On the surface, it’s a brilliant move on a multitude of levels.  For starters, by bringing in Terrell Owens, you get a premium go-to receiver who has posted 3,587 yards and caught a league-high 38 touchdowns over the past three seasons. The fact that his $6 million contract is valid for only one year means you have insurance against his advanced age (36 in December) and notorious contemptuousness.

Owens will attract enough coverage to allow superstar Lee Evans to, you know, actually to be a superstar. Owens’s presence will also unclog the throwing lanes of developing third-year quarterback Trent Edwards. And don’t think that Buffalo’s rushing attack––which has ranked a middling 15^th, 14^th, 27^th and 20^th going back the last four years––won’t be buttressed by facing fewer eight-man fronts.

Greater, however, is Owens’ impact on this franchise off the field. Let’s face it: the Buffalo Bills are a portrait of mediocrity. They’ve missed the playoffs for a franchise-record nine consecutive years. They’ve posted a 7-9 mark each of Dick Jauron’s three seasons as head coach. If apathy is said to be the opposite of love, then mediocrity, one could argue, is the foil of excellence. If you’re a small-market franchise that can’t promote excellence, how do you stay above water?

The first 48 hours after T.O.’s arrival, the financially-strapped Bills––the NFL’s only franchise to ever outsource some of its home games––saw 10,000 season ticket renewals, putting them within range of their franchise-record 57,132 set back in 1992. Number 81 jersey sales were white hot. National talk shows spotlighted Buffalo, and the NFL selected the Bills to play in the featured Monday Night Season Opener at New England.

The buzz from Owens’s arrival––augmented by the VHI reality show film crew following his every step, and the key to the city that Buffalo mayor Byron Brown presented him––also drowned out the groans that were accumulating over owner Ralph Wilson Jr.’s decision to extend Jauron’s contract last December. (The soft-spoken, almost prosaic Jauron is on the payroll through 2011.)

But try, for a moment, to tune out the T.O. mania. Go beneath the surface. What do you see? A franchise still fighting the same financial demons that have hounded it over the years. After all, the Owens addition sparked an aberrational lightning rod of wealth––like a Florida house flipped in the early 2000s, or shares of Microsoft stock in the late 80’s. In pro football, most $6 million investments don’t instantly generate such a handsome return. The fact of the matter is, Buffalo’s money, overall, is tight. The poor economy, and uncertainty with the league’s CBA negotiations don’t help.

It was estimated that the Bills were anywhere from $24 to $34 million under the salary cap this past April. And yet, they were unwilling––or perhaps unable––to sign left tackle Jason Peters to a long-term contract, opting instead to trade the 27-year-old All Pro to Philadelphia. (This prevented Buffalo from having to pay Peters a big signing bonus, which would have required money outside the ’09 salary cap.) Also, in what GM Russ Brandon labeled a “business decision”, the Bills released guard Derrick Dockery, the second best player on what was a very average offensive line to begin with. Dockery never quite lived up to the seven-year, $49 million deal he signed in 2007. Though, given the struggles of the rest of Buffalo’s line last season, his services weren’t drastically overpriced. Subtracting Dockery was a business move that made sense. But it was also a move that most playoff-hungry teams wouldn’t have made.

Now the Bills are stuck with an untested––but cheap!––O-line. How effective can Owens, The Savior, really be if quarterback Trent Edwards is under constant duress? And are the Bills or aren’t the Bills trying to develop Edwards as their long-term signal-caller?

Brandon and the rest of Buffalo’s front office––which is spearheaded by VP’s John Guy and Tom Modrak––have never hesitated to rely on rookies, and that’s exactly what they’ll do in 2009. First-rounder Eric Wood and second-rounder Andy Levitre are expected to start at right and left guard, respectively. Both will be at a different position than the one they played in college. Defensively, the Bills are a fine young unit hampered by the absence of a formidable pass-rush. They’re counting on callow but talented first-round pick Aaron Maybin, a one-year starter at Penn State, to generate desperately-needed pressure on the quarterback.

It’s not a stretch to say that Buffalo’s season will boil down to the performance of its rookies. If the guards can’t survive, the offense goes nowhere. If a pass-rush can’t emerge, the defense remains reactionary. The long-term implications of all this are perhaps even more significant. The other young players who have seen serious action for this team in recent years––Edwards, running back Marshawn Lynch, linebacker Paul Posluszny, cornerback Leodis McKelvin, safeties Donte Whitner and Ko Simpson––are all approaching the first fork in the road of their careers. They’ve looked promising at times and trite at others. Considering how this Bills nucleus has grown together, strong showings from the rookie-led offensive and defensive lines could be all this team needs to breakout. But poor showings will produce another mediocre season, which could be all this team needs to breakup.

Offense

The Bills would never acknowledge it, but by bringing in Terrell Owens, they’re gambling with quarterback Trent Edwards’s psyche. Even when Owens’s skies are sunny, a storm cloud’s always brewing on the horizon. Owens is a man who wants to win; and winning, he truly believes, requires him, getting the ball. Should that not happen, how big of a distraction does Owens become? And what does it mean for Edwards’s locker room credibility? Teammates have praised the third-year quarterback, but no one has described him as the unquestioned leader.

Of course, in order to lead, a quarterback must play well. Edwards has done this only in patches. To be consistently above average, he needs to become more sophisticated in coordinator Turk Schonert’s system. Last year, the Bills ran an offense not unlike something a really good Pop Warner team might run. Edwards lost some sharpness following his Week 5 concussion at Arizona. Consequently, the entire system––particularly the passing game––got mired in predictability.

Owens’s presence should change this if for no other reason than that the attention he draws will free up sixth-year receiver Lee Evans. Few wideouts are blessed with Evans’s big play abilities, both in terms of pure deep routes and conjuring yards as a runner after the catch. Owens and Evans form a dangerous duo because, like with Reggie Wayne and Marvin Harrison once in Indy, both players can dominate underneath and over the top.

For this reason, the Bills have every opportunity to discover other playmakers where none previously existed. Electrifying return artist Roscoe Parrish has asked, understandably, for a greater role in the offense. Possession receiver Josh Reed can move the chains when he’s comfortable and confident. Last year’s second-round pick, James Hardy, will be coming off ACL surgery, but should he become serviceable this fall, the Bills will have a high-leaping, 6’5” target to utilize in the red zone. Perhaps none of the potential tertiary receiving options are more intriguing than fourth-round rookie tight end Shawn Nelson. Dick Jauron, anxious for more big plays, uncharacteristically prioritized finding a pass-catching tight end this offseason. Nelson possesses 4.52-speed and shows competence working the seams.

It’s a given that Buffalo’s passing attack will be more creative than the mundane one that ranked 22^nd in 2008. But veritable creativity demands pass-blocking reliable enough to allow for longer plays to develop. It’s iffy whether Edwards will have time to complete a seven-step drop with 366-pound career-long right tackle Langston Walker manning the left tackle spot, and 315-pound guard Brad Butler handling the right tackle duties. Neither veteran will maximize their abilities playing out of position (Though Butler, it should be noted, has played tackle before); the question is, how badly will they fall short? Walker doesn’t have quick enough feet to handle elite edge-rushers, and Butler, while decent on the move, doesn’t begin to have the short-area strength or rangy athleticism to anchor in the run game. Pass protection is key––especially considering that Edwards has proved to be injury prone and Buffalo’s new backup is Ryan Fitzpatrick, owner of a 5.1 yards per pass attempt average as a Bengal last year.

Buffalo’s personnel inside is potentially just as tenuous. First-rounder Eric Wood, a center at Louisville, is expected to start at right guard, while second-rounder Andy Levitre, a tackle at Oregon State, is slated to start on the left side. The most ominous sign imaginable would be if one of these rookies failed to maintain the starting job through training camp. Veteran Kirk Chambers (a starter in four games last year) and Seth McKinney (a former Dolphin and Brown with some starting experience) are both better as utility backups (lack of ideal explosiveness in cramped spaces is the reason why). If one of these two vets starts, it means one of the high-drafted rookies has failed.

Sandwiched between the guards is former Panther Geoff Hangartner, a versatile fringe starter who, like Chambers and McKinney, has made a career of playing multiple positions up front. The 301-pound Hangartner was brought in to the replace feeble centers Melvin Fowler and Duke Preston, who were both let go after getting destroyed by opposing nose tackles in all six of Buffalo’s divisional losses last season. Hangartner, starter of 12 games over the last two years in Carolina, doesn’t actually have astounding phone booth power himself. But playing next to reputed drive-blocker Wood, he’s capable of adding at least some punch to the run game inside.

The Bills love to use additional tight ends for blocking purposes. Even if the rookie guards sparkle, Buffalo will still need to fortify the blocking along the edges. Shawn Nelson isn’t considered a polished blocker, which is why returning tight ends Derek Schouman and Derek Fine will both have a shot at playing time. Schouman, a seventh-round pick in’07, started 12 games last season and compensated for somewhat dodgy blocking technique with a true fighter’s spirit. Fine, a fourth-rounder a year ago, has an athletic frame but remains largely unproven.

Two men relying on these blockers will be Marshawn Lynch (after he serves his three-game suspension for repeated player conduct offenses) and Fred Jackson. Both are important pieces. Lynch plays with a reckless abandonment, though often it’s the type of reckless abandonment you see from a guy who hasn’t a clue how to read the field. To be an elite runner, Lynch must become more patient and do a better job of diagnosing defenses. It wouldn’t be implausible for the Bills to keep the 28-year-old Jackson in the starting lineup after Lynch returns. Jackson carried the ball 130 times last year, 120 fewer than Lynch. But his 4.4 average was superior to Lynch’s 4.1, and he showed better elusiveness inside. Still, a lot of Jackson’s rushing yards have come in spread-out passing situations. If the Bills truly believed he could be a big-time everydown back, they wouldn’t have delayed giving him a new four-year, $8 million contract for as long as they did. And, they wouldn’t have pursued free agent Fred Taylor or signed ex-Colt Dominic Rhodes.

Defense

It’s simple: in order to succeed, the Bills defense must stay healthy and pressure the quarterback. It did neither last year. Seven defensive players––including Pro Bowl end Aaron Schobel––wound up on injured reserve. As a team, Buffalo produced just 24 sacks, which were 24 more than anyone watching film would have guessed. A large portion of those sacks came from blitzing, a tactic that Cover 2 aficionado Jauron and his coordinator, Perry Fewell, presumably want to refer to less often.

Despite the injuries and ineptitude on passing downs, the Bills D still jumped from 31^st to 14^th in total yards allowed. The hope is that with Schobel returning from a Lisfranc (foot) sprain, and first-round pick Aaron Maybin lining up on third downs, the Bills can create a defensive end quartet capable of staying vibrant for all four quarters. Last year, veteran run-stopping ends Chris Kelsay and Ryan Denney were forced to play too many snaps. Not only did they continue to do nothing on third downs, but in their exhaustion, they were often futile on first and second down.

Buffalo’s interior defensive line is extremely strong on the first unit. Marcus Stroud seems to have regained his Pro Bowl form––or something close enough to it, anyway. And fourth-year pro Kyle Williams have emerged as one of the preeminent run-defenders in the NFL. Williams doesn’t have Stroud’s size or explosive strength, but he shows better leverage and makes a ton of plays on second effort. Behind Williams and Stroud are Spencer Johnson and John McCargo, two once-sluggish players trying to develop as one-gap penetrators.

An improved pass-rush would finally allow Buffalo’s talented secondary to fully blossom. The Bills have two playmakers in cornerbacks Terence McGee and second-year pro Leodis McKelvin. McKelvin’s presence means Buffalo’s No. 2 corner will no longer hog all the free safety help in coverage. This is significant because McGee, the No. 1 corner, is far more aggressive, and therefore more effective, when he trusts that he has adequate help behind him.

Providing that help will likely be Donte Whitner, a former No. 8 overall pick. Whitner spent most of his first three NFL seasons at strong safety, though the Bills, wisely, have considered moving him to centerfield where his speed would create more turnover opportunities against the pass. This would also allow veteran strong safety Bryan Scott to start and continue the resurgence of his once-promising career. Scott is alert against the run and excellent in short one-on-one coverage, particularly against bigger tight ends. The previous starting free safety, Ko Simpson, has been solid against the run, but he has just two picks and five pass deflections in his three-year career. Whitner actually hasn’t been any more prolific, with just two picks and six pass deflections, but he plays at a much faster pace.

If Whitner doesn’t work at free safety, Buffalo will go with second-round rookie Jairus Byrd. Byrd made 17 interceptions as a three-year starting cornerback at Oregon, though the Bills think his instincts translate better to centerfield. Besides, Buffalo is already loaded at cornerback, with experienced veteran Drayton Florence, fresh off his one-year humbling in Jacksonville, holding only a slight lead over rising second-year prospect Reggie Corner and maturing fourth-year man Ashton Youboty in the battle for nickel duties.

The Bills are actually less reliant on their nickel back than a lot of teams, thanks to the fact that they have superb pass-defending linebackers. The group is headlined by third-year stud Paul Posluszny, a classic Mike ‘Backer who thrives in this Cover 2 scheme. Posluszny is flanked by the well-traveled Kawika Mitchell (weakside) and 229-pound Keith Ellison (strongside). Mitchell can be a little too aggressive at times but he’s a proven winner and clearly better option than backups John DiGiorgio or intriguing yet untested fifth-round picks Alvin Bowen (’08) and Nic Harris (’09). Ellison, on the other hand, needs to be replaced. He’s not free-flowing enough for someone who lacks size, and he rarely makes great individual plays. The Bills visited with several free agent linebackers over the offseason but declined to sign any of them. This means Posluszny will be doing all the heavy lifting in run defense.

Special Teams

Special teams coach Bobby April was voted the best in the business for a second time by his peers last season. His Bills ranked first in punt returns, seventh in kick returns and second in kick coverage. The punt returns can be credited to the tantalizing Roscoe Parish. Leodis McKelvin was good enough to take over for former Pro Bowl kick returner Terence McGee. All McKelvin did was set a franchise record with 1,468 return yards.

Rian Lindell uncharacteristically missed eight field goals in 2008, all of them in the gales of Ralph Wilson Stadium. He’s been good enough in his career to have those struggles overlooked, though. Punter Brian Moorman is elite in every sense.

Bottom Line

The Bills’ season will be decided in the trenches. If the new-look, inexperienced offensive line can play up to par, Trent Edwards will have a chance to lead what’s now a gifted offense. Defensively, if Aaron Maybin and Aaron Schobel provide a pass-rush, the entire unit will recognize it’s playmaking potential. Considering that Maybin is a very green rookie, and the O-line is dependent on two first-year players at guard (Eric Wood and Andy Levitre), the safe money is on Buffalo once again toiling around .500. But they’ll face lofty expectations heading into 2010.

Predicted: 3rd AFC East