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On the second day of the NFL draft, Thurman Thomas was relaxing at home in Houston when he received a phone call. The voice on the other end of the line, a rumbling Barry White-like bass, was familiar to Thomas, but it seemed more confused than it had sounded before. "Do you believe they took a running back and a defensive end?" grumbled Bruce Smith into Thomas's ear. "Are they trying to tell us something?"
In a word, yes. By selecting running back Antowain Smith of Houston in the first round and defensive end Marcellus Wiley of Columbia in the second, the Bills brass had begun rebuilding in earnest. Thomas and Bruce Smith may stick around for one or two more years, but Buffalo, after making the playoffs last season for the eighth time in nine years, is poised for a free fall. Beware, Bills fans: The fall is about to begin.
"A lot of young guys are going to have to step it up," says coach Marv Levy, who will tie George Halas's record as the oldest coach in league history when he turns 72 in August. "New guys are going to have to emerge."
Who those new guys will be is a bit of a mystery. Quarterback Jim Kelly retired in February, and along with him went the K-Gun offense—a version of the no-huddle. The new scheme, designed by first-year offensive coordinator Dan Henning, features a one-back, two-tight-end set that emphasizes protecting the passer, reducing turnovers and increasing possession time. The system isn't exactly sexy, but the conservative playbook will take pressure off third-year quarterback Todd Collins, Kelly's likely replacement. "Todd is smart, he can scramble, and he doesn't put the defense in a bad situation with turnovers," says Bruce Smith. "He knows his limitations."
While that hardly constitutes a ringing endorsement, Smith's comments help explain Collins's 2-1 record as a starter last season while Kelly was injured. Collins has thrown just 128 passes in his pro career, and as with any young quarterback, he's in for some growing pains. If he should falter, Billy Joe Hobert, acquired from Oakland in the off-season for a third-round draft choice, will get a chance. But Hobert is no panacea: In five career starts, his record is 0-5.
On the bright side, the new quarterback will be surrounded by an impressive cast. Though Thomas no longer has the spunk in his legs to carry the ball 300 times per year, he can still set a defense ablaze on any given play. Last season, at age 30, Thomas became only the second player in league history to rush for at least 1,000 yards in eight consecutive seasons. That string may snap this year with the presence of first-rounder Smith, a 6'2", 224-pounder who runs the 40 in less than 4.5 seconds. Wide receivers Andre Reed, Quinn Early and Eric Moulds won't see the ball as much in the new offense, but they still form one of the more capable triumvirates in the conference.
"Our new style of offense will help the defense," says Levy, referring to the fact that the ball-control scheme is designed to keep the defense off the field. "We played good defense last year, but the philosophy change will help even more."
The Bills ranked fifth in the AFC last season in total defense, but this year the defense will be relied on to win games, not just to keep them close. A daunting task, to be sure, but there is a solid core of talent. Bruce Smith, the 1996 NFL defensive player of the year, and Phil Hansen combined to form the fourth-most-prolific pass-rushing duo in the NFL last season, with 21 1/2 sacks between them. Linebacker Chris Spielman was second in the NFL in tackles, and cornerbacks Jeff Burris and Thomas Smith were standouts. "We feel we can be one of the best defenses in the league," says Bruce Smith. "That's the kind of talent we have."
However, immediately after praising his teammates, Smith's thoughts begin to wander. "I have one year left on my contract, and so far the Bills have done nothing but make an absurd offer," he says. "I didn't set the market, but I did set the standard by which all other defensive players are measured. Right now, if things don't change, my focus for this year is just to stay healthy so that next year I can go somewhere else to accomplish my goals."
Smith had yet to sign a new contract as camp opened, and at the time he talked to his good friend Thurman, he didn't sound like someone who would be willing to endure a major rebuilding effort—like the one the Bills are just beginning.
— by Lars Anderson
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