In part one of this series, we looked at possible film grades given to each defensive player by the Buffalo Bills' coaches. Clearly, we do not have the grades the Bills gave out for each player, but we do have access to an information base that does a comparable study for all NFL teams. In their own words: "ProFootballFocus.com analyzes and grades every player on every play in every game to provide you with the most in-depth statistics you can find anywhere outside the team's film room."

Part one of this series demonstrated that the defensive line graded out extremely poorly (except for Kyle Williams and Aaron Schobel). Chris Kelsay and Marcus Stroud rated among the worst in the NFL at their respective positions. New off-season arrivals Dwan Edwards and Andra Davis graded out very highly in their collective strength - run defense. Additionally, Kawika Mitchell graded out negatively before being put on Injured Reserve. Bills cornerbacks scored around average, while the George Wilson-led group of safeties were given excellent marks for the most part.

The off-season bolstering of the defensive line and acquisition of Davis seem to provide evidence that the grades given out by PFF are fairly accurate, because the Bills saw the same holes in the team and filled them accordingly. Common sense seems to indicate that the marks given by PFF are reasonably precise.

Today, we’re going to talk about the offense, which astute readers compared to a "bloodbath" and my favorite, "20 years of horror movies rolled into one big excel spreadsheet." After the jump, we dive into the "film room" using PFF's grades and information.

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The 2010 NFL Draft is over, and a good portion of Buffalo Bills nation is drinking Buddy Nix’s Southern-style, cranberry-flavored Kool-Aid, embracing - or at least accepting - the fruits of the off-season. However, some fans remain confused and upset that the Bills have failed to address widely perceived needs at left tackle, quarterback, and so on.

Part of the answer as to why the Bills made the off-season decisions they have could be how the new coaching staff has evaluated the players currently on the roster. For instance, we’ve heard more than a few times that our front office felt our current crop of quarterbacks are just as good as any QB in the 2010 NFL Draft. I’d imagine the incoming staff has reviewed last year’s game film in-depth and given grades for every player’s performance.

Now, wouldn’t it be fun to get a hold of the grades the coaching staff assigned to a player? Sadly, that’s like my chances of flipping through television channels and stumbling onto "Charmed" - it ain’t happening. Instead, we’re going to have to ride with the next best thing - ProFootballFocus.com (hereinafter "PFF").

PFF "analyzes and grades every player on every play in every game to provide you with the most in-depth statistics you can find anywhere outside the team's film room." After the jump, we’ll dive into PFF’s grades for last season’s Bills defense. (Note:  For the faint of heart, there may be some ugliness ahead.)

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Everyone knows that the defensive bright spot for the Buffalo Bills last season was the secondary. Opposing quarterbacks finished with a 61.8 quarterback rating; the Bills also finished second in the NFL to the Jets in allowing 184 passing yards per game. Moreover, the Bills finished second in the NFL with 28 interceptions. Quarterbacks had an average yard per attempt of six yards, which was also second in the league (sense a pattern here?). So it's safe to say that our cornerbacks and safeties were pretty impressive last season.

Even more impressive is the fact that their performance occurred without 2008 first round selection Leodis McKelvin for much of the year. McKelvin, 24, broke his fibula in Week 3 of the 2009 season and was subsequently put on Injured Reserve, ending his season. Up to that point, McKelvin was penciled in as one of the starting cornerbacks. Drayton Florence and Reggie Corner were forced to play bigger roles than anticipated, and performed admirably. McKelvin had a pretty miserable 2009 season - first the fumble against New England, then his house was vandalized, and finally he broke his leg. This weekend's rookie mini-camp offered the Bills, the new coaching staff, and fans the opportunity to contemplate a hint of what we missed last season and what we will hopefully see this upcoming season.

So how did McKelvin actually look, and why is he so important?

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A few months ago, fellow Buffalo Rumblings author Der Jaeger penned a piece which explained the strengths and weaknesses of the 3-4 base defense, the 4-3 base defense, and the different variations of those defenses. Flash forward to today, and we know new Buffalo Bills defensive coordinator George Edwards is installing the 3-4 base defense prominently seen in the Parcells/Belichick coaching tree.

Recently, there has been some confusion regarding our base 3-4 versus the Rex Ryan 3-4, what sort of players we need, and most importantly, the responsibilities of the linebackers. Keep in mind that the linebackers are the lifeblood of the 3-4 defense. Both defenses require a two-gap, space eating nose tackle along with defensive ends that can set the edge while maintaining their two-gap duties. So what's the difference, and why is it important?

Special thanks to Daniel Jeremiah of movethesticks.com for some specifics on what we'll call the Rex Ryan defense. After the jump, we'll examine these issues.

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When the Buffalo Bills signed RB Joique Bell from Wayne State as an undrafted free agent, most Bills fans yawned and went on discussing left tackle, whether Buddy Nix has a plan, and the woeful QB carousel that is Fitzrohmwards. Could the Bills, already loaded at running back with Fred Jackson, Marshawn Lynch, and first-round pick C.J. Spiller, really use another running back?

We know new Bills head coach Chan Gailey is going to run the ball. We also know that Marshawn isn't a lock to be on the team tomorrow, let alone come opening day. Additionally, there's a chance we eschew having a traditional fullback on the roster for a double-tight end look. However, even if Marshawn stays with the Bills all year, Bell has a chance to make a real splash on this team, now and in the future.

The 5'11", 223-pound Bell put up 8,055 all-purpose yards, including 6,728 rushing yards, at a small Division II school called Wayne State. Bell had 88 combined touchdowns, and he rushed for over 2,000 yards in a season twice, including 2,065 rushing yards as a redshirt freshman. With his 2,084-yard, 29-touchdown 2009 senior season, he earned the Harlon Hill Trophy as the best player in Division II.

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Are the Bills really serious about possibly drafting C.J. Spiller, or is it a well-executed smoke screen?  Let's examine the issue:

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No, we’re not going to talk about his supposedly negative attitude, how he was a world-class prick when he arrived at ND, or his lack of leadership.  We’re not going to talk about whether he has the "right" swagger you need in an NFL QB, whether he can forget his mistakes, or whether he lives and breathes for football.  I personally have no input on his attitude because I haven’t met or talked to the guy and I’d rather not form opinions based on hearsay, rumor, and whatever Todd McShay says on Sportscenter. 

Instead, we’re going to talk about his actual on-field performance and why I’d be hesitant to commit to him at #9. 

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