Upon reviewing the Bills' 53 man roster and having the chance to actually watch every snap of the preseason for the first time in my life (God bless the DVR and NFL Network), a few things stand out to this paying customer as the Seattle game looms.  The debates of the offseason are finally over and now I can't wait for next week when I get to unwrap a whole new season of Bills football...A few honest exit thoughts on the Bills offseason before I set myself up for being disappointed by making a public prediction on where the Bills will be in January 2009:

TE:  So much for addressing the putrid TE position this offseason.  All the Teyo Johnson/ Courtney Anderson kool-aid will ultimately net 0 games played for the Bills.  Frankly, there was a reason neither player caught a pass in the NFL last season and Buffalo was really grasping to think either player could make a difference.  Even the two most promising options at the position, Schouman and Fine, will start the season injured, making it less and less likely that they can make a significant contribution in 2008.  I'll say this again: Buffalo cheaped out at the TE position and it's unacceptable.  Adding two street free agents and banking on a late 4th round pick and a former 7th round pick who started last season on the practice squad to upgrade the position is a joke considering how poorly the TEs produced the last two seasons.  John Guy basically admitted that TE was a priority position for the Bills this offseason and yet another year has passed without the position being properly addressed.  My guess is that Buffalo will add a veteran (Justin Peelle?  Kris Wilson?) in the next few days to play Michael Gaines' useful, but somewhat pedestrian role in 2008, but when is the team going to make an actual attempt to find a difference maker at this position?  This position is really unacceptable as it currently stands.

WR: The good news is that I think the team got a steal in Steve Johnson.  With the injuries and lack of depth at WR throughout the league, there was no way Johnson was going to make it through the year on Buffalo's practice squad.  My hope is that by midseason, Johnson is one of the top 4 players on the depth chart.  Schonert showed more 4 wide this preseason than Fairchild ever used, so I think WR depth will be more important for the Bills going forward.  I'm not optimistic that Hardy will make the impact that Buffalo's awful WR position called for heading into the offseason.  He's a great prospect (if he stays out of trouble with the law going forward), but he's raw.  The routes he ran at Indiana were hardly evolved and he relied mostly on his superior athleticism as a collegiate receiver.  My hope is that Hardy is the next Eric Moulds who took 3 years to contribute.  If that's the case, he's a great pick because Moulds was a Pro Bowl talent once he finally developed.  The bad news is that we're staring at another year of Josh Reed and his putrid production opposite Evans in the starting lineup.  That's beyond unacceptable for a team that looks to be playoff contenders in 2008. 

CB: This position was addressed urgently by the Bills front office this offseason and I applaud them for it.  Drafting prospects like McKelvin and Corner was necessary and Youboty's remarkable preseason made a decent veteran like Will James expendable.  McKelvin was taken so high that I'd expect his playing time to increase steadily as the season goes on, ultimately taking over for Jabari Greer in the starting lineup.  I know Greer is a polarizing player for Bills' fans; I personally like him for depth, but not as a starter, but in any event, Buffalo properly gave themselves options in three young players if Greer can't hold down his job.  Buffalo did well here and Jauron, Modrak, and Fewell deserve credit.

DL: I truly believe the Marcus Stroud trade was a stroke of genius by the Bills front office.  Every Bills' fan and their mother knew that Buffalo needed a massive run stuffing DT since Jauron's regime took power prior to 2006, and for two years Buffalo pretended their defense didn't require one.  I personally believe that Jauron knew all along that this was a need, but Buffalo's front office was unable to find one to their failure.  If Buffalo contends this year, my guess is that Stroud and Edwards will be the two biggest reasons.  Both players are gambles, and hopefully, they'll pay off (I honestly believe Stoud will, whereas I can only "bill-ieve" Edwards will)...also, I buy that Kelsay and Denney were not healthy last season and believe that the DEs will produce at their 2006 level this season and hope that youngsters like Bryan and Ellis can contribute too.  I like what Buffalo did at this position.

Ultimately, this team is close.  Edwards remains a mystery.  Buffalo refused to challenge him after his historically inept production in 2007.  He proceeded to get just 4 series in the preseason heading into 2008 and even the biggest OBD homers out there (you know who you guys are), have to admit that this is a scary prospect.  I don't see a bigger gamble in the NFL than what Buffalo is doing at QB.  For now, I'll join the optimistic bunch of you that I read each day and dream about raking in the chips this season even if my personal experiences with big bets generally have lead to high interest loans.  The good news about Edwards is that he doesn't appear to get flustered.  You look around the league and many successful QBs (Romo, McNabb, Eli, etc.) still struggle sometimes in this regard.  There's something that Buffalo sees in Edwards that transcends his awful production.  The cynic in me says it's his modest salary, but the August optimist in me wants to say its his unusual cool for an inexperienced QB.  If the rest of his game develops as quickly, the production will come and Buffalo will have a top 12 QB.  Let's say he does because I like mostly everything else.  The defense will be solid thanks to the Stroud trade, improved DL health, linebackers with pro size (what an unusual concept!), and a secondary that's going to take the leap to extraordinary in 2008 (that means you, Donte Whitner)...I predict the 10-6 Bills will grab the #6 seed, head into San Diego to play the banged up Chargers (when aren't the Chargers decimated by injury?) and surprise the NFL with a 20-16 victory on the road.  While the Bills will come up short against eventual Super Bowl champion, Jacksonville in the divisionals (Jags-24, Seahawks-20: final guess here too), Buffalo will be legitimate Super Bowl contenders heading into 2009...I see it unfolding nicely, but it needs to start this Sunday.  Excuse time is over for Jauron's regime in Buffalo.  This team can produce this season, so let's see it; I cautiously believe we're about to be rewarded for our patience with Buffalo's rebuilding project following the Donahoe disaster...cross your fingers and wake up, Jason Peters- losing game checks won't help anyone.

Now, there's a face that inspires confidence.

Brian, can you use the above picture of Coach Jauron from now on for for your Jauron articles instead of that standard "Coach Jauron in his skin-tight windbreaker and headphones with his arms folded in an all too telling, passive aggressive bear hug, while staring off into the horizon for no particular reason" photo you usually use?  This new, international Jauron is much more inspiring to me and probably to the team as well...Thanks to the NFL Network's decision to air the replay of the Bills game at midnight tonight (and the federal government's ridiculous decision to make me work on Fridays), I won't get to watch the replay of tonight's game until tomorrow around dinner time.  To avoid finding out what happened so as to enjoy the game with a live feel to it, I have to avoid sports information for a good 24 hours...that makes for a pretty crappy day, so hopefully, the team's overtly impressive play tonight makes it all worthwhile...Go Bills.

According to cell phone, the Bills signed former Dolphins and Broncos OLB Donnie Spragan.  I remember they worked him out right after the draft, so he's been on their radar.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donnie_Spragan  Tough break for Bowen, his special teams potential had me intrigued.  My guess is that Spragan and Ellison are the main backups behind Crowell and Mitchell and the undrafted rookie free agents and Costamzo battle for the 7th LB, special teams role.

I've been a Bills fan since the 1988 season when I was 8 years old in Philadelphia.  My Dad is notoriously anti-Philadelphia sports, so when I "announced" to him one night in '88 that I wanted to watch football now that the baseball season was over, I was destined to hate my hometown Eagles.  I asked him who his favorite team was and although he had been a long time St. Louis Cardinals fan, since they had moved to Phoenix the previous offseason, he said he didn't have one.  Annoyed, I asked him what NFL players he liked and he happened to say he really liked this Jim Kelly character who was playing against the Jets on Monday Night football that night.  I stayed up and watched this Jim Kelly guy (whose Bills were not on my Tecmo Football video game, so I had never heard of him or his team) throw 3 TDs as the Jets were booed all over the Meadowlands that night.  I decided that night that Jim Kelly and his Bills were my team...20 seasons later and 16 family vacations to Buffalo, NY (I had converted my parents and two little sisters by the first playoff game at Rich Stadium against the Oilers later that season), I've seen a lot of Buffalo Bills football.  

As the Bills prepare for their 21st season under my watch, here his my 53 man roster of Buffalo Bills for the 20 seasons I've followed them from 1988-2007.  20 is a nice round number and the fact that the Jauron regime is now enetering its 3rd season in charge (and the built-in excuses of the Donahoe mess are officially no longer relevant), I only considered Bills with a minimum of three seasons with the team.  Hopefully, 20 years from now and five Super Bowl titles later (without illegally taping our opponents signs!), names like Lynch, Whitner, McKelvin, Fine, and Butler will be all over the top of any such list.  But for now, here's my roster for the first 20 years:

Jim Kelly, Frank Reich, Doug Flutie

Thurman Thomas, Travis Henry, Kenneth Davis

Sam Gash

Andre Reed, Eric Moulds, James Lofton, Lee Evans, Steve Tasker, Roscoe Parrish (PR)

Pete Metzelaars, Keith McKeller, Jay Riemersma

Will Wolford, Howard Ballard, Jason Peters, John Fina

Ruben Brown, Jim Ritcher, Glenn Parker

Kent Hull, Jerry Ostroski

Bruce Smith, Phil Hansen, Aaron Schobel, Marcellus Wiley, Mark Pike

Ted Washington, Pat Williams, Jeff Wright

Cornelius Bennett, Darryl Talley, Bryce Paup, Takeo Spikes

Sam Cowart, Shane Conlan, London Fletcher, John Holecek

Nate Odomes, Antoine Winfield, Nate Clements, Thomas Smith, Terrence McGee (KR)

Leonard Smith, Henry Jones

Mark Kelso, Kurt Schulz

Steve Christie,  Brian Moorman, Adam Lingner

Here's my last version of how I see the Bills roster breaking down as the team gets ready for September 7th.  Obviously, plenty can and will happen over the next 7 weeks, but looking at the roster this way allows for a decent view of where we can expect the suddenly chic Buffalo Bills to excel (DBs) and struggle (WR/TE) on the field this September...Call me crazy, but the perpetual 7-9 prediction is inching closer to 8-8 every passing day.  Before I change it though, I'll need to see Edwards actually do well in camp so that I can confirm that this era of good feelings is based on something more substantial than the fact that camp is less than a week away and that the world of sports has me giddy right now due to the tenacious St. Louis Cardinals' current five game winning streak...With my $348 check for the NFL Sunday ticket and NFL Superfan packages already in the mail, here's how I see the 2008 Buffalo Bills:

Trent Edwards

JP Losman

Marshawn Lynch

Fred Jackson

Dwayne Wright

Darian Barnes

Lee Evans

James Hardy

Josh Reed

Roscoe Parrish

Steve Johnson

Justin Jenkins

Robert Royal

Derek Schouman

Derek Fine

Jason Peters

Langston Walker

Kirk Chambers

Matt Murphy

Derrick Dockery

Brad Butler

Jason Whittle

Duke Preston

Melvin Fowler

Aaron Schobel

Chris Kelsay

Ryan Denney

Chris Ellis

Marcus Stroud

John McCargo

Kyle Williams

Spencer Johnson

Jason Jefferson

Angelo Crowell

Kawika Mitchell

Keith Ellison

Alvin Bowen

Paul Posluszny

John DiGiorgio

Terrence McGee

Leodis McKelvin

William James

Jabari Greer

Ashton Youboty

Reggie Corner

Donte Whitner

Ko Simpson

Bryan Scott

George Wilson

John Wendling

Rian Lindell

Brian Moorman

Ryan Neill

Practice Squad

Matt Baker- QB

Xavier Omon- RB

Jason Jones- WR

Tim Massaquoi- TE

Demetrius Bell- OT

Nevin McCaskill- C

Corey Mace- DE

Jon Banks- MLB

I'm wondering if ownership would be willing to take on some extra salary for the last three months of the season by trading for BJ Ryan.  I realize he makes $9 million a year, but he only has 2.5 years left on his contract and Isringhausen and his comparable salary go off the books forever next season.  For this season, Ryan closes down the stretch and gives the pen a LHP they could call upon for tough spots vs lefties even before the 9th if need be.  For next year and beyond, he serves as the much needed veteran competition for Chris Perez to beat out for the closer's job, a role he's much more suited for than Ryan Franklin...Jesse Todd and Nick Stavinoha for BJ Ryan in a salary dump for Toronto that nets them two mid-level prospects...what do you say?

I think if you read between the lines, Dan Pompei writes that the AFC East is not just a mere formality for New England* in 2008.  I'm not sure if he's familiar with our fearful leader, Dick Jauron's declaration that "we don't match up well with the Patriots*"  Regardless of Jauron's timid nature, this flowery write-up has me counting down the days until the likely Super Bowl champion Seahawks come to town to play the opener at 10am Pacific...

http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/25607526/

I wasn't in favor of drafting James Hardy in April.  The character issues were too suspicious to me to favor drafting him over several other talented wide receivers without the baggage.  The domestic abuse case was "settled" out of court.  He was suspended for a separate incident at Indiana for reasons that haven't really been discussed in the media.  Meanwhile, Buffalo's hole at wide receiver was gaping after striking out in free agency at the position, so rolling the dice on character risks was probably a luxury Buffalo couldn't afford.  Had Buffalo signed a veteran receiver like Bryant Johnson, Ernest Wilford, or DJ Hackett, taking a chance on Hardy would have been bold, but understandable.  As it stood on the last Saturday in April, drafting Hardy appeared misguided.

Many Bills' supporters gave Buffalo's front office the benefit of the doubt concerning Hardy because Buffalo has generally avoided the scumbags of the league.  Like I've said before, I'm not in favor of team full of choir boys, but avoiding criminals is a football decision, not a moral decision.  Statistically, criminals are life's losers and tend to be unsuccessful in sustaining a career.  Having those types of individuals on your team generally doesn't lead to sustained success on the field or in the standings.  That's why you pass on drafting Lawrence Phillips or Pacman Jones- not because you want a team full of examples for your kids.  But here's where Bills' supporters were misguided: Buffalo never gave any reason why they weren't concerned with Hardy's past.  Chris Brown gave us a vague statement that Buffalo wasn't concerned.  OK.  That Geranimo character issued an "informed" proclamation that our infallible braintrust wasn't concerned with his incidents at Indiana.  Fine.  Modrak and Hardy spoke of his problems as a misunderstanding that was in the past.  Sure.  But no one ever cleared up exactly what happened at Indiana, why Hardy continued to put his promising career in jeopardy, and therefore, why we should believe that it wouldn't happen as a pro.  Now we have another "misunderstanding"- this time with guns possibly displayed in a threatening manner, and leaving the scene of a dispute right before the cops arrived.  That's a pretty good "misunderstanding". I'm not sure why this incident would "go away".  If anything, it should conrtinue to dog Hardy until he's a functioning member of society (if that ever occurs).

Chris Brown, the Bills, Jauron apologists, and desperate fans of the team can downplay this incident, but my questiuon is why?  Hardy has shown a pattern of finding trouble very early in his life and generally that doesn't end well for the individual or his employer.  Hardy's immature and brash interview on the team's web site that Chris Brown played up as a reason why Bills fans will love the guy stunk of a desperate PR statement when the team's fans needed concrete reasons to trust the Bills weren't reaching on a bad apple in the draft. (I feel like I need to take a shower every time I read this guy- he's that slimey).  Hardy's most recent misunderstanding is much more concrete than anything the Bills have put out there concerning just what type of employee they had just hired.  Hardy made a bad first impression and Buffalo doesn't have a backup plan by their own design.  There's a reason why this team hasn't been to the playoffs this decade.  Their personnel gambles rarely pay off and they rarely have contingency plans in place.  Buffalo's track record lends itself to second guessing, unfortunately, just like Hardy's does.

Maybe none of this information is new, but it certainly proves that the cheating took place during New England's Super Bowl seasons at the very least.  From a Bills fan's perspective, I'm being told that the team that has dominated my division for a decade and that has currently won 13 out of 14 against us definitely was assisted illegally in beating us.  I've spent countless hours and large sums of money following the Bills (to no avail this decade) and now I'm told that the games weren't even on the level.  Goodell's ultimate restitution solution is to take away the 31st pick in the draft- Well, that doesn't get me back the time and money I wasted rooting for the Bills in a rigged league all those years.  GOODELL IS AN ABSOLUTE JOKE.  He can play the tough guy when it comes to policing players, but even that's become a joke.  Michael Vick's going to miss 2-3 years on a witchhunt and players like Jarred Allen (repeat DUI offender) who put human beings at risk get minor slaps on the wrist as far as a suspension.  Even Pacman Jones, who moves your life expectancy down by a full decade every time you're in a room with him, will probably end up playing again after just one season.  He plays tough guy on teams like Atlanta and Cincinnati and caters to Bob Kraft and Jerry Jones.  FRAUD.  New England should be made to vacate all titles won since at least 2002 and Belichick and Kraft should be suspended for two years minimum.  I wasted time and money following this crooked league, which i wouldn't have done if I had known that Buffalo wasn't being given a fair chance to win their division each year and were being handicapped against making the playoffs by facing cheaters twice a year.  Take those two games a year away and history could've been a lot different for the Bills.  Here's hoping Kraft, Goodell, Jones, Belichick, Ebersol, McManus, and all the back-slapping crooks that run this league get theirs in some way, shape, or form someday.  As much as I've enjoyed rooting for the Bills all these years, the NFL can fade away as far as I'm concerned.  Once the Bills are playing in Toronto (don't kid yourself either- even Chris Brown's having a tough time keeping his poker face) the final straw will have dropped and my experience following the NFL will have come to a close.  What a racket this league was while I was there to follow it and taking away the 31st pick in a college entry draft doesn't make it up to me.