June 3, 2008

Mission accomplished: A defense characterized by its grittiness rather than its talent received major fortifications on all three levels. Trading for DT Marcus Stroud gives the Bills a pocket-collapsing inside presence that had been sorely lacking, OLB Kawika Mitchell has the speed to blitz and the strength to defend the run, and first-round rookie CB Leodis McKelvin could have Buffalo forgetting about Nate Clements very soon. Second-round WR James Hardy is the tall, complementary wideout Lee Evans needed.

Unfinished business: Hardy might scream potential, but the fact that Buffalo is so reliant on a rookie to make new coordinator Turk Schonert’s offense click underscores how downtrodden the WR situation is. The TE position is even worse, as no holdover or addition will give defensive game-planners pause. There’s a glaring question mark at free safety, where an underwhelming third-year pro with an injury concern (Ko Simpson) is battling a converted wide receiver who can’t tackle (George Wilson).