O-Line: Build or Develop Continuity?

After starting off the 2006 season 2-5, Bills head coach Dick Jauron and his staff decided to make a major change to their team. Coming out of their bye week, the Bills had re-shuffled their offensive line, with three players at new positions. The most obvious switch involved rising star Jason Peters (right), who moved from the right side to protecting J.P. Losman's blind side at left tackle. The results were mixed, but were also improved - the Bills went on to finish the season 5-4 behind their new line.

With the improved line play a key factor in Buffalo's late-season playoff push, there are many experts who claim that the key to Buffalo's success is to let that line continue to play together and gel. Another school of thought, however, is that for the Bills to become true contenders, they need to continue to upgrade the talent along their offensive front.

Uncertainty at Guard
There is a lot of uncertainty about who will be playing guard for the Bills next season. First of all, left guard Mike Gandy is an unrestricted free agent. Gandy looked far more comfortable after moving inside from left tackle, and Losman has acknowledged in the past that Gandy is the leader of the group up front. Many feel that his position could be upgraded, however.

Even less certain is the future of veteran Chris Villarrial. Injured for much of the past two years, he may end up being released if he does not retire. Duke Preston played sufficiently well in his stead last year, but again, this may be a position the Bills look to upgrade. Preston has great value to the team, however, because he can play both guard and center.

Terrance Pennington
For a rookie seventh-round pick, Terrance Pennington was more than adequate as the starting right tackle for the last half of the season. While he is still a very raw prospect and far from a dominating blocker, Pennington made few mistakes in the Bills' strong second-half showing. A lot depends on the coaching staff's confidence that Pennington will continue to mature into a starting-caliber player. If the staff believes they can enter 2007 with Pennington on the right side (which I do believe they will), then he has virtually locked down a starting gig.

Depth a Huge Issue
Despite fielding at least a respectable starting five along the line, the Bills have very little depth behind this group. When Villarrial was lost for the season, it left the Bills with just three reserves along the line - Tutan Reyes, Brad Butler and Aaron Merz. Reyes was benched from his left guard spot after an injury limited his effectiveness. Butler and Merz saw very limited action as rookies. Even if Villarrial returns, the Bills need depth players, and fast.

Depth is most needed at tackle. Butler was drafted as a tackle, but saw a lot of practice action inside last year. The team does not have a backup besides Butler who can play tackle. If Peters were to go down, that would leave Pennington as the team's top tackle. So regardless of whether the team leaves Pennington as its starting right tackle, the team needs to bring in a depth player at tackle - preferably a veteran.

Preston and Merz both have the ability to play center, so they could conceivably fill in if Melvin Fowler (left) were to get hurt. So while a starter or two may be needed on the interior, depth may just be OK.

What the Bills Will Do
Will the team strive for continuity? If they do, Gandy will be re-signed and the team will keep its starting lineup from last season. They will also likely look to add some veteran depth rather than rookies - especially at tackle, where depth is sorely needed behind Pennington.

Will the team continue to build? If they do, Gandy is likely gone. The team could then use some of its $37 million of cap space to go after top free agent guard Kris Dielman, who would be a natural fit at either guard spot and would give the Bills a devastating run blocker.

My theory: the Bills will do a combination of both. From a continuity standpoint, the Bills will let Terrance Pennington keep his starting right tackle job. For a young player, he played well and he deserves a shot to nail down that job long-term. Peters and Fowler will also keep their starting spots. That leaves the two guard spots in question.

I believe that the Bills will re-sign Gandy to play left guard - Gandy is a much more natural fit on the inside, and his play level increased dramatically when he wasn't on the edge. He also plays well next to Peters, which bodes well for him. Right guard is a totally different story, however - the team will likely be without Villarrial, and the coaching staff would likely feel more comfortable with Preston as their top interior reserve rather than a starter.

Look for the team to look at Dielman, but also some other guards that will come for less money. Derrick Dockery of Washington and Ryan Lilja of Indianapolis are two prime examples - Lilja is a restricted free agent. Whoever the answer may be, look for Buffalo to sign a player to compete with Preston at right guard, re-sign Gandy, and look for a veteran backup who can play either tackle position.

Projected starting lineup:
LT: Jason Peters
LG: Mike Gandy (re-signed)
C: Melvin Fowler
RG: Preston OR free agent addition
RT: Terrance Pennington