Will Tripplett get help in the middle? (BuffaloBills.com)
With an offensive needs list assembled (and still being tweaked), it's time for us this morning to turn our attentions to the Buffalo Bills' defense. And any time you're talking defense, it makes sense to start the conversations up front.
A little over two weeks ago, we examined the state of the Bills' personnel at defensive end and defensive tackle. In those discussions, we determined that given the current personnel that the Bills are working with, the following additions and subtractions were possible:
Possible Additions
DE: speed rusher
DT: space-eating run stuffer
Possible Subtractions
DE: Anthony Hargrove, Copeland Bryan, Al Wallace
DT: Jason Jefferson, Corey Mace
Prioritizing the Needs
This is, in a quick nutshell, where the Bills stand: the team is two players away from having a potentially dominant defensive line. In Aaron Schobel, Chris Kelsay and Ryan Denney, the Bills have three blue-collar defensive ends that have been productive in the past. A speed rusher would diversify the group, take pressure off of Schobel, and give the Bills four bona fide ends - two to three of which can shift inside on passing downs. Meanwhile, they also have two very solid rotational players inside in Larry Tripplett and Kyle Williams, along with a potential emerging star in John McCargo. What the team lacks inside is a bulkier (note: not overweight) space-eater that can play every run down. Getting that piece would give the Bills four excellent interior linemen - all with great motors, penetration skills, and the ability to play in any situation.
Now comes the hard part. This needs list is only going to be two items long, yet the two items on the list are incredibly important. It's your job, Rumblings community, to prioritize a speed rusher and a space-eater. This topic is sure to be one of the more intensely debated discussions of the off-season.
So which is more important, Bills fans? Defensive end or defensive tackle? Take your pick and let us know about it in the comments. Discussion on.