Bills Fantasy Preview

[The Lung]

From: http://fantasy.sportingnews.com/nfl/experts/george-winkler/20080710.html

Bills: In Trent Edwards they trust
July 10, 2008

WHAT'S NEW

With new offensive coordinator Turk Schonert calling the shots, the Bills are vowing to take the training wheels off quarterback Trent Edwards and give Marshawn Lynch more responsibilities in the passing game. While this is all good news to fantasy owners, Buffalo's offense still has a long way to go before it attains juggernaut status.

You can bet the conservative Dick Jauron will want to win with a strong running game and defense, and it's on that side of the ball where the Bills made their most changes this offseason. To shore up a run defense that was 25th in the NFL, Buffalo traded two draft picks to Jacksonville for defensive tackle Marcus Stroud, who is 30 and coming off a high-ankle sprain that prematurely ended his '07 season.

If Stroud can stay healthy and recapture his run-stuffing dominance, Buffalo's defense has a chance to improve dramatically. With second-year linebacker Paul Posluszny expected to come back full-strength from a broken arm and the addition of Kawika Mitchell in free agency, the Bills' defense could be a pleasant surprise in fantasy leagues.

But whether the Bills make the playoffs probably will hinge on how much the offense improves, specifically Edwards. Schonert will allow Edwards to call audibles at the line and will mix in some deep shots to Lee Evans. How Edwards handles the added responsibility will tell us whether Buffalo's offense can escape the doldrums.

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