I made it back from my trip in better shape than I had hoped (I credit the first class seats…) so I got right on the Chiefs game. Besides, I had kept track of the game whenever I wasn’t on a plane throughout the day on my Crackberry and I was anxious to figure out how the Bills had hung 50+ points on anyone. Lynch, Jackson, Evans and Edwards all had pretty good statistical days but that couldn’t explain the scoring production.

The Chiefs helped the cause by turning the ball over 4 times. Yes, it’s officially 5 but that was the last play of the first half so it didn’t really have an impact on the game. One of the turnovers led directly to points while the others contributed. More to the point, the Bills had awesome field position all day long. The average starting position was on Buffalo’s 47.9 yard line. That’s just terrific work by the defense and special teams units.

I am always curious to see how much pressure defenses are bringing to bear on the offense. The Chiefs, following the pattern established by the Jets, Dolphins, Patriots and Browns didn’t blitz at all in the first half. With the game slipping away, the Browns blitzed 5 of 16 (31.3%) passes in the second half. Edwards, as he tends to do against the blitz, made them pay. He was 4-4 for 38 yards and 2 first downs and scrambled once for 11 yards and another first down. If Buffalo can put teams into positions where the defense feels compelled to blitz, Edwards will carve them up—much as he did during the first four weeks of the season. Naturally, this means jumping up on teams early which Buffalo hasn’t done this season.

The Chiefs run a 4-3 but they’re a bad 4-3. As a result, they had 8 in the box on 15 of 31 (48.4%) run plays. To give you an idea of how bad their defense is, the Bills gained 77 yards and 1 TD on the 15 plays in which the Chiefs had 8 in the box. That’s an eye popping 5.1 ypa—with 8 in the box! By way of comparison, the Bills picked up 59 yards on the other 16 run plays—a more reasonable 3.7 ypa. Basically, when the Chiefs stacked the box they tended to give up more big plays (25, 17,  14) because there was no one left to limit the gain. Jackson and Lynch routinely broke tackles, making the 8th man in the box more of a liability than an asset. Against better defenses, that won’t be the case. Fortunately, the 49ers don’t have one of the better defenses in the league…even though I don’t see many people shaking off Willis once he’s latched on.

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Welcome back Brad Butler! Oh, how you have been missed.  Also, welcome back Pro Bowl form Jason Peters. Where have you been hiding?

I was one of those people who was completely mystified by Derek Fine’s selection in the draft. I thought we pretty much already had him on the roster under another name (Derek Schouman) and really wanted Buffalo to pick up a stud FB with that pick. Ooops. While the FB position remains an issue Corey (McIntyre does make contact—an improvement over Barnes—but he either plows into the backs of teammates or fails to stop a defender even when he generates a good pop.) I’m seeing why Buffalo expended a pick on Fine. He’s a hell of a blocker. He was on the field more than Robert Royal, which kind of suggests that Royal’s days in Buffalo are numbered. He won’t blow anyone away with his receiving numbers (he had one catch for 6 yards and couldn’t dig an errant Trent Edwards’ throw out of the dirt) but he’s tenacious in the trenches.

I don’t think I’ve ever seen a game in which a defense didn’t blitz at all. Ever. Well, I have now. They never sent more than 4 defenders and only sent that many on 10 of 30 (33.3%) of pass plays. Edwards faced 8 man coverage schemes 66.7% of the time. The Browns also didn’t stack the box often—just 5 of 36 (13.9%) of the time. On those runs (5, 10, 26, 33, 36) the Bills picked up (3, 19, -1, 1 TD, 2) 24 yards, or 4.8 ypa. That sort of defense just screams run, and run Buffalo did—6 more times than they passed.

We all (I think) acknowledge that Duke Preston isn’t a starting quality center. While Buffalo had their most productive game on the ground (180 yards), Preston had an absolutely miserable game. He had 2 good run plays, 15 decent ones, an eye-popping 19 bad ones and 4 killed plays. That grades out at a horrible 65.5%. Rogers bent him over and made Preston his woman….even when Preston initially had help from Derrick Dockery or Butler.  While I have heaped scorn (well deserved, I think) on Dick Jauron for his uber-conservative play calling at the end of the game, I hadn’t yet realized how badly Preston played on that final series. He helped kill that drive and Buffalo’s chances of winning the game. My guess is that Jauron told him the center job is his to lose—and he’s lost it. Look for Buffalo to finally address the position in the off-season, quite possibly through free agency AND the draft.

Fair warning: I will be on the east coast over the Thanksgiving holiday so I almost certainly won’t be able to break down this Sunday’s game until sometime down the road. I’m guessing it will be something I do over Christmas break….after I get back from Vegas.

The rest of my rambling is after the jump, which Kurupt was nice enough to tell me how to do....

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The Cardinals game was certainly a disappointing showing by the Bills. Any time you give up 5 sacks you’re going to have a hard time winning. The line certainly didn’t cover itself with glory on run plays. They didn’t get much help from the coaching staff. With all that being said, I think it’s pretty clear that the defense lost this game for the Bills. The offense--despite giving up sacks, committing penalties, overthrown receivers and dropped balls--averaged 28 yards per drive. That’s enough time for the defense to have a chance to catch their collective breath and to, at the least, flip field position. The defense allowed an abysmal 60% conversion rate on 3^rd down and 50% on 4^th down. Unlike games in previous years, the offense didn’t leave the defense hanging: the defense did that almost all by itself. (As an aside, George Wilson gets my game ball for biggest idiot. I thought it was beyond stupid for him to hold up his fist on 4^th down when his team was getting clobbered and the Cardinals were moving essentially at will. Help out the refs when you’re winning or, at the very least, still in the game, goober.) Moving on…

Watching the game I thought the Cardinals blitzed far more often than they did. Would you believe they only blitzed on 7 of 31 (19.4%) of pass plays? It certainly seemed like they sent a lot more guys when I watched the game on Sunday afternoon. They generated pressure with 4 guys and did it largely by stunting. I think we can count on seeing the Chargers engage in the same sort of tactics next Sunday. Given that the Cardinals had as much, if not more, success stunting towards the right side of the offensive line as they did the left I don’t think we can hang this on Peters’ selfish actions this summer. It’s a problem that extends beyond any individual lineman.

As I suspected they would, the Cardinals stacked the box often. On 9 of 17 (52.9%) of run plays the Cardinals had at least 8 guys in the box. The Bills ran for 6 (!) yards on those 9 plays, or 0.7 yards per attempt. That’s beyond terrible. On the other 8 plays? 67 yards or 8.4 yards per attempt. Maybe it’s just wishful thinking, but I am expecting the Bills QB to check out of runs where San Diego has 8 in the box. Even with a FB/HB in the backfield and a TE on the line that leaves the Bills 1 blocker short. Turk needs to come up with some creative passes out of that formation when the box is stacked. We saw one against the Rams and Schouman picked up an important first down. Let’s hope Turk has more of those up his sleeves.

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I know you don't want to re-live it; I didn't much enjoy it myself.  But in my desperate search to find someone to blame, and thus loathe, in regards to Trent Edwards' concussion suffered in Sunday's loss, the following analysis proves that the blame may lie on the shoulders of an unsatisfactory player.  Rumblers, it's our first ever Paint Analysis - and if you like the glorious crappiness of this exercise, perhaps it could become a more regular feature...

The Situation
Buffalo ball, 3rd and 6, BUF 30, early first quarter

* Buffalo comes out in a three-wide set.  Edwards (5) is in the shotgun with Marshawn Lynch (23) to his left.
* Arizona counters with a dime look - three corners, three safeties.  Adrian Wilson (24) is lined up essentially in no-man's land; it's apparent that he's going to do as he pleases on this play.
* Hardy comes in motion, eventually settling to the right and slightly behind Robert Royal (84).  Simultaneously, Chike Okeafor (56) and Karlos Dansby (58) cheat up to the line of scrimmage, and Wilson comes up to, apparently, take Hardy in the slot.  Everything the Cardinals are doing to this point screams "blitz up the gut", including Wilson's actions.  The Cards appear to be playing man in the slots behind this blitz.  Appearances, as it turns out, can be deceiving.
* Other relevant notes: Eric Green (25) is lined up across Josh Reed (82) in the slot; Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie (29) and Antrel Rolle (21) have Lee Evans (83) bracketed on the left side of the formation; Aaron Francisco (47) and Roderick Hood (26) are clearly in a zone shell behind Wilson.

The Snap

* Surprise!  Arizona's blitzing, but it's from the edges.  Dansby (58) and Okeafor (56) drop off into zone coverage, and Green (25) and Wilson (24) blitz off the edges.
* The actions of Arizona's defensive linemen make this play.  LaBoy (55) and Antonio Smith (94) rush on the interior, pinching the Bills' line into an even more tight-knit group.  It's compounded by the disguised interior blitz.  As a result, there's a pileup, and Langston Walker ends up assisting on Smith when he really didn't need to.  Wilson runs by unscathed.
* Marshawn (23) easily picks up Green, the other edge rusher.
* Reed (82) and Royal (84) are essentially decoys for the guy running the hot route, Hardy (81).  Reed draws coverage from the dropping Dansby.  Okeafor, meanwhile, is stuck in no-man's land between Hardy and Royal, who run an excellent route combination on the converted defensive end.  The problem, however, is two-fold: Hardy doesn't run it quick enough, and Wilson's untouched.
* Edwards reads the blitz and immediately knows Hardy is his guy.  Kid's sharp as a tack.  Here comes Wilson, however...

The Hit

* Trent starts drifting backwards, waiting for the Hardy/Royal route combination to develop.  He makes the throw quickly; the ball is out a split second before Hardy turns his head.  The problem is, Edwards has to hold the ball a touch longer than he'd like, and he ends up throwing the ball off his back foot.  He's essentially ripe for Wilson's picking.
* Edwards delivers the first down throw, but at an awful expense.  Wilson hits high to try to knock the ball out; Edwards is too quick on the draw, but Wilson hits under Trent's shoulder and drives his helmet - in a non-dirty fashion; it has more to do with momentum than anything - up into Edwards' chin.
* As the pair go down, the back of Edwards' helmet hits the turf first.  He's very clearly going to have a sore neck and a rung bell.  Wilson - mostly because of Edwards' drifting and his own explosiveness - drives through Edwards and lands on the quarterback with his full body weight.  If Wilson gets fined, it'll be because of this last detail - he wasn't playing dirty, as many Bills fans have unfairly claimed.

The Aftermath

Where should the blame lie?  It's spread out a bit; part of it is on a great blitz scheme by Clancy Pendergast, part of it is on Langston Walker for pinching in when he should have fanned out and tried to knock Wilson off course (though, admittedly, he wouldn't have had much time to do this), and part of it on Edwards for being a smart, gritty, loveable guy.

Will Wilson get suspended?  Almost certainly not.  Will he get fined?  If he does, it won't be for a large amount, and it shouldn't be; it won't be for a dirty hit, either.  If Wilson has to pay up, it'll be because he landed on Edwards with all of his weight.  My guess?  Wilson won't get fined, either, and he probably shouldn't.  He was just playing football.

The good news: Edwards is reportedly doing well - or, rather, about as well as can be expected at this point.  With the bye week upon us, Edwards has plenty of time to shake off the cobwebs, get plenty of sleep, take a little vacation and get ready for San Diego.  It's far too early to speculate on his availability for that game, but to this point, signs are far more encouraging than they are discouraging.  Get well soon, Trent.

Here are my offensive line notes from the Bills' win over the Rams.  It may be hard to believe but this is even longer than the post I did for the Raiders game...

Drive 1

Pass 1: 49 yards to Evans
Run 1: 20 yards by Lynch (negated by holding call) left B gap
- Peters was flagged for holding. While Brian thought it was a crappy call, Peters was, in fact, holding.  He had his right hand in the DE’s jersey arm hole.  He used his hold to keep the DE from turning and chasing down Lynch. While it didn’t appear that the DE was going to be able to catch Lynch without the hold, a hold it was and it killed the play.
- Dock put 95 down.
- Fowler pulled and stuffed/locked up 1 filling LB (Schouman took out the other) which helped spring Lynch for the run.
- Butler kept the DT turned away from the play.
- Walker pulled and did no particular good.
Pass 2: 6 yards to Lynch
Pass 3: Overthrow to Hardy (Edwards had him for a first down but simply missed)
- Lynch gave a pretty weak effort at chipping Peters’ guy.
Pass 4: 9 yards to Lynch
- At first blush I thought that Peters had killed the drive based on his holding penalty.  However, on closer review Edwards gets the blame as he could have had the first down with an accurate pass to Hardy.  The drive ended in a field goal.

Drive 1: 0 blitzes, 0 stacks

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The Buffalo Bills are coming off of their second straight win to open the 2008 NFL season, and since it's Tuesday, it's time for another Buffalo Rumblings Film Session to get into the finer details of Sunday's game.  We'll start with the offense - the unit that carried the team to victory on Sunday.

Buffalo's offense made some serious strides in Sunday's win over Jacksonville.  For the first time in a long time (thank you, Steve Fairchild-Mularkey), the Bills were aggressive and highly efficient in victory - a big reason that punter Brian Moorman was only called to duty three times.

Poor run blocking for second straight week
However, the Bills didn't come out of Jacksonville with a perfect resume offensively.  Averaging just 2.9 yards per rush didn't help quarterback Trent Edwards out (though he ultimately didn't need it), and the fact that the Bills are only averaging 3.45 yards per carry on the season is cause for concern moving forward - though, admittedly, the team has played two stingy run defenses in Seattle and Jacksonville.

I have a theory regarding Buffalo's inability to run block, and I haven't heard it discussed much - height.  Buffalo has an unusually tall offensive line, specifically at guard - Derrick Dockery (6'6") and Brad Butler (6'7") are tall compared to average guards in the NFL.  Don't forget, either, that Langston Walker (6'8") and tight end Robert Royal (6'6") - two more valuable run blockers - are tall dudes as well.  These are all excellent athletes, but their height sacrifices some leverage in the run game - and that's why shorter defensive tackles like Seattle's Craig Terrill (6'2") and Jacksonville's Rob Meier (6'4") are so effective stuffing the run - they're playing lower and faster.  It doesn't help, either, that the Jaguars and Seahawks were playing a lot of defenders close to the line of scrimmage.

The quick fix (though it's a band-aid): keep up the misdirection, and whip fullback Darian Barnes into shape.  Barnes, as many of you have noticed, is terribly inconsistent as a run blocker.  He doesn't seem to have much chemistry with the line or his backs yet.  This has potential to improve, but there's a long way to go.

Dynamic running back duo
Despite the rushing woes, you've got to hand it to Buffalo's dynamic running back duo of Marshawn Lynch and Fred Jackson - these guys are the heartbeat of the entire offensive attack.  Lynch ran for 59 yards, and a good 45 of them came of his own accord.  Jackson was Edwards' best possession receiver on Sunday; he's truly excellent after the catch.  I'm not speaking specifically about his long gainers, either - I'm talking about the fact that of his seven catches, five went for first downs.  The guy runs routes like a receiver and runs after the catch like a running back; he's quickly becoming one of Buffalo's most valuable offensive threats.  These guys complement each other perfectly, and they're an absolute joy to watch.  As a duo, they rank among the top five in the league in 1-2 punches.

In particular, I like the balance of these two runners.  No defender has been able to take either Lynch or Jackson down on first contact this year; Jackson in particular is very adept at making the first guy miss.  They're chain-movers, and they're very good at their craft.

The value of spreading the ball around
Yes, over a third of Edwards' completions went to Jackson (7 of 20), but Edwards proved again Sunday that he's a master of spreading the ball around.  Lee Evans and Josh Reed both caught four balls for over 10 yards per reception.  James Hardy had the first two catches of his professional career, including the deciding touchdown (a highlight that I could watch on repeat possibly for the rest of my life).

It's even more impressive over the two-game stretch.  Completing 71% of his passes, Edwards has hit Evans eight times (for a whopping 22.4 yards per catch), Jackson and Reed seven times, Royal six times, and Lynch and Roscoe Parrish four times each.  That's 36 of his 39 completions right there.  It's evident on tape that the balance in the passing game is what is keeping the offense unpredictable and moving the chains.  I'd still like to see the team take some shots downfield earlier in the game, however, particularly to loosen up the box to help out the rushing attack.  It's not perfect, but it's effective.  There's room for growth, but this offense has gotten off to a good start in 2008.

Bills LB Mitchell must key on Garrard (buffalobills.com)

All week, we - along with every other fan of the Buffalo Bills across the country - have talked about what it would mean if the Bills emerged victoriously from this weekend''s game in Jacksonville, where they'll take on a very good Jaguars team in just over a day's time.  For a young Bills team that's on the upswing yet hasn't made the playoffs since the 1999-2000 season, a win in Jacksonville would be the biggest win for the franchise in recent memory.

Yet a victory is anything but a given.  The Jaguars are coming off of an opening day loss to the Tennessee Titans, and despite the fact that they're banged up along the offensive line, this is the team's home opener, and the physical brand of football they prefer makes them a tough win for any opponent they face.  This is a playoff team that the Bills are about to take on, with a solid head coach, tremendous athleticism, and an excellent quarterback in David Garrard as their leader.  To expect victory would be foolish.  But this is a winnable football game.  If the Bills can exploit the following three matchups - along with taking care of business in five key areas - the Bills will dramatically increase their chances of pulling off a huge win tomorrow.

BUF LB Kawika Mitchell vs. JAX QB David Garrard
If I'm defensive coordinator Perry Fewell (and for the record, I'm glad I'm not - I'd be screwing up his good thing), my focus is on containing Garrard.  Allowing the quarterback to make plays on the move would erase even a stellar performance otherwise by my defense.  In order to contain Garrard, I'm not laying off on my blitz packages, I'm using a spy - and the guy I'm using is Kawika Mitchell.  No Bills defender is better coming downhill than the free agent addition, and he has the athleticism to take care of Garrard in space.  Donte Whitner is an option in spying Garrard as well.

BUF WR Lee Evans vs. JAX CB Drayton Florence
Last week, Buffalo's offense - while wildly inconsistent - was able to be effective enough for a dominant victory by exploiting favorable matchups.  The biggest one that Buffalo hit on was when Seahawks CB Kelly Jennings lined up across the line of scrimmage from the team's top wideout, Lee Evans - Evans hauled in four passes for a whopping 102 yards, picking up yardage in large enough chunks to make up for a faulty ground game.  The Jaguars will try to match up their top corner - Rashean Mathis - on Evans as often as possible, but when the Bills' top receiver draws Florence, he needs to make him pay.

BUF OGs Derrick Dockery/Brad Butler vs. JAX LB Mike Peterson
No, Buffalo's offensive line (more on them momentarily) won't be able to fully contain Jags DT John Henderson, because it's rarely done.  Henderson is a key factor for the Jaguars, but the Bills should instead work on getting their mobile guards to the second level on run plays in the hopes of erasing MLB Mike Peterson.  The 32-year-old linebacker was a bit of a liability in the team's loss to the Titans (though he played well overall), and if the Bills can get their hat on the veteran a few times in this game, it could lean to some long gainers by Marshawn Lynch.  Picking up yardage in large chunks is crucial to success early on for Buffalo's young offense.

Game Notes
A few notes to pass your way this fine Saturday morning on what we're hearing about tomorrow's game.  Important to note: we cannot actually confirm any of these developments.  We trust that these things will come to fruition, but for the purposes of this post, let's refer to these notes as "informed speculation":

- Peters to play, start: We're hearing that Dick Jauron will announce later this afternoon that OT Jason Peters will play and start in this matchup - not a huge surprise.  We're also hearing, however, that the team plans on shaking things up on the line for a series or two to keep Peters fresh (he's still not at 100% football shape), so expect to see Langston Walker on the left side and Kirk Chambers on the right occasionally as well.  We have not heard, however, who the Bills will be releasing to make room for Peters on the active roster - I'm personally guessing it will be Demetrius Bell.

- Bills worried about heat: Buffalo will be taking precautions on what is expected to be a humid 94-degree day in Jacksonville.  For starters, DT John McCargo is expected to be active as the Bills look to supplement their defensive line rotation (we believe that Xavier Omon will be inactive for this one, as the team won't sacrifice a specialist - risky, however, for Lynch and Fred Jackson).

Also, in an effort to preserve Terrence McGee's energies for his cornerback duties, don't be shocked to see Leodis McKelvin handle some kickoffs in select situations.  Receiver James Hardy is also expected to play more as well as the Bills look to become more efficient attacking the middle of the field via the pass.

More as we hear it.  Get ready for tomorrow's Open Game Thread, folks - it opens a half-hour before kickoff, 1ET.  We're looking forward to chatting with you during tomorrow's big game.

Evans doing what Peters won't - working (Photo Source)

Buffalo Bills wide receiver Lee Evans wants a new contract; he's wanted it for two years now.  His teammate, left tackle Jason Peters, also wants a new contract.  (Y'all may have heard that rumor.)  He's wanted a new deal, at least publicly, since the 2007 season ended.

If actions speak louder than words, the Bills are currently attempting to re-sign the right guy.

Ever since putting together a 2006 season in which he caught 82 passes, scored 8 touchdowns and was mentioned as a possible Pro Bowl receiver (he did not make the team), talks about Evans' contract status have dominated headlines surrounding the player.  Currently working on his rookie contract, Evans has every right to covet a new contract - he's probably not worth "elite receiver" money, but his current deal underpays him.

Peters, meanwhile, isn't working under his rookie contract.  A budding talent at right tackle in the summer prior to the 2006 season, Peters was handed a 5-year, $15 million extension by the Bills - an extension he had not yet earned, and one that paid him over $5 million in bonus money immediately.

So which guy is most likely to hold out?  Ask me a year ago, and I emphatically answer Lee Evans - the guy who had every reason to feel disloyal to a club that, as of yet, hadn't proven their trust in him financially.  Needless to say, I've been surprised by the actions of both players.  Those actions, so starkly different from each other, prove something we may not have known until this weekend: Evans is a professional in every sense of the word; Peters isn't.

Examining the Contracts
Evans' current deal is set to expire in 2010.  However, a clause is written into his deal that gives Evans the option to opt out of the deal after 2009.  Thus, if the Bills don't sign him prior to the start of free agency in 2009, Evans will hit the market as an unrestricted free agent.

In this, his final year, Evans will make $2.25 million in base salary.  Factoring in the bonus money of Roscoe Parrish ($520K base salary, with $3.75 million in bonuses), as far as we can tell, Evans will be the second-highest paid Bills receiver in 2008, barring an extension.  Evans will make slightly more than Josh Reed ($1.825 million) and tight end Robert Royal ($1.625 million).

Meanwhile, purely in terms of base salary, Peters' 2008 numbers easily outstrip the deals he's miffed about, those of Derrick Dockery and Langston Walker.  Peters will make $3.3 million in base salaries this season, as compared to the $2 million of Walker and the $1.5 million of Dockery.  Bonuses likely obscure the picture; we were unable to confirm bonus payouts for Dockery and Walker, but they likely add to the '08 wages they'll make significantly.  Dockery has been paid $8 million of $16 million in guaranteed money to date; Walker has also received half of his $10 million guaranteed.  So, at the very root of the issue, Peters has a point - he's better than either Dockery or Walker, and deserves to be paid like it (though, again, we can't actually confirm if he's making less than them in the 2008 season).

But if Peters has reasons to hold out, Evans' are better.  Evans hasn't been handed a gift contract in his time in Buffalo, and he's currently entering the final year of his deal (as opposed to three for Peters).  Yet it was Evans catching the first pass of training camp from Trent Edwards; Kirk Chambers did the blocking at left tackle.

Buffalo's Message is Clear
Why is Evans currently in contract discussions with the Bills, while Peters "charts a road map of silence"?  Not just because Evans' situation is more urgent.  Not just because Evans deserves a new contract.  Evans is in Pittsford.  He's working with his teammates, trying to become a better football player and part of a better team.

Buffalo is going to pay the guys who show up to work.  They're doing it now with Evans.  They did it last year when, after a spring mini-camp holdout, Aaron Schobel reported to training camp on time.  They're maintaining that standard with Peters, and it is absolutely the right decision.

If you hear anything that your fans say, Mr. Peters, hear this: Bills fans respect loyalty.  Take a page out of Lee Evans' book and do what's right, not what you feel is necessary.  Evans is the kind of teammate that makes teams better.  You probably are, too, but it's pretty hard to believe it at this point.  Get to Pittsford.  You do that, you'll probably get your deal.  Until then, you're simply highlighting the difference between good teammates and bad teammates, and you're adding an inauspicious start to what could be a promising season.

Fowler considered the weak link on a strong line (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 interior offensive linemen.  To view our previous discussions on Buffalo's G/C situation (pre-off-season), bang it here.

Derrick Dockery: He may not have been completely worth the $49 million that the team invested in him last March, but Dockery proved to be an excellent addition to Buffalo's line.  He finally brought post-Ruben Brown stability to the Bills' left guard position, and along with Jason Peters gives Bills quarterbacks excellent blind side protection.  Dock has five more years on his contract and will be a Bill for the foreseeable future.

Brad Butler: Who was Buffalo's best run blocker last season?  Why, that would be Brad Butler, of course.  The last lineman to lock down a starting spot was the Bills' most efficient run blocker all season and proved that he can avoid injuries; he enters his third NFL season in '08 as a promising young blocker still learning the nuances of his position.  This kid has a bright future as well.

Melvin Fowler: The starter at center for the past two seasons, the 29-year-old Fowler is the elder statesman amongst the Bills' starting linemen, and is regarded here as the weakest link on the line to boot.  Fowler does some good things - he's a solid technician, a fine athlete and pass protector, and can pull on run plays - but in a division where all three of the Bills' opponents run a 3-4 defense with massive nose tackles (Vince Wilfork, Jason Ferguson and Kris Jenkins), Fowler isn't stout enough at the point of attack to handle those guys one-on-one.  Look for the Bills to replace Fowler at the pivot over the next season or two.

Jason Whittle: This veteran lineman will be counted on in two capacities (he's virtually locked up a roster spot): he'll be the team's top reserve at both guard and center, and he'll also be the central member of what's called the "wedge", the lead-blocking unit on kickoff returns.  We'll see a lot of Whittle on special teams this season, but his true value to this team is his versatility and ability to back up starters at several key positions on the line.

Duke Preston: The young vet is the whipping boy for poor lines of the past.  Preston had a shot during '07 training camp to lock down a starting spot at right guard or unseat Fowler at center; he couldn't do either.  If Whittle can prove he's completely healthy and the team likes some of its younger players enough, Preston has fallen far enough from grace that he may just be shown the door prior to the start of the regular season.

Christian Gaddis: Gaddis spent the first half of the season on the team's practice squad, was elevated to the active roster after Week 10, and played in his first professional game in the season-ending loss to the Eagles.  He's a smart, tough young kid with some physical limitations, but he has a very good shot at claiming Preston's tenuous spot on the roster.

Nevin McCaskill: This is another young lineman signed as an undrafted rookie free agent in '07 that spent the majority of his rookie year on the practice squad.  McCaskill is a very similar player to Gaddis (he may be a bit more athletic), but he's likely a longshot to make the roster at this point.  He'd be a logical choice for another season on the practice squad, however.

The Additions: Robert Felton
The Bills chose to largely leave intact their interior offensive line, re-signing Whittle and adding just Felton, an undrafted free agent from Arkansas.  Felton is a massive player (6'4", 324) that is technically sound and played every line position during his time in the SEC blocking for Darren McFadden and Felix Jones.  This was an underrated signing, and if Felton holds his own during training camp, he has enough potential to stick around on the active roster.  If not, he's a natural pick for the practice squad, even ahead of a guy like McCaskill.

The Subtractions: Aaron Merz
Due to a never-ending spate of injuries that routinely landed Merz on the long-term injury lists, he was released.  Merz is a massive player with some potential, but his NFL career may be over thanks to the aforementioned injuries, especially the one to his shoulder.

Pre-Season Outlook: Like the tackles, the Bills have solid - if unspectacular - starters on the interior with young, talented players in reserve.  Whittle is the wild card at this position - he gives the Bills excellent versatile depth with NFL starting experience, something the team does not have on the outside.  This is another position of strength for the Bills, though these starters still have something to prove.

Sometimes, change is a bad thing.  In 2007, the Bills didn't have an overwhelming offensive line, but they did finally establish some consistency among their starting five.  This is a big season for this unit - if they don't make improvements across the board - especially from center through right tackle - we may see some changes next off-season.  Keep an eye on Fowler and Langston Walker - they seem to be the two guys most likely to be replaced in the near future.

Change: Negligible.

As always, your thoughts on Buffalo's offensive line are welcome and encouraged in the comments section.  For those of you who missed it this morning, be sure to check out Ron From NM's in-depth looks at the Bills' 2007 offensive line performance here and here.