Over the next several days we will take a look at the outlook of the 32 NFL Teams. They will be informative for both the fan of football and also some have information for you fantasy football buffs too. Give us your feedback by leaving your comments. Thank you and have a great season...
2008 Team Outlook: Buffalo
As per Joel Welser, The pieces are starting to come together for the Buffalo Bills offense…at least for the fantasy numbers. New offensive coordinator Turk Schonert plans to have a wide open attack and the quarterback situation seems to be settled in favor of Trent Edwards after he split time with J.P. Losman last season. While Edwards will probably not put up great numbers this year, he did show some promise during his rookie campaign and will be a decent back-up quarterback in most fantasy leagues. But with Losman breathing down his neck, selecting Edwards will be a risk.
Fortunately the Bills are doing everything they can to make their quarterback successful. Wide receiver Lee Evans had a disappointing 2007 campaign and he hopes to get back to his 2006 numbers which saw him make 82 catches for 1,292 yards and eight touchdowns. Last year the opposition was on to Evans and doubled him constantly. To address that problem the Bills took James Hardy in the second round of the draft. The 6-5 Hardy will be the big target opposite of Evans that the team desperately needs. That could mean a big season for Evans, as long as the quarterbacks can handle the job. But of course the biggest fantasy player on the team is running back Marshawn Lynch. After rushing for 1,115 yards and seven touchdowns as a rookie, Lynch should be one of the top running backs for fantasy owners this year.
The place where Buffalo might improve the most is on the defensive side of the ball. Besides picking up players like linebacker Kawika Mitchell in free agency, most of the draft was spent on the defensive side of the ball. In the first round the Bills selected Leodis McKelvin and added the aptly named Reggie Corner in the fourth round to help shore up the porous secondary that ranked 29th in the NFL.
QB Trent Edwards, BUF (QB - #23) - Bye Week Fill-in
It seemed like Trent Edwards won more games as a rookie in Buffalo than he did his entire career at Stanford. He began to prove what the Bills thought when they drafted him in the third round…that collegiate wins have nothing to do with success in the NFL. Edwards played in ten games last year, completing 56.1 percent of his passes. The seven touchdowns and eight interceptions is nothing to write home about, but this is his team now and one year of experience should help. At best, Edwards is still a fantasy back-up, but with targets like Lee Evans, Josh Reed and James Hardy, the Bills hope they do not have to depend entirely on running back Marshawn Lynch.
RB Fred Jackson, BUF (RB - #69) - Fantasy Handcuff
When he was around, Fred Jackson did a pretty good job as Marshawn Lynch's back-up. In 58 carries, he rushed for 300 yards and also caught 22 passes for 190 yards. Obviously he is not going to put up numbers worthy of selection as long as Lynch is healthy, but Jackson is certainly necessary as a handcuff for Lynch. Jackson, who set a United Indoor Football League record in 2005 with 1,770 yards and 53 touchdowns, even had a 115 yard effort against Miami in December and had 151 total yards in Washington the prior week. If Lynch gets hurt, even for a week or two, you will want to have Jackson ready to go.
RB Marshawn Lynch, BUF (RB - #9) - Stud (low risk)
If Goodall lets him play, and with the questions surrounding the passing game, Marshawn Lynch could have to carry this offense…again. After rushing for 1,115 yards and seven touchdowns as a rookie, everybody expects bigger things from the California product this year. If Trent Edwards and J.P. Losman struggle in the passing game, it will be up to Lynch to eat up some clock and get a few first downs. The defense is good enough to win games for the Bills, so depending on the run (which they do more than most teams), it is not a horrible option if the Bills have no other choice. Lynch will get plenty of opportunities and should be in the top ten running backs on everybody's draft board.
WR Lee Evans, BUF (WR - #20) - Solid/Safe Pick
After a disappointing 2007 campaign, Lee Evans is hoping to put up numbers like he did in 2006. Last year he only caught 55 passes for 849 yards and five touchdowns. That was upsetting to fantasy owners who expected another 82 catches for 1,292 yards and eight touchdowns from the former Wisconsin Badger. But the problem was that Buffalo had no other legitimate target opposite of Evans. Thus, the defense keyed in on him. Now the Bills hope second round draft choice James Hardy will fill that void. The questions at quarterback did not help either, but Trent Edwards will be given every opportunity to turn this into his team. With the new offensive coordinator Turk Schonert bringing a more wide-open attack, Evans might have a huge year.
WR James Hardy, BUF (WR - #82) - Deep-league Only
If everything goes as planned, James Hardy will have a great freshman campaign. But that is a big if. Buffalo hopes Hardy will become a big receiving threat and free up Evans. If the opposition cannot double Evans, the passing game could flourish as long as quarterback Trent Edwards can improve on his freshman campaign. In the meantime, Hardy will be open while opposing defenses key in on Evans. That could lead to some big games for the 6-5 Hardy. The Indiana product dominated the Big Ten last year, catching 79 passes for 1,125 yards and 16 touchdowns. It might take some time, but Hardy certainly has the potential to be a big-time receiver in Buffalo.
WR Josh Reed, BUF (WR - #74) - Deep-league Only
Josh Reed had a decent year in 2007 opposite of Lee Evans, catching 51 passes for 578 yards. But the problem was that he is not the big receiver that Buffalo needed to free up Evans. With the addition of 6-5 James Hardy, the team's second round selection in the NFL Draft, Reed will not be expected to do as much. However, it might take some time for Hardy to adjust to life in the role opposite of Evans. Either way, Reed will still play a role in the passing game, but sooner or later he will be the third option for quarterback Trent Edwards. And on a team that has some questions surrounding their passing game, the third option on Buffalo does not deserve much fantasy attention.
TE Robert Royal, BUF (TE - #29) - Deep-league Only
Without fellow tight end Michael Gaines, who is now with the Lions, Robert Royal could be in for a decent year. Last season he caught 25 passes for 248 yards and three touchdowns. Courtney Anderson, who joins the Bills from Oakland, will certainly take some of the 25 catches that went to Gaines last year, but young quarterback Trent Edwards might look for his familiar 6-4 target in Royal more often, especially in the redzone. Even with a stable of decent receivers in Buffalo, Royal is a big target who should find himself in the endzone at least a few times this year.
2008 Team Outlook: Buffalo
As per Joel Welser, The pieces are starting to come together for the Buffalo Bills offense…at least for the fantasy numbers. New offensive coordinator Turk Schonert plans to have a wide open attack and the quarterback situation seems to be settled in favor of Trent Edwards after he split time with J.P. Losman last season. While Edwards will probably not put up great numbers this year, he did show some promise during his rookie campaign and will be a decent back-up quarterback in most fantasy leagues. But with Losman breathing down his neck, selecting Edwards will be a risk.
Fortunately the Bills are doing everything they can to make their quarterback successful. Wide receiver Lee Evans had a disappointing 2007 campaign and he hopes to get back to his 2006 numbers which saw him make 82 catches for 1,292 yards and eight touchdowns. Last year the opposition was on to Evans and doubled him constantly. To address that problem the Bills took James Hardy in the second round of the draft. The 6-5 Hardy will be the big target opposite of Evans that the team desperately needs. That could mean a big season for Evans, as long as the quarterbacks can handle the job. But of course the biggest fantasy player on the team is running back Marshawn Lynch. After rushing for 1,115 yards and seven touchdowns as a rookie, Lynch should be one of the top running backs for fantasy owners this year.
The place where Buffalo might improve the most is on the defensive side of the ball. Besides picking up players like linebacker Kawika Mitchell in free agency, most of the draft was spent on the defensive side of the ball. In the first round the Bills selected Leodis McKelvin and added the aptly named Reggie Corner in the fourth round to help shore up the porous secondary that ranked 29th in the NFL.
QB Trent Edwards, BUF (QB - #23) - Bye Week Fill-in
It seemed like Trent Edwards won more games as a rookie in Buffalo than he did his entire career at Stanford. He began to prove what the Bills thought when they drafted him in the third round…that collegiate wins have nothing to do with success in the NFL. Edwards played in ten games last year, completing 56.1 percent of his passes. The seven touchdowns and eight interceptions is nothing to write home about, but this is his team now and one year of experience should help. At best, Edwards is still a fantasy back-up, but with targets like Lee Evans, Josh Reed and James Hardy, the Bills hope they do not have to depend entirely on running back Marshawn Lynch.
RB Fred Jackson, BUF (RB - #69) - Fantasy Handcuff
When he was around, Fred Jackson did a pretty good job as Marshawn Lynch's back-up. In 58 carries, he rushed for 300 yards and also caught 22 passes for 190 yards. Obviously he is not going to put up numbers worthy of selection as long as Lynch is healthy, but Jackson is certainly necessary as a handcuff for Lynch. Jackson, who set a United Indoor Football League record in 2005 with 1,770 yards and 53 touchdowns, even had a 115 yard effort against Miami in December and had 151 total yards in Washington the prior week. If Lynch gets hurt, even for a week or two, you will want to have Jackson ready to go.
RB Marshawn Lynch, BUF (RB - #9) - Stud (low risk)
If Goodall lets him play, and with the questions surrounding the passing game, Marshawn Lynch could have to carry this offense…again. After rushing for 1,115 yards and seven touchdowns as a rookie, everybody expects bigger things from the California product this year. If Trent Edwards and J.P. Losman struggle in the passing game, it will be up to Lynch to eat up some clock and get a few first downs. The defense is good enough to win games for the Bills, so depending on the run (which they do more than most teams), it is not a horrible option if the Bills have no other choice. Lynch will get plenty of opportunities and should be in the top ten running backs on everybody's draft board.
WR Lee Evans, BUF (WR - #20) - Solid/Safe Pick
After a disappointing 2007 campaign, Lee Evans is hoping to put up numbers like he did in 2006. Last year he only caught 55 passes for 849 yards and five touchdowns. That was upsetting to fantasy owners who expected another 82 catches for 1,292 yards and eight touchdowns from the former Wisconsin Badger. But the problem was that Buffalo had no other legitimate target opposite of Evans. Thus, the defense keyed in on him. Now the Bills hope second round draft choice James Hardy will fill that void. The questions at quarterback did not help either, but Trent Edwards will be given every opportunity to turn this into his team. With the new offensive coordinator Turk Schonert bringing a more wide-open attack, Evans might have a huge year.
WR James Hardy, BUF (WR - #82) - Deep-league Only
If everything goes as planned, James Hardy will have a great freshman campaign. But that is a big if. Buffalo hopes Hardy will become a big receiving threat and free up Evans. If the opposition cannot double Evans, the passing game could flourish as long as quarterback Trent Edwards can improve on his freshman campaign. In the meantime, Hardy will be open while opposing defenses key in on Evans. That could lead to some big games for the 6-5 Hardy. The Indiana product dominated the Big Ten last year, catching 79 passes for 1,125 yards and 16 touchdowns. It might take some time, but Hardy certainly has the potential to be a big-time receiver in Buffalo.
WR Josh Reed, BUF (WR - #74) - Deep-league Only
Josh Reed had a decent year in 2007 opposite of Lee Evans, catching 51 passes for 578 yards. But the problem was that he is not the big receiver that Buffalo needed to free up Evans. With the addition of 6-5 James Hardy, the team's second round selection in the NFL Draft, Reed will not be expected to do as much. However, it might take some time for Hardy to adjust to life in the role opposite of Evans. Either way, Reed will still play a role in the passing game, but sooner or later he will be the third option for quarterback Trent Edwards. And on a team that has some questions surrounding their passing game, the third option on Buffalo does not deserve much fantasy attention.
TE Robert Royal, BUF (TE - #29) - Deep-league Only
Without fellow tight end Michael Gaines, who is now with the Lions, Robert Royal could be in for a decent year. Last season he caught 25 passes for 248 yards and three touchdowns. Courtney Anderson, who joins the Bills from Oakland, will certainly take some of the 25 catches that went to Gaines last year, but young quarterback Trent Edwards might look for his familiar 6-4 target in Royal more often, especially in the redzone. Even with a stable of decent receivers in Buffalo, Royal is a big target who should find himself in the endzone at least a few times this year.
