Mark Gaughan - Inside linebacker, cornerback and quarterback are the key positions the Buffalo Bills must address when the NFL's free-agent shopping season begins.
Free agency should begin later this week -- if the league and the players approve a new collective-bargaining agreement by Tuesday or Wednesday. Even if the final details take longer to resolve, it appears inevitable that free agency is coming soon.
The 2011 free-agency season promises to be bigger and better than ever, since about 200 players who would have been free agents under normal rules last year had to sit out the 2010 spending party. Those players, who had four and five years' experience, finally will get to cash in on free agency, whenever a new labor deal is finalized.
The Bills would like to re-sign linebacker Paul Posluszny and cornerback Drayton Florence. They must add a veteran backup quarterback to play behind starter Ryan Fitzpatrick. The most obvious suspect for that role is Tyler Thigpen, a Miami free agent who played well for Bills coach Chan Gailey when the two were in Kansas City in 2008.
Will they address any other needs? That will be fascinating to watch.
The Bills could use more security at the offensive tackle position. It's possible they could look for more insurance at safety or outside linebacker, although they have enough players under contract at both of those positions. Free-agent safety Donte Whitner appears certain to sign elsewhere after five seasons in Buffalo.
Here's a look at the pool of players set to become unrestricted free agents, with an emphasis on the Bills' areas of need:
Inside Linebacker
Posluszny is one of the top three inside linebackers available, depending on each team's evaluation. The others are Tampa Bay's Barrett Ruud and Tennessee's Stephen Tulloch. Posluszny and Tulloch are 26. Ruud is 28.
Posluszny has proved his durability, missing just six games the past three years. He has not made a lot of big plays. Would that change if he played behind a better defensive front? It would be no surprise if the Browns and Giants were very interested in him. Will the Bills pay the market value for him?
If the Bills get outbid for Posluszny, they could pursue one of three Chargers free agents at inside backer. Kevin Burnett, 28, was a part-time starter in 2009 and a full-time starter in 2010. He had six sacks for San Diego last year. Brandon Siler, a seventh-round pick of the Chargers' in 2007, has made 12 starts over the past two years and is only 25. Stephen Cooper, 32, is a solid player when healthy but probably is older than the Bills want. He had two sprained knees last year.
Cornerback
Florence, 30, is coming off two solid years in Buffalo that saw him start 29 games. He had three interceptions last season. He's smart and has good size. He also knows this is likely his last good chance to get a big contract.
The cornerback crop in free agency is strong, which could help the Bills' bid to keep Florence. He probably ranks from seventh to 10th on most teams' lists. Oakland's Nnamdi Asomugha, Cincinnati's Johnathan Joseph, the Jets' Antonio Cromartie, Atlanta's Brent Grimes and Pittsburgh's Ike Taylor top the list. Baltimore's Chris Carr (26), Oakland's Stanford Routt (28) and Carolina's Richard Marshall (26) are among the other able starters available. Will the Bills go after one if they don't retain Florence?
Chicago special teams ace Corey Graham, the Buffalo native, is a free agent looking for more of a chance to play in the secondary. There's a slew of journeymen on the market.
Buffalo has talent at cornerback but only five players are in the fold. Terrence McGee and Leodis McKelvin return. Reggie Corner is a proven nickel corner. The Bills drafted Aaron Williams of Texas 34th overall. He might push for a starting job. They used a seventh-round pick on Richmond's Justin Rodgers, who has better skills than his draft standing suggests. Look for Buffalo to add at least five corners to the roster, one way or another.
Quarterback
The Bills need a competent veteran who can keep the offense from collapsing if Fitzpatrick were to get hurt and be out of the lineup for a month. Thigpen, 27, may fit the profile. He started 11 games for Gailey in '08 with a bad Chiefs team and went 1-10. But he had 18 TDs and 12 interceptions and he's mobile, an attribute Gailey likes.
One of the better young QBs available will be Tarvaris Jackson, 27, who went 10-11 in five years with Minnesota. He's mobile, and he's a 58.4 percent passer who fits a West Coast system. He can be erratic.
Other younger QBs who will be modestly priced include San Francisco's Troy Smith, Carolina's Matt Moore, Cleveland's Seneca Wallace, Oakland's Bruce Gradkowski and Kansas City's Brodie Croyle, who also played for Gailey in '08.
Some higher-profile QBs will be available, but the Bills won't be looking for someone to be a big threat to Fitzpatrick.
Tennessee is expected to release Vince Young, who will get a lot of attention. Young, 28, is 30-18 as a starter but his questionable study habits wouldn't seem like a good fit for Gailey. Donovan McNabb, 34, also is expected to be released by Washington. Older free agents also include Seattle's Matt Hasselbeck and Baltimore's Marc Bulger. Philadelphia's Kevin Kolb and Denver's Kyle Orton could be traded.
Tackle
The Bills have Demetrius Bell at left tackle. The prospective starter at right tackle is Erik Pears, who started the 2006 and '07 seasons in Denver, sat out '08 due to injury and started five games the past two seasons. He was signed by the Bills on Dec. 14. Behind him are Ed Wang, a fifth-round pick last year; rookie fourth-round pick Chris Hairston from Clemson; Mansfield Wrotto, a veteran swingman at guard and tackle; and Cordaro Howard, who started four games as an undrafted rookie in 2010.
What if Bell got hurt for even a month? It could mean big trouble.
But the Bills like Pears. There's a fair chance they think they have enough options to resist making a major move at tackle, one of the most expensive positions in the game.
Lining up for huge free-agent deals are Atlanta right tackle Tyson Clabo and Dallas left tackle Doug Free. Baltimore's Jared Gaither, 25, is a left tackle angling for big money, but he missed all of 2010 with a back injury. Pittsburgh's Willie Colon, 30, is a capable right tackle who missed all of 2010 with an Achilles injury. Baltimore's Marshal Yanda, 26, is a good right tackle but his best spot may be guard. New Orleans' Jermon Bushrod, 27, started the last two years in front of the nearly unsackable Drew Brees.
A lower-profile starter is San Diego right tackle Jeromey Clary, 27, who Bills General Manager Buddy Nix drafted as a sixth-rounder in '06. He played every snap last year. Looking further down the price list, Jets backup Wayne Hunter, 29, is a pretty good blocker. New York may try hard to keep him because starting RT Damien Woody, 33, is coming off an Achilles injury. Former starting RT Ryan Harris, who fell out of favor with Josh McDaniels in Denver, could be a value signing. He's a better pass blocker than run blocker and fits a zone-blocking style.
Safety
Whitner, who completely cleaned out his locker the day after the Bills' season ended, is part of a strong class of free-agent safeties. (The undrafted class is pretty good, too.) The top strong safeties include New Orleans' Roman Harper, Baltimore's Dawan Landry, Philadelphia's Quintin Mikell, Cleveland's Abram Elam and Chicago's Danieal Manning.
San Diego Pro Bowler Eric Weddle and Oakland's Michael Huff are the top free safeties.
The Bills are set at free safety with Jairus Byrd. They signed strong safety George Wilson to a new deal and drafted strong safety Da'Norris Searcy in the fourth round. He has better coverage skills than an average strong safety. Special teams ace Jon Corto and in-the-box safety Bryan Scott are back. That wouldn't seem to leave room for a major signing at safety
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