Overhauled Bills rally around head coach
by MATT KRUEGER Reporter

Buffalo Bills coach Dick Jauron has shaken up the roster since taking the reins of the team a year and a half ago. More than half the players from the 2005 team are gone now. Photo by Patrick McPartland

Since taking over as the head coach of the Buffalo Bills in January 2006, Dick Jauron has implemented his plan to rebuild the team into a contender.

To do that, he and General Manager Marv Levy have systematically eliminated most of the players they inherited from the previous regime of Tom Donahoe and Mike Mularkey. Of the 53 players on the Bills 2007 roster, only 23 were around when Jauron accepted the job.

By comparison, the AFC East rival New England Patriots hold 29 players from the 2005 roster.

"I'm not really surprised," said Coy Wire, who is one of the most tenured players on the roster with six years. "Starting a couple years ago, they said they were going to put together a team of good character guys, guys who love to play together and don't take this job for granted. And there was a lot of work that needed to be done. What you've seen these past couple years is them getting rid of some guys the team could do without and bringing in guys more the type of player we can win football games with. Now, you're seeing an influx of good character guys, guys that have the intangibles of hard work, heart and determination. If you look at our roster now, you'll see a dramatic difference in the type of football players we have now compared to what we had in the past."

Take a look at the starters from the 2005 season and compare them to the players taking the field this Sunday against the Denver Broncos. Troy Vincent, Lawyer Milloy, Willis McGahee, London Fletcher-Baker, Nate Clements, Jeff Posey, Sam Adams, Eric Moulds, Mark Campbell, Takeo Spikes and Daimon Shelton have all been replaced in the starting lineup. That's more than half of the starters on offense and defense.

"You're going to have turnover every year in this league," said punter Brian Moorman, who, along with Aaron Schobel, has the most tenure on the team at seven years. "It definitely makes you stop and think and say 'I got to work hard to stay where I'm at.' There are only two players still here from my first year."

The moves Jauron has made, which primarily has meant a youth movement and going with guys he picked over guys he inherited, have inspired the players and solidified the team as a unit.

"I think coach Jauron has a great vision," Moorman said. "He's a great coach and he knows how to motivate players. I really enjoy playing for him. He understands players. He understands what motivates us. I'm excited about where we're going."

"The atmosphere around the building, in the locker room and, of course, on game day, you feel better about who you're going to war with," Wire added. "You feel more like a family, as opposed to some guy who works in the same building with you."

With their first two drafts as GM and coach of the Bills, Levy and Jauron picked guys they thought could contribute right away. And the move paid off. Donte Whitner and Ko Simpson both started as rookie safeties last year. Classmates Keith Ellison and Brad Butler have found their way onto the starting unit this year, along with rookie Paul Posluszny.

But it's not just about drafting new players. Levy and Jauron have gone through trades and free agency to grab players they like. Of the 22 starters on offense and defense, 12 are Jauron and Levy guys, including all but Jason Peters on the offensive line.

"It's a complete change in the type of people," Wire said. "Look at Marv Levy. Ask anyone in the street what kind of person he is, and you know what kind of answer you're going to get. The same goes for coach Jauron. They made that an emphasis to bring in people of good character, and it's being reflected in the players they bring in."

e-mail: mkrueger@beenews.com