Buffalo Bills Intro/Team Breakdown

     15 years. That's how long it's been since the Buffalo Bills have made the playoffs. From the great Bills of the 90's, who went to 4 straight Superbowls on the shoulders of Jim Kelly and Andre Reed, to the J.P. Losman, Trent Edward, and Ryan Fitz"magic" days, this franchise has been filled with heartbreak, sadness, and disappointment. There's been high hopes, and huge letdowns. But, that was before Terry Pegula and his family purchased the Buffalo Bills, and essentially adopted Buffalo as "their city." Things may be finally changing here in Buffalo.

     Let's recap a bit:

• December 31st, 2014: Doug Marrone opts out of his coaching contract with the Bills.
• January 12th, 2015: Bills name Rex Ryan their new head coach.
• March 4th, 2015: Bills trade LB Kiko Alonso for RB Lesean McCoy.
• March 13th, 2015: Bills sign WR Percy Harvin
• March 19th, 2015: Dolphins decline to match offer sheet, Bills awarded TE Charles Clay.

     Those were the main moves from the Bills offseason. That's not including the monster contract Marcell Dareus signed just a couple days ago that locks him up for 6 more years.

     Tomorrow (9/13/15), the Rex Ryan era begins. It's been a crazy offseason, and it all comes together at 1 P.M. on a cool Buffalo afternoon. The team is together and the team is healthy. They must face a offensively dominant Colts team headlined by Andrew Luck, Frank Gore, Andre Johnson and T.Y. Hilton. The Bills also have some weapons of their own.

     Let's first take a look at the defense:

• Defensive Line: Lead by Mario Williams, Marcell Dareus, Jerry Hughes, and Kyle Williams, this front 4 is arguably the best in football. Following a 54 sack campaign in 2014, this line is still as tenacious as ever, and Rex will make sure they get to the quarterback.
• Linebackers: Running the show at linebacker will be 2nd year man out of Louisville, Preston Brown. He has proven to be a solid linebacker who can effectively communicate and command this defense on the field. Nigel Bradham is also a solid piece to this linebacker puzzle totaling 104 tackles in his 2014 season. Manny Lawson will also hold down the fort at LB on defense. This is a solid core of men.
• Cornerbacks: With Leodis McKelvin sidelined until at least week 7, the spotlight now shines on 4th year corner Stephon Gilmore and Buffalos 2015 2nd round pick, Ronald Darby. Darby has had a shaky preseason. Rex putting him on an island hasn't helped his cause much, but it will ultimately help Darby get better. Until McKelvin returns, Darby may have a tough time filling Mckelvin's shoes. Stephon Gilmore may require a large payday next season, especially depending on how he plays the "Revis role" he's been given from Rex. Third year Nickel CB Nickell Robey also returns, following a sophomore slump to no fault of his own. Jim Schwartz's defensive scheme was not friendly toward Robey's role. This is a solid CB corps, and when Mckelvin gets healthy, it could lead to some even better defense.
• Safeties: Veteran's Aaron Williams and Corey Graham return to handle the safety duties. Graham was moved up high when Da'Norris Searcy hit the free agent market. This is a solid group of safeties.

     Now, let's move on to the much improved offense:

• QB: Starting with the most questionable position on this Buffalo Bills team, this has been the team's weakest link for years. This year though, they have a different option. His name is Tyrod Taylor, or as the Buffalo fans have already dubbed him, T-Mobile. Going into training camp, Matt Cassel was the favorite to take the job by default. Impressive outings by Manuel and Taylor made Rex's decision a bit harder. Taylor ultimately grasped the starting job, with Cassel as backup and Manuel as the #3 guy. Taylor has question marks around him, but he looks very promising.
• WR: To say this WR corps is decent is an understatement. This WR tandem is excellent. Lead by Percy Harvin and Sammy Watkins, this will leave teams trying to decide who to double cover. Solid compliments at the WR position include the always underrated Robert Woods and Chris Hogan. Marquise Goodwin is also a speedy guy, but he'll be out with a rib injury.
• TE: Buffalo decided to keep 4 TE's on their 53 man roster. Headlining them is Charles Clay. He is a 6'3" playmaking TE with even a little bit of speed. Also solid at blocking, he joins Chris Gragg, MarQueis and Matthew Mulligan as the extra blocking powerhouses helping the reinvented O-line.
• RB/FB: Most likely the biggest roster splash made by the Buffalo Bills was trading 3rd year Kiko Alonso for an excellent rusher in Lesean McCoy. McCoy will most likely be the focus of the offense, especially with Rex's Ground-and-Pound gameplan. He is an elusive rusher and has the potential to have a great season in Buffalo's backfield. Backing up McCoy is the rookie Karlos Williams and the fun, fan-favorite, Boobie Dixon. Jerome Felton also joins the Bills this year, hopefully providing some great blocks for McCoy.
• Offensive Line: Last year, this line was one of the worst in football. This year, it has been reinvented and will hopefully provide some blocks for Shady and some time for Tyrod to make some throws. The key additions include Richie Incognito and John Miller at the guard positions. Eric Wood continues his large role at center, and Cordy Glenn along with Seantrel Henderson claim tackle duties. If everyone stays healthy, this line has a lot of potential.

     This team is special. More special than it's been in years. The talent is here, and the coaching is here too. If everyone stays healthy, this team has true playoff potential. With the dynamic offense including an explosively mobile QB, excellent RB, and a stellar WR corps, along with a dominant defense, this team has a chance to win 10 or more games. Thanks for reading, and as always, let's go Buffalo!