2001 BILLS
	Rob Johnson doesn't have to compete with Doug Flutie anymore.
	Head coach: Gregg Williams (1st year). 2000 record: 8-8. AFC East finish: 4th. 2001 preseason: 2-1. Season opener: Sept. 9 vs. Saints. Schedule | Depth chart

Never in the Bills' 41-year history has the team undergone as many changes as it did this offseason.

General manager John Butler was fired when he would not commit to a new contract in a timely fashion, and head coach Wade Phillips was axed when he refused to fire assistant Ronnie Jones, architect of an embarrassing special-teams meltdown that factored heavily into an 8-8 record in 2000.

Defensive coordinator Ted Cottrell took a similar post with the Jets and was given the title of assistant head coach and nine of Phillips' assistants weren't retained.

Meanwhile, A.J. Smith, Buffalo's long-time director of pro personnel, joined Butler in San Diego. As a result, the Bills' front office and coaching staff has a virtually all-new look.

Bills owner Ralph Wilson, whose dismissal of Butler appeared to be an impulsive reaction, pulled off an amazing recovery.

He hired the best personnel man available, Tom Donahoe, the draft guru of the Steelers who lost a power struggle in Pittsburgh with head coach Bill Cowher a year earlier.

So taken was Wilson by Donahoe's expertise that he not only named Donahoe general manager, but also president, a title Wilson formerly held. The move effectively put the club's entire operations in Donahoe's hands.

Donahoe retained vice president/player personnel Dwight Adams and his nine scouts. He then completed his talent-acquisition staff with two hires with whom he was familiar from his Steelers days.

Tom Modrak, the deposed director of football operations for the Eagles, was appointed to that same position with Buffalo, and John Guy was added as the director of pro personnel.But Donahoe's most microscoped decision was that of selecting Phillips' successor. While the focus centered first on Dom Capers, then Cottrell, then on two Super Bowl defensive coordinators -- the Ravens' Marvin Lewis and the Giants' John Fox -- Donahoe was blown away by the organizational skills and attention to detail of Titans defensive coordinator Gregg Williams, who got the job.

Along with Williams came 12 new assistants to go with three holdovers, all of whom inherited a vastly changed roster.

Gone from last year's team are quarterback Doug Flutie -- who was let go in favor Rob Johnson after last season's bitter quarterback controversy -- defensive end Marcellus Wiley, nose tackle Ted Washington, linebackers John Holecek and Sam Rogers, running backs Antowain Smith and Jonathan Linton, offensive tackle Marcus Spriggs, offensive guards Jamie Nails, Joe Panos and Victor Allotey, defensive backs Donovan Greer, Daryl Porter and Ray Hill, punter Chris Mohr and long snapper Ethan Albright.

Flutie, Wiley, Rogers and Holecek joined Butler with the Chargers; Spriggs and Nails ended up in Miami; Washington went to Chicago; Linton joined Tennessee; Smith landed in New England; Mohr went to Atlanta and Panos retired.

In the process, the Bills' became a young squad. Only eight of the 80 players Buffalo took to camp had reached their 30th birthday, a mere dozen dated to the end of former head coach Marv Levy's tenure in 1997 and more than three-quarters of the roster had two years of experience or less.

Offense
Quarterbacks: Johnson remains trapped by that nine-letter word: "potential." He has size (6-4, 212), speed and a big-time arm, but at age 28, he's started only 18 of 48 regular-season games for Buffalo and has been knocked out of a handful of them. This year he must prove he's more than an injury-prone might-have-been. Backup Alex Van Pelt is a journeyman with excellent knowledge of the newly installed West Coast offense.
Grade: C-plus.

Running backs: Second-round draft choice Travis Henry has earned the starting job, but young backups Shawn Bryson and Sammy Morris are solid and will see action because of their receiving skills. Fullback Larry Centers is the NFL's all-time leader in catches by a back and should thrive in this offense.
Grade: B-minus.

Receivers: Eric Moulds is a Pro Bowl wideout, but Peerless Price must convince the new coaching staff that he deserves to be No. 2. Lurking behind Price is Jeremy McDaniel. Tight end Jay Riemersma is one of the league's top pass-catching tight ends. He's backed by Sheldon Jackson and sixth-round draft choice Dan O'Leary, who solidified his roster spot as a long-snapper.
Grade: C-plus.

		The Bills are rebuilding a bit, but the key is Rob Johnson. They have done everything they can to create an environment for him to be successful. They got rid of Doug Flutie and brought in a West Coast offense. They re-signed receiver Eric Moulds. Peerless Price is starting to come into his own. Although they had some key defensive defections, Johnson must play well and prove himself to the fans and the team, one that was divided between the two QBs. He has to win the team over and make them believe he is a leader who can win. If that happens, the Bills will be a thorn in a lot of teams' sides.

Offensive linemen: Left guard Ruben Brown has been to five straight Pro Bowls, and offensive tackle John Fina is a 10th-year veteran. But C Bill Conaty has two starts in four seasons, and left tackle Jonas Jennings is a third-round draft choice. What's worse, right guard Jerry Ostroski and his leadership have been lost to a broken leg, and there are nothing but youngsters in reserve.
Grade: C-minus.

Defense
Defensive linemen: Pat Williams is one of the NFL's best young tackles, and veteran DE Phil Hansen, now 33, remains at the top of his game. But with the Bills having switched from a 3-4 to a 4-3 alignment, Washington and Wiley must be replaced. DE Shawn Price has moved to tackle and played well, but Erik Flowers, last year's top draft choice, has shown little at right end. David Bowens, acquired from Green Bay in a trade for tight end Bobby Collins, could end up starting. Also in the mix are DTs Bryce Fisher and Leif Larsen and DE Aaron Schobel, another second-round pick in the 2001 draft.
Grade: C-plus.

Linebackers: After Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis, Sam Cowart might be the best middle linebacker in the game. A pair of talented 1999 draftees, Keith Newman (fourth round) and Jay Foreman (fifth), start outside. No backup linebacker has more than two years of experience.
Grade: B-plus.

Defensive backs: Antoine Winfield is an emerging star at left corner, and Henry Jones is one of the league's most respected strong safeties. Right cornerback Ken Irvin is a fourth-year starter, while free safety Keion Carpenter was last year's team leader in interceptions with five. Among those battling for the nickel and dime positions are this year's top draft choice, Nate Clements, and free-agent addition Lance Brown.
Grade: C-plus.

Special teams
Steve Christie, one of the NFL's most accurate placekickers, will likely be relieved of the KO duties by either Jay Taylor or Brian Moorman, who are battling to replace Mohr. Clements is the likely punt returner, but a clear-cut leader on kickoff returns has yet to emerge. After last year's disaster, new special-teams coach Danny Smith is auditioning everybody, including veterans, on the coverage units and is meeting with mixed results.
Grade: C.

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

Material from Pro Football Weekly.
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