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.

The Buffalo Bills are in the midst of their first mini-camp of the 2008-09 season - rookie mini-camp - and Buffalo's top draft picks are reportedly performing well in their first professional workouts.  Be sure to catch the official site's coverage of the three-day camp - the fine folks over there do an outstanding job giving us practice reports, player interviews, and other information.  It's all great stuff.

Not surprisingly, rookies are still the talk of the town this weekend in Buffalo.  While I prepare for my final week of college classes and final exams today, here's some reading material for y'all:

- Sal Maiorana of the Democrat and Chronicle takes a look at Bills fourth-round cornerback Reggie Corner.

- Jeff Matthews of The Town Talk examines the non-existent relationship between Bills seventh-round pick OT Demetrius Bell and his biological father, former NBA star Karl Malone.  Malone has been shockingly absent in Bell's life, but the new Bill may be starting to make a name for himself.

- Scott Pitoniak of the Democrat and Chronicle takes a look at the new rule that will allow Army football players, including Bills fullback Mike Viti, to pursue a career in professional football.

- What does the Toronto Sun think of Ralph Wilson Stadium?  Well, it got mixed reviews.

- Finally, here's the article that's sure to spark the most discussion from y'all today.  Jerry Sullivan believes that the money we're getting from Toronto should go directly to Lee Evans' bank account.

We'll be back early tomorrow morning with an article outlining reasonable expectations for WR James Hardy's rookie season.  Until then, go Bills!

UDFA Viti a special teams candidate, too (Photo Source)

Feel free to question the strategy. Go ahead, do it. The Buffalo Bills don't care. Why would a team that has not made the NFL's playoffs since 1999 spend half of its most important draft in the Dick Jauron era bolstering special teams, when there are serious questions to be answered offensively and defensively?

Well, special teams are the identity of the Buffalo Bills. They have been since the days when Marv Levy roamed the sidelines as Buffalo's head coach. Those sentiments returned to the team psyche when Levy returned as the Bills' General Manager. The Bills have had one of the most consistent and dominant special teams units this decade, and it's because the team focuses on building the unheralded unit far more closely than most other NFL franchises.

Bills Lose Core of ST Foundation
Imagine Buffalo's defense in the "glory years" without Bruce Smith, Darryl Talley, Cornelius Bennett, Nate Odomes and Henry Jones. Those players were the core of a pretty good unit - a consistent unit. The Bills, in this off-season alone, lost their special teams versions of those five guys when Ryan Neufeld, Sam Aiken, Mario Haggan, Josh Stamer and unit captain Coy Wire were released or allowed to walk. The consistency of the unit was in serious jeopardy when those five guys - central to coordinator Bobby April's plan for the last four years - left the franchise.

Sure, there were still solid players for the unit. The team still has two elite return threats in Terrence McGee and Roscoe Parrish. They have some veteran players, such as Jabari Greer and Bryan Scott, who made their mark early in their careers with stellar special teams play. They have a young quartet of players with promising special teams careers ahead of them in John Wendling, Keith Ellison, George Wilson and Justin Jenkins.

Still, the core was missing. The Bills chose to replace that core through the draft. It may pay big dividends.

What's Been Added
The one player poised to make the biggest difference on special teams as a rookie is, not surprisingly, first-round pick Leodis McKelvin. A star punt returner in college with home run ability on kick returns as well, McKelvin gives the Bills three outstanding return threats - two each at kick and punt returner. Having those options available helps in two ways - it keeps our return men fresher for their regular roles, and it makes it all the more difficult to game plan for Buffalo for opposing special teams coordinators. Buffalo's return game may be scarier than the one that Hester character heads up in Chicago with McKelvin on board.

Additionally, the Bills have drafted three players - CB Reggie Corner, TE Derek Fine and LB Alvin Bowen - who figure to play all four special teams units right out of the gate. These are smart, tough, athletic players with the perfect work ethic and mentality to excel on special teams, and their versatility throughout the kicking game makes them all the more attractive. Add these three rookies to current "ace" specialists Wendling and Jenkins (who will probably make the roster on his special teams abilities alone), and the Bills seem to have replaced their old five-man core with a younger, healthier and more athletic quintet. Even undrafted free agent fullback Mike Viti (pictured above, left), a 5'9", 245-pound bowling ball of a blocker, has a shot at contributing early.

So debate the strategy if you feel you must. Again, the Bills don't care. No NFL team pays closer attention to what has been their most consistent unit of the decade, and after a productive draft that adds explosive talent, the Bills' bread and butter is looking more edible than ever.