Hopes were raised that better days were ahead for the Bills.

However, hopes have been raised before. The Bills have had a roller coaster existence ever since 2002, with great one season of promise followed by a season of disappointment. Unfortunately, there is as much uncertainty about 2007 as there was heading into the 2006 season.

That being said, there is quite a bit of young talent on the roster with wide receiver Lee Evans who is coming off from a breakout season. There is always quarterback J.P. Losman who has come a long way as well as strong safety Donte Whitner who headed last season's rookie class.

Losman, with his 10 completions of 40 plus yards last season shows, can make every throw with his incredibly strong right arm. He is a very talented athlete who usually avoids the pass rush, throws accurately on the move and scrambles for yards. Losman has also made great improvement in his technique and footwork and also is developing into a respected leader among the team. However, with all things considered, Losman is still a work in progress. He must learn to better recognize coverages and be careful not to lock on to one receiver.?He has been known to rush through his progressions at times and sometimes forces passes into coverage. Losman also must improve on short passes. Last year he completed 5-of-24 attempts on third-and-3 or less.

Another player to watch is running back Marshawn Lynch. In the past five years the Bills have not ranked in the top half in rushing. Hopefully this could change with the addition of Lynch considering his speed, power, and size. He rarely goes down on the first contact and can be very elusive in the open field. Compared to McGahee, Lynch has more versatility because he is effective in pass protection and can split outside as a receiver. Sharing carries with Lynch will be veteran player Anthony Thomas, how when given playing time last year was very productive.

There is also Larry Tripplett. The Bills lack size on the inside and as a result they struggle to stop power runs. However, the Bills hope to fix this with a deeper rotation. Triplett has proven to be the best of the group last season because he uses quickness and his hands to shed blocks.

And one cannot forget offensive line backer Paul Posluszny. Posluszny was a second round pick in 2007 and will hopefully soften the blow of losing Spikes and Flether-Baker. Posluszny works great for the Bills because of his quickness and athletic talents. He definitley has the range to make plays from all over the field. However, Posluszny covergaes skills will be quickly tested because the Bills need the middle backer to drop into the deep middle in their own Cover 2. Also, with Posluszny, last years weak side backer Angelo Crowell will now replace Spikes on the left side.

Despite the new talent on the team, the Bills have suffered a huge loss from their veteran core. Nate Clements, cornerback, and London Fletcher, middle linebacker, left as free agents in the off season. Running back Willis McGahee and strong-side linebacker Takeo Spikes were traded as well.

One must remember that the Buffalo Bills have failed to make the playoffs for seven?years in a row. It will be very difficult for them to end that losing streak in 2007. The offense could be quite explosive, however, if Losman continues to improve and Lynch proves himself and the line gets better. If anything, the offense must improve for the mere fact that it has to take some pressure off a defense that has gotten younger but not necessarily better. Despite some good building blocks for the future, the team needs more time to grow and mature.