2003 BILLS
	Eric Moulds caught 100 passes last season.
	Head coach: Gregg Williams (3rd year). 2002 record: 8-8. AFC East finish: 4th. Season opener: Sept. 7 vs. Patriots Schedule | Depth chart

Talk about a team in transition. Only seven players remain on the Bills' roster from the one Tom Donahoe inherited when he became president/general manager of the team in January 2001.

His first season was spent addressing the team's overwhelming salary-cap problems. And last year, Donahoe shifted his focus to the offense, acquiring franchise quarterback Drew Bledsoe in a trade and center Trey Teague and tight end Dave Moore via free agency, among a dozen veteran additions.

This past offseason, his target was a defense that had a league-low 19 takeaways and was among the NFL's worst in sacks.

Thus, among his 13 veteran acquisitions were seven defenders. Three of those -- outside linebackers Takeo Spikes and Jeff Posey and defensive tackle Sam Adams -- are guaranteed starters, and three others -- defensive ends Marcus Jones and Keith McKenzie and free safety Izell Reese -- could join them.

Even the coaching staff has a new look from the one Gregg Williams assembled less than three years ago.

Six of his 15 assistants are different, and three have head-coaching experience. Offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride (San Diego's head coach, 1997-1998) joined the staff a year ago, and running back coach Les Steckel (Minnesota, 1984) and assistant head coach Dick LeBeau (Cincinnati, 2000-2002) came aboard this winter.

LeBeau, generally credited with inventing the popular zone blitz, will use his expertise to assist defensive coordinator Jerry Gray, whose boss (Williams) also specializes in defense.

Offense
Quarterbacks: Bledsoe, 31, proved to be a bargain for the first-round draft choice the Bills sent to New England for him. Not only did he become an instant team leader, he also put up franchise numbers. Bledsoe threw for a team-record 4,359 yards -- more than 500 yards better than Jim Kelly's best -- and 24 touchdowns. However, he also took a pounding, getting sacked 54 times, second-most in his career, and was hurt by a defense that gave him only four drive starts on the opponents' side of the 50 all season. Backup Alex Van Pelt, 33, has the perfect attitude and is extremely popular in the locker room, but you get the idea the coaching staff is hoping that young Travis Brown -- bigger, stronger and cheaper -- wins the No. 2 job.
Grade: B.

Running backs: Travis Henry rushed for 1,438 yards last season, the most ever for a Buffalo player not named O.J. Simpson or Thurman Thomas. And his 13 rushing touchdowns tied him for second-best in team history. But he struggled with fumbles (losing nine). In the offseason, Henry got a double wake-up call with the Bills' signing of free agent Olandis Gary (since traded to Detroit) and drafting of Miami (Fla.) star Willis McGahee in the first round. However, McGahee, recovering from major knee surgery, won't play until late this season, if at all. Special-teams captain Sammy Morris is in the mix at halfback and might become the third-down specialist in the absence of Larry Centers. At fullback, Centers, mostly a pass receiver, was released and replaced by former Bill Sam Gash, a devastating blocker who fits the new philosophy. Phil Crosby is in reserve.
Grade: B-plus.

Receivers: The last five seasons, Eric Moulds has averaged 78.6 catches, 1,176.8 yards and 7.2 touchdowns while making three Pro Bowls. With Peerless Price traded to Atlanta for the draft choice that became McGahee, the No. 2 job falls to second-year pro Josh Reed, who caught 37 balls for a 13.8-yard average last season. Former Jaguar Bobby Shaw holds the No. 3 spot with veteran Charles Johnson, fourth-round draft choice Sam Aiken and free agents Clarence Coleman, Antonio Brown and Rodney Wright battling for two or three positions. Moore, with the release of Jay Riemersma, is backed at tight end by former Brown Mark Campbell.
Grade: B.

Offensive linemen: At age 31, left guard Ruben Brown has a current streak of seven straight Pro Bowl selections and is the veteran of a young crew. Teague is next at 28, followed by right guard Marques Sullivan (25), left tackle Jonas Jennings (25) and right tackle Mike Williams (23) in the age parade. This unit paved the way for Henry's monster year, but also surrendered the fourth-most sacks ever by a Buffalo team. Backup Marcus Price, who started three times last season and performed well, can play either tackle spot, and Mike Pucillo, a 2002 draft choice, pressed Sullivan during camp.
Grade: B-minus.

Defense
Defensive linemen: Right end Aaron Schobel has 15 sacks in his first two seasons, 8½ last year, and underrated right tackle Pat Williams has a new "Ted Washingtonesque" partner in Adams, who went to the Super Bowl with his last two teams. Left end remained a battle at presstime between Jones, second-year pro Ryan Denney and this year's second-round draft pick, Chris Kelsay. Also in the mix are McKenzie and Grant Irons at end and holdovers Ron Edwards and Justin Bannan at tackle.
Grade: C-plus.

Linebackers: The most improved unit on the team. Middle linebacker London Fletcher's 209 tackles last season were a franchise record, and he now has two new partners. Spikes, snatched from Cincinnati as a transition player, has Pro Bowl ability, and on the other side is Posey, who had eight sacks a year ago with Houston. In reserve are Brandon Spoon, who played well in the middle as a rookie before missing all of last season with a torn biceps, and young veterans DaShon Polk and Dominique Stevenson. Draftees Angelo Crowell and Mario Haggan are trying to make the squad on special teams.
Grade: B-plus.

Defensive backs: Starting former Ohio State cornerbacks Antoine Winfield and Nate Clements are one of the league's best tandems. Unfortunately, that's not reflected in Winfield's interception totals. He may be outstanding in run support, but he has only five picks in his four-year career and had none last season. Clements, meanwhile, accounted for six of the Bills' 10 interceptions, just one more than the league low. Strong safety Coy Wire has improved dramatically after last season, his first as a safety, and free safety Pierson Prioleau is being pressed by Reese. Kevin Thomas and Dainon Sidney are battling for the nickel and dime spots.
Grade: B.

Special teams
Former Seahawks placekicker Rian Lindell replaces Mike Hollis after one season, while punter Brian Moorman looks to build on the consistency he developed last season after an uneven rookie year. He finished 2002 second in the AFC in gross average and third in net. The return game very well could determine which wideouts make the roster, and Brown, with under 4.2 speed in the 40, helped his cause with an 87-yard punt return for a score in preseason. After a nightmarish season opener last year when the Jets' Chad Morton returned two kickoffs for scores, including the game-winner in overtime, the coverage units got dramatically better during the year.
Grade: C.

Chuck Pollock covers the Bills for the Olean (N.Y.) Times-Herald.

Material from Pro Football Weekly.
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