| Time to Pay the Bills | A Buffalo Bills Franchise |
BUFFALO, NY -- The death of long-time owner Ralph Wilson has thrust the future of the Bills in Buffalo into question. The fan base and current ownership group want assurance that the team will remain in Buffalo. However, Buffalo is near the bottom of smallest markets in the league, and that's less than enticing for potential buyers. So, the best way to prove to potential owners that the Bills can continue to thrive in Buffalo is to put a young, winning team on the field that can provide a solid foundation for the future.
The Bills have begun addressing those issues, moving up in this past draft to select play-making wide receiver Sammy Watkins, giving second-year quarterback E.J. Manuel a serious down-field threat while also providing running backs C.J. Spiller and Fred Jackson with some more breathing room, as opposing defenses will need to respect the field-stretching abilities of Watkins. The offensive line has struggled mightily in recent years, but the Bills were able to snag a trio of rookie lineman in the draft.
The move to improve the offense is also expected to take some pressure off a defensive unit that was in the top-10 last year. Reigning Defensive Rookie of the Year, linebacker Kiko Alonso, is expected to take leaps and bounds in his game and lead the Bills defense out on the field every week. Defensive end Mario Williams returns as well, coming off a dominate 13 sack season, which lead the team. Buffalo's defensive line is among the best in the league, Kyle Williams (10.5 sacks), Marcell Dareus (7.5 sacks), and Jerry Hughes (10 sacks) all return to the defensive line this year, alongside Mario Williams. With that group intact, the Buffalo defense should be able to cause turnovers in bunches.
The youth movement is important on a few levels, including the future of the Bills in Buffalo and head coach Doug Marrone and his staff. With a new ownership group on the horizon, it will make it extremely difficult for the new brass to fire Marrone if the team shows improvement from its 6-10 2013 campaign. Stay tuned.
FRANCHISE SETTINGS:
Game: Madden 15 (PS4)
Difficulty: All-Pro
Quarter Length: 7 minutes with 15 sec. accel clock
Sliders: Default; slow speed, zero speed threshold
*32 TEAM CONTROL FOR BETTER SIM STATS*