Three Questions 1. Is Sammy Watkins the real deal? Wide receiver Sammy Watkins has all the tools to be a franchise player for years to come. Rookies can struggle to adjust to the speed of the NFL, but if any young receiver can excel at the next level, it’s Watkins. 2. How will the defense hold up without Kiko Alonso? This year’s outlook would be much brighter with Kiko Alonso slotted into the middle of the Bills defense. Without last year’s defensive MVP, the Bills will have to play catch up. The defense will still get plenty of pressure on the QB, but they’ll struggle once again to stop teams from scoring. 3. Is EJ Manuel a franchise QB? EJ Manuel’s struggles were typical of a rookie QB. And his preseason injuries kept him away from so much practice that he was a last minute decision for week one. Over the course of the ten games he started, Manuel showed great athleticism, but he has a long way to go before he can lead the Bills to the playoffs. Alonso, the team’s most promising young defender. Alonso led the team in tackles last season and finished second in Rookie of the Year voting, but he tore his ACL in preseason mini camp and faces an entire year of rehabilitation. Some of the pressure to replace Alonso will also fall on former New York Giants linebacker Keith Rivers, who signed a two-year contract in the offseason. Rookie Preston Brown could also work his way into the vacancy caused by Alonso’s injury. The defensive secondary is a point of strength, even with the loss of Pro Bowl safety Jairus Byrd, who signed a six-year contract with the New Orleans Saints. Stephon Gilmore and Leodis McKelvin give the Bills an extremely talented pair of cornerbacks, but both guys will be worked back into action slowly after offseason hip surgeries. Gilmore also struggled with injuries early last season, but he came on strong in the final half of his sophomore season. Byrd and safety Jim Leonhard combined for eight interceptions, but neither will be with the team in 2014. Aaron Williams had four INTs of his own and played all over the secondary. This season, he should settle in nicely at strong safety. Da’Norris Searcy also saw a good amount of playing time at safety and impressed with a 32-yard pick-six and a 74-yard fumble recovery for a touchdown. Defensive Player to Watch Middle linebacker Brandon Spikes will not get the glory that comes with sacking the quarterback like many of his new teammates, but Spikes will be the key to making the Bills defense more competitive in 2014. Spikes is a sorely needed thumper in the middle of the formation that will improve upon a defense that ranked 28th against the run. This need was further exasperated by the loss of linebacker Kiko Alonso to an ACL tear. On top of stopping the run, Spikes will add a veteran presence with plenty of experience winning at the NFL level. Spikes played MLB over the past four seasons in New England. He started 39 regular season games and appeared in six postseason games, including Super Bowl XLVI. TEAM ROSTER BILLS DEPTH CHART OFFENSE QB EJ Manuel, Thad Lewis, Jeff Tuel RB CJ Spiller, Fred Jackson. Bryce Brown, Dennis Dixon FB Frank Summers WR Sammy Watkins, Robert Woods. Marquise Goodwin, Mike Williams TE Scott Chandler, Tony Moeaki, Lee Smith LT Cordy Glenn, Chris Hairston Seantrel Henderson LG Chris Williams Cyril Richardson C Eric Wood Doug Legursky RG Kraig Urbik RT Cyrus Kouandjio Erik Pears DEFENSE LED Mario Williams Jarius Wynn NT Marcell Dareus Alan Branch DT Kyle Williams Corbin Bryant RDE Jerry Hughes Manny Lawson SLB Keith Rivers Ty Powell MLB Brandon Spikes Preston Brown WLB Nigel Bradham Stevenson Sylvester LCB Leodis McKelvin, Nickell Robey Ron Brooks SS Aaron Williams Duke Williams FS Da’Norris Searcy Jonathan Meeks RCB Stephon Gilmore, Corey Graham Ross Cockrell SPECIAL TEAMS P Brian Moorman K Dan Carpenter LSN Garrison Sanborn
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