Buffalo Rumblings is in the process of breaking down the Buffalo Bills' roster position by position. Installments you may have missed: WR, OT, G/C, DE, DT, LB, CB.

The big question at tight end for the Buffalo Bills entering the off-season was whether or not the team would be able to re-sign impending free agent Scott Chandler, as GM Buddy Nix indicated in early January that Chandler's asking price may have been a bit too lofty. In the end, however, the Bills and Chandler agreed to a modest two-year deal that brings stability to the position.

Beyond that - as well as the signing of a high-upside tryout player - nothing has changed for the Bills at the position. That's not necessarily a bad thing, either.

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Fitz already improving mechanics under Lee - BuffaloBills.com
"In terms of all the plays we were watching, we were seeing a lot of bad plays and not a lot of good plays, but in order to get better you have to do that stuff," said Fitzpatrick. "As a quarterback you’ve got to have thick skin."

Ryan Fitzpatrick faces pivotal season - NFL.com
"The Bills franchise and its fans are growing tired of consistently missing the playoffs. This season Ryan Fitzpatrick faces a lot of expectations in Buffalo."

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Earlier this week, when we were talking about exactly why the Buffalo Bills were interested in a speed receiver like T.J. Graham, we also talked about how Graham would fit in with the team's top five offensive weapons. Those players, of course, are running backs Fred Jackson and C.J. Spiller, wide receivers Stevie Johnson and David Nelson, and tight end Scott Chandler.

An interesting byproduct of that discussion was an off-blog conversation I had with a friend, who spent his time arguing that Johnson and Jackson were "by far" the team's top two players at the position, and that the rest were just "bit" players.

I disagreed. They're clearly the most proven and most consistent of the bunch, but just saying that doesn't capture the reality of the offense.

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McGee hopeful knee lets him compete - BuffaloBills.com
"I’m shooting for training camp," McGee told BuffaloBills.com of his return to full participation. "So hopefully I’ll be 100 percent and be able to go out there and compete for a job."

Are the Bills legitimate playoff contenders? | National Football Post
"But will those additions be enough for a team that went 6-10 last season to become a legitimate contender for the 2013 playoffs? Let’s take a look."

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When it comes to discussing the wide receiver position in these parts - particularly of late - we're often focusing the discourse on who the "No. 2 receiver" will be for the Buffalo Bills next season.

The problem with that, as many astute readers have pointed out, is that we already know who the Bills' No. 2 receiver is. It's David Nelson, who finished a clear second on the team in catches (61) and yards (658) last year while operating almost exclusively out of the slot.

"No. 2 receiver" is now a misnomer in the NFL, where spread sets and a focus on matchups dominate offensive game planning. I'm therefore often asked to more accurately portray the Bills' receiving corps; let's do that today, shall we? It's time to trash the number system in favor of letters (X, Y and Z) and position-specific terms.

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Buffalo Rumblings is in the process of breaking down the Buffalo Bills' roster position by position. Installments you may have missed: WR, OT, G/C, DE, LB, CB.

There's one position on the new 4-3 defense being installed by Dave Wannstedt that did not have the benefit of a single new face this off-season, and that's defensive tackle. The reason? As the team transitions to the new scheme, 3-4 defensive ends are becoming tackles, and the team still has young players with upside behind starters Marcell Dareus and Kyle Williams. (And the list could grow, as well, if the team comes to its senses about the abilities of players like Spencer Johnson and Lionel Dotson.)

That may, however, end up being a problem for the team, as Williams is returning from injury, as is a key young reserve - and many of the depth players have serious question marks. Marcell? Kyle? Stay in shape and very healthy, friends.

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On Tuesday, the NFL approved a new rule in which one "marquee" player can return to the active roster from IR per season. Naturally, the move has been generally applauded by football fans that have grown tired of seeing their favorite players get hurt early in the season and miss an entire year.

Our question, however, is this: would the new rule have been applicable for Buffalo Bills running back Fred Jackson last season? The answer is not immediately obvious.

The Associated Press report on the new rule reads as follows: "The owners also voted... to allow one 'marquee' player placed on injured reserve to return to practice after the sixth week of the schedule and to the lineup after the eighth week. That player must be on the 53-man roster after the final preseason cut."

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