playoff lives in Week 15.  In that game, which took place in Cleveland, the Bills were shut out in a winter storm.  That day, the rather large Browns pushed the Bills around the field of play like blocking sleds.

The following week, history repeated itself.  After taking a 14-0 lead on the eventual Super Bowl champion New York Giants, the aptly named champions used their size and toughness to overpower the Bills after heavy rains and wind infiltrated Ralph Wilson Stadium.  Take away those 14 points - which were scored before the harsh weather hit Buffalo that day - and in two successive weeks, the tiny Bills had been outscored 46-7 in weather that was supposed to be to their advantage, not their undoing.

Simply put, the Bills weren't big enough.  Playing a Cover 2 defense, the Bills for two years focused on bringing in small, quick athletes.  This off-season, that changed.  For two years, Buffalo watched opposing defensive coordinators blanket Lee Evans and dare one of the team's other sub-6'0" receivers to beat them.  This off-season, that changed.  The Bills have gotten bigger in five key areas this off-season:

WIDE RECEIVER
At no other position was it as important for the Bills to get bigger than it was at wideout.  Gone is veteran Peerless Price, whose 5'11" frame made no one consider him on game day.  Enter rookie James Hardy, an imposing 6'5" red zone threat whose mere presence will need to be game-planned for.  Seventh-round draft pick Steve Johnson (6'2") also has nice size, which could allow him to stick even considering his low draft status.

TIGHT END
Last season, the Bills' biggest tight end was current starter Robert Royal (6'4", 255).  Royal is very average-sized when it comes to NFL tight ends, and he's not an ideal red zone threat.  6'4", 245 pound Ryan Neufeld and 6'3", 277 pound Michael Gaines are gone; they've been replaced by two 6'6" giants in Courtney Anderson and Teyo Johnson.  Neither of the two imports are world-beaters as receivers, but they do give the Bills taller red zone options than they had last year.  They will be assets in the red zone if one or both makes the team.  Rookie TE Derek Fine (6'3", 255) will be the between-the-twenties receiving tight end.

DEFENSIVE TACKLE
Buffalo's biggest off-season addition - literally and figuratively - came at defensive tackle, where 6'6", 310-pound Marcus Stroud replaces Larry Tripplett, whose 6'2", 293-pound frame made him a great liability defending the run.  Buffalo's top three defensive tackles now average 308 pounds between them (as opposed to 302 last year), and the fact that Stroud is a much more stout defender that plays with outstanding leverage increases the effects of the size gain up front.

LINEBACKER
We'll set aside the fact that the Bills will be gaining 10 pounds at inside linebacker when Paul Posluszny re-takes his starting job from the very active John DiGiorgio.  The big change comes at weak side linebacker, where 6'1", 253-pound free agent signing Kawika Mitchell replaces the passive, 229-pound Keith Ellison.  Last season, Buffalo's starting linebackers weighed in at an average of 238 pounds.  They've added 7 to that number this off-season.  Weighing in at 245 across the board, Buffalo's linebackers are now much more equipped to shed blocks in this Cover 2 scheme.

CORNERBACK
After watching the New England Patriots score nine aerial touchdowns in just two meeting last year, the Bills needed bigger corners to match up with the likes of Randy Moss.  First-round draft pick Leodis McKelvin isn't huge, but at a shade under 5'11", he's already taller than Buffalo's two starting corners from last year.  Free agent addition William James gives the Bills a large, physical slot presence as well, as his 6'0", 200-pound frame is ideal for redirecting small slot receivers (like New England's Wes Welker) from their intended course.  These size changes are subtle, but should help.