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Drew Bledsoe Chirs Trotman/Getty Projected starting lineup Offense No. Player Pos. 80 Eric Moulds WR 75 Jonas Jennings LT 65 Ross Tucker LG 70 Trey Teague C 58 Chris Villarrial RG 68 Mike Williams RT 84 Mark Campbell TE 82 Josh Reed WR 11 Drew Bledsoe QB 20 Travis Henry RB 31 Daimon Shelton FB 9 Rian Lindell K Defense No. Player Pos. 94 Aaron Schobel DE 93 Pat Williams DT 95 Sam Adams DT 92 Ryan Denney DE 51 Takeo Spikes OLB 59 London Fletcher MLB 96 Jeff Posey OLB 22 Nate Clements CB 23 Troy Vincent CB 36 Lawyer Milloy SS 43 Izell Reese FS 8 Brian Moorman P 2004 Draft Rd. Player Pos. School 1 Lee Evans WR Wisconsin 1 J.P. Losman QB Tulane 3 Tim Anderson DT Ohio State 4 Tim Euhus TE Oregon State 7 Dylan McFarland OT Montana 7 Jonathan Smith WR Georgia Tech Outside the Huddle Chasing the champs Playing in the AFC East means the Bills face the New England Patriots, winners of two of the last three Super Bowls, twice a year. "We admire what they've done but it doesn't scare us," GM Tom Donahoe says. "If anything, it motivates us to catch them and do it better." No prime time From 1988-97, the Bills of Jim Kelly and Marv Levy played on Monday Night Football every year, for a total of 23 times. But the team has appeared only twice in the last seven seasons and will be shutout again in 2004. Sounds good Quarterback coach Sam Wyche is back in the NFL after battling health problems, including a surgery that damaged his left vocal chord. "I can't yell," says Wyche, the colorful former head coach of the Cincinnati Bengals and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. "And I can't tell you how many of my former players have called to say they wished it had happened 20 years ago." Sounds super Head coach Mike Mularkey has a preoccupation with winning the Super Bowl, which may have been the factor that got him hired. "I told Tom [Donahoe] in the interview, 'You can break my bank account, get into my garage, you can do a lot of things because 'Super Bowl' has been my password for a long time.' It's the number behind it you've got to figure out, but that's been my objective. 2003 Revisited The Prophecy: "[Drew] Bledsoe has proven he's not a player who can carry a club every week with his arm..." The Lie: "The Buffalo Bills are poised for a worst-to-first leap in the AFC East." --Athlon Sports Pro Football 2003

In recent years, the Buffalo Bills have been good at making headlines in the offseason. It's the regular season and playoffs when they have become yesterday's news.

Since president and general manager Tom Donahoe took control of Buffalo's front office in January 2001, the team's moves have included controversial cuts (Doug Flutie), blockbuster trades (Drew Bledsoe), big free-agent signings (Takeo Spikes, Lawyer Milloy), draft-day gambles (Willis McGahee) and coaching-staff overhauls.

And what does Donahoe have to show for all that fax paper and those long-distance phone bills? A 17–31 record, one fired head coach, and a fan base that has grown angry and restless after watching their team miss the postseason four consecutive years.

Donahoe and owner Ralph Wilson were not happy with the production under head coach Gregg Williams, and replaced him with Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey, who then wisely surrounded himself with a staff of experienced NFL assistants like Sam Wyche (quarterbacks) and Jim McNally (offensive line).

The Bills landed their quarterback of the future in first-round draft pick J.P. Losman, but the master plan is to have the rookie learn behind 12-year veteran Drew Bledsoe for a year or two. Buffalo made certain that would happen by giving Bledsoe a renegotiated three-year contract in late April.

Buffalo's offense, among the most explosive in 2002, dropped in 12 statistical categories, finishing 30th in yards and points. Incredibly, the Bills did not score an offensive touchdown on seven occasions in 2003.

Bledsoe's alarming inability to make plays was magnified by his ability to make mistakes. The result was his worst pro season: 11 touchdowns, 12 interceptions, a league-high 49 sacks and 10 lost fumbles. His 22 turnovers overall were more than the Chiefs, Titans, Colts and Jets committed as a team. Still, the Bills have not lost faith in Bledsoe, feeling he was the victim of poor coaching, poor line play and a weakened receiving corps.

How the Bills use team MVP Travis Henry and coveted second-year "rookie" Willis McGahee shapes up as one of the NFL's most compelling stories of 2004. Henry, already fourth on Buffalo's all-time rushing list, gained 1,356 yards last season despite playing the final six-plus games on a broken fibula. McGahee, Buffalo's 2003 first-round pick who didn't take the field while recovering from major knee surgery, has superstar skills but is still unproven.

The Bills have designs on using both in the same backfield, giving opponents two different running styles to contend with.

Buffalo released veteran blocker fullback Sam Gash, but the team is high on free agent Daimon Shelton.

The loss of deep threat Peerless Price (traded to Atlanta) and a groin injury to Pro Bowler Eric Moulds were key factors in Buffalo's passing game falling from fifth to 28th. A healthy Moulds and the addition of first-round pick Lee Evans should correct things.

Evans, the fastest of the marquee receivers in the draft, will allow the Bills to stretch defenses again and roll coverages away from Moulds, who had just one touchdown catch. Josh Reed (58 catches, 10.1 average) will return to the slot, where he's most effective. Veteran Bobby Shaw, a nice pickup a year ago, should also be able to improve his numbers (56 catches, team-high four TDs).

Tight end Mark Campbell, acquired in a trade with Cleveland, was a pleasant surprise with 34 catches for 339 yards but he wasn't used enough, especially in the red zone. That won't happen under Mularkey, a former Vikings and Steelers tight end.

This key unit regressed last season but figures to improve dramatically under the well-respected McNally. He inherits a group that gave up the most sacks in the NFL (51) and did not get the job done on third down. But there is a nice blend of youth, experience and talent to work with.

Eight-time Pro Bowl guard Ruben Brown was cut, but three starters will return to their same positions -- left tackle Jonas Jennings, center Trey Teague and right tackle Mike Williams, the fourth overall pick in the 2002 draft.

The newcomer is free agent Chris Villarrial, a rugged, error-free pro who will start at right guard. Mike Pucillo and Ross Tucker, who split time at right guard a year ago, will compete with Marques Sullivan for Brown's old left guard spot in one on the top training camp battles.

The Bills boast one of the league's best inside tandems in space eaters Sam Adams and Pat Williams. With the addition of Adams, a two-time Pro Bowler, Buffalo jumped from 29th against the run in 2002 to eighth in '03. Young pros Justin Bannan and Ron Edwards, rookie third-round pick Tim Anderson, and free agent Oliver Gibson provide great depth.

At end, Aaron Schobel (11 1/2 sacks) has become a steady, if not spectacular, force rushing the passer. He's entering his contract season and should put up even bigger numbers if he gets more help on the left side, where Ryan Denney, Chris Kelsay and re-signed veteran Keith McKenzie are in the mix.

Denney (3 1/2 sacks) had flashes but was mostly disappointing and will be pushed by Kelsay for playing time.

Buffalo allowed 118 fewer points and 54.7 fewer yards per game in 2003 and a big reason was the play of its first-rate linebacker corps. Takeo Spikes, London Fletcher and Jeff Posey are a dominating trio, and this group will only get better in its second year under defensive coordinator Jerry Gray, who was retained by Mularkey. The athletic, energetic Spikes lived up to his $30 million deal with 141 tackles and two interceptions. Fletcher led the team in tackles again with 158, and Posey had 5 1/2 sacks, a total he should improve on. The Bills also signed free agent Jason Gildon, who will likely be a situational pass-rusher, an area in which he excels.

The Bills tied a team-record low for interceptions with 10 for a second consecutive season but should break that cycle with the addition of classy cornerback Troy Vincent. Losing tenacious tackler Antoine Winfield (Vikings) was a blow, but few players can match Vincent's resume of big plays: 42 career interceptions, 177 pass breakups, 858 tackles. He's 33 but a rare athlete. He'll team with Pro Bowler-in-the-making Nate Clements.

Veteran Lawyer Milloy, one of the NFL's top head-hunters, returns at strong safety, while Izell Reese and Pierson Prioleau will battle for the free safety job again. Second-year pro Terrence McGee had a strong rookie year at nickelback.

Brian Moorman, a free-agent pickup from NFL Europe, has developed into a Pro Bowl-caliber punter. He broke Paul Maguire's 34-year-old team mark for punting average (44.5 in 1969) with a 44.6 mark. Solid placekicker Rian Lindell made 17-of-24 field goals and will look for more opportunities. The return games needs work after Antonio Brown averaged a miniscule 4.4 yards per punt return.

To a man, the Bills feel they underachieved last season, and with 18 starters back, they will have an opportunity to prove the critics wrong. Buffalo lost four games by a total of 11 points, so it shouldn't be difficult to turn 6–10 into 10–6.

If the NFL's second-ranked defense can perform as well and get more takeaways, and the new coaching staff can work its offensive magic with Bledsoe and Co., challenging for a playoff spot is not totally far-fetched.

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