BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Here are five observations from the Bills' training camp.

Camp Classic Moment

Even before this year's training camp began, life under first-year head coach Gregg Williams was billed as being more rigorous and demanding, and a drastic departure from the way predecessors Marv Levy and Wade Phillips ran things. While camp hasn't quite lived up the advertisements, it's been noticeably more physical and with a lot more contact. Incredibly, the Bills players worked in full pads for the first time since 1986. Under the regimes of Levy and Phillips, the workouts usually were in helmets, shoulder pads and shorts. With the more regimented Williams, "padding out" was the order of most days. "I can't ever remember having to wear hip or knee pads since I've been here," said 11-year veteran safety Henry Jones. Players ran what Williams called "opportunity laps" for mental errors, like jumping the snap count. Wake-up call came at 6 a.m., when equipment manager Dave Hojnowski blared an air horn. — Len Pasquarelli

1. If quarterback Rob Johnson had missed even a meaningless preseason game a year ago with a sprained index finger, as he did on Saturday night against Philadelphia, he likely would have been roundly criticized. His detractors, including some critics in the Buffalo locker room, almost certainly would have raised the standard concern over Johnson's past injury travails. But no one so much as raised an eyebrow Saturday when Johnson sat out the game with his sore finger. The departure of Doug Flutie, which divided the loyalties of this team and occasionally led to some public sniping between the two quarterbacks, has cast Johnson in a new light with some teammates. And it hasn't hurt that Johnson is trying hard to be one of the guys and to enhance his leadership skills. There is little question that Flutie, whose trademark competitiveness was a strength and a shortcoming, attempted to subvert and undermine Johnson for his own benefit. Some of the veterans who witnessed that now realize it harmed the club, and are more willing to afford Johnson the benefit of the doubt. Of course, Johnson must do his part as well to cement that trust. Everyone knows Johnson has big-time talent, but he must continue to reach out to teammates and, most important, he must play well. This is a critical year for him. With his contract running only through the 2002 season, the Bills probably will make a determination on his long-term viability sometime after this year. Johnson took far too many sacks a year ago (49 in 355 "dropbacks") and was too fragile. The hope is the newly installed West Coast offense of coordinator Mike Sheppard will allow Johnson to get rid of the ball much quicker, and that he will be exposed to less of a pass rush than last season. So far, the coaches say Johnson has done a very good job of assimilating the design.

2. Speaking of new schemes, the "46" defense installed by head coach Gregg Williams figures to create more pressure on opposition quarterbacks. The defense represents a fairly dramatic overhaul for a team that has played a 3-4 front for more than a decade. But the Bills might indeed have to create a pass rush schematically, because they really have no proven pass rusher. Of the 19 sacks produced by defensive linemen in 2000, departed veterans Marcellus Wiley and Ted Washington produced 13 of them, and the leading returning sacker on the line, tackle Pat Williams, had just 2½ last season. The projected starting line quartet totals 81 career sacks, but 11-year veteran Phil Hansen has 58½ of those. Upfront the Bills really need second-year veteran Erik Flowers, a first-round pick in 2000, to bring some heat. Rookie end Aaron Schobel, a second-round choice, also has some pass-rush ability and figures to see a lot of playing time, but hasn't done a lot yet in camp to distinguish himself. An emerging defender, and a player who should benefit from the "46" scheme, is third-year pro Keith Newman, an athletic strongside linebacker who had eight sacks last year in his first full season as a starter. We're betting, too, that cornerback Antoine Winfield will be used on some blitzes and could generate 5-6 sacks. The Bills stole third-year defensive end David Bowens from Green Bay in a trade last week and he could give Buffalo a decent rusher from the edge in "nickel" situations. Bowens has nice upfield quickness, is bigger than people think, and the Bills only had to give up backup tight end Bobby Collins to get him.

3. The Bills' 12-man draft class ranks as one of the best in the NFL, and should in time augment the existing nucleus of young veterans. This is a very young team that might struggle at the outset of the season, but should get better the second half of the year. Two rookies started on offense Saturday night and one surprising first-year player, third-round choice Jonas Jennings, is almost certain to open the regular season as the right tackle. The former University of Georgia standout is a tough kid and a hard worker, but he is terribly raw and already has suffered some of the inconsistencies expected of a rookie blocker. Last week, he was flagged for two holding calls and allowed a quarterback pressure on which Johnson was flushed out of the pocket. On Saturday night, Jennings did a better job, although he was knocked back on his heels a couple times when Eagles ends bull-rushed him and still plays too high at times. While the coaches seem to have settled on the starters for an offensive line that wasn't very good a year ago, the right tackle position remains one under scrutiny. After Jennings, the backups at right tackle are Kris Farris and Jon Carman, who have played just three regular-season games between them. Could be that Rob Johnson will, indeed, have to unload quicker this year when throwing to the right side. The other rookie starter on Saturday was tailback Travis Henry, a second-round choice. The former Tennessee star is a long-slung blaster who has natural body lean and who runs tougher than his size. During the spring mini-camps, it was second-year pro Sammy Morris who appeared to be the frontrunner for the starting tailback spot, but Henry might have overtaken him. Henry knows how to run, hits the hole hard and finishes off runs. He gained 47 yards on six carries last week, then got 31 yards on seven rushes Saturday night in a starting role before leaving the game in the second quarter with a strained groin.

4. As much as anything else, the undoing of former coach Wade Phillips was the poor play of the Buffalo special teams in 2001. Phillips fired much-respect special teams assistant Bruce DeHaven after the 2000 campaign, a season that ended abruptly with the embarrassing "Music City Miracle" kickoff return by the Tennessee Titans. In his place, he hired Ronnie Jones, who had zero league experience with special teams, and the Bills kicking and kick coverage units were a disaster. The new special teams coach is veteran league assistant Danny Smith, but he's still got some work to do if the units are to show the kind of improvement they need. Buffalo re-signed 12-year veteran place kicker Steve Christie, and that is a key, since he has been able to handle the swirling winter winds in Ralph Wilson Stadium during his career. But punter Chris Mohr departed in free agency and the Bills have no one with experience on the roster. Look for Buffalo to scan the waiver wire for a veteran once roster cutdowns begin. Watson was a disappointment in 2000 as a punt returner, averaging a paltry 4.9 yards, but was good on kickoffs and might win that job. Sammy Morris might also get a chance to return kickoffs. Starting wide receiver Peerless Price might be forced into the punt return role. The Bills offer a graphic example of how special teams suffer when there is a roster turnover. Buffalo has lost 31 players in two years and that drain shows up on special teams. The positive side is, the Bills can't be any worse in the kicking game than they were in 2000. Here's how much emphasis the Bills have placed on special teams this year: Like some others clubs, the Bills have started having a special teams session in the middle of practices. Before the opening preseason contest, Smith distributed a 14-page special teams game plan.

5. Coming off a three-year stretch in which he averaged 75.3 catches, 1,229 yards and seven touchdowns, wide receiver Eric Moulds has moved into a pretty elite group at the position and has emerged as one of the NFL's most dangerous playmakers. Moulds had a true breakout year in 2000, with 94 catches, and Buffalo rewarded him handsomely with a new contract. But the player the Bills really need to step up to the next level is Peerless Price, the third-year veteran who had 52 receptions in 2000 in his first year as a starter. Price has enough deep speed to separate from any cornerback in the league, but he still is too inconsistent and needs to run more precise routes. Suffice it to say that, while Peerless has improved his work ethic, he is not yet peerless in terms of production. And the honeymoon is running out on him. One big addition to the passing game is fullback Larry Centers, the leading receiver in history among running backs. By signing Centers as a free agent, the Bills provided Johnson with a proven checkdown receiver, another way in which the quarterback can dump the ball quickly. Centers isn't a very physical blocker, but he is a superb passing game safety net.

hLen Pasquarelli is a senior NFL writer for ESPN.com.