Back in April of 2009, the Buffalo Bills traded two-time Pro Bowl left tackle Jason Peters to Philadelphia in exchange for three draft picks. After deciding not to replace Peters via the 2009 NFL Draft, Buffalo tabbed Langston Walker to replace Peters on the blind side, then promptly released Walker prior to the start of the season. Demetrius Bell became the starter at left tackle at that point, despite having no game experience at the NFL level. He only made it through parts of eight games in his first year on the job, however, before landing on IR with a knee injury.
With Bell missing all of the team's spring workouts, second-year pro Jamon Meredith - whom the Bills poached off of Green Bay's practice squad last September after a season-ending injury to now-retired right tackle Brad Butler - received all of the first-team snaps at left tackle during mini-camps and OTAs. With only slightly less (yes, less) game experience than Bell, Meredith has a great chance to leverage the leg up he got during the spring into a starting left tackle job.
Rookie left tackle prospect Ed Wang may factor into this conversation over the long haul, but for now, he is not considered a serious contender to land the starting left tackle job. Buffalo's new coaching staff has clearly seen much more of Meredith in a live practice setting, but Chan Gailey has been openly complimentary of Bell's athletic skills in his absence. This race is about as even as it can get, so in lieu of hard-hitting analysis, we'll simply open up the poll here. Your charge: predict which of Bell or Meredith will open the 2010 season as the starting left tackle.