Graham: Better Depth, Better Special Teams?

It's the National Football League. Sure, there's prolific, high octane offenses. Sure, there's stout, hard-hitting defenses. But what about a potent, high energy special teams? It seems like that third aspect of football often gets overlooked when talking about a team's success, or lack thereof. Special teamers are generally made up of reserve linebackers, cornerbacks, and wide receivers, among others. Success on special teams often relates to a team's depth at each of these positions. As Tim Graham of The Buffalo News points out, "the Buffalo Bills have depth up and down their roster like they haven't had in many years."

Will the added depth translate to strength on special teams? That remains to be seen. However, under Chan Gailey, the Bills have certainly made strides towards improving the overall quality of their roster. Players earn their starting or backup positions and the depth chart is adjusted accordingly. With so much competition at every position, the Bills find themselves with a number quality players at each position, whereas in the past (as Graham notes), they fielded certain players simply because there was no one else. The Bills no longer have those established role players strictly for special teams. Every player will be capable of playing first through third down, if need be. They've even added a power kicker in John Potter, who will have the sole responsibility to blast the ball out of the endzone on kickoffs.

Defense has dominated the headlines this off-season for the Bills, but there might be something "special" about their special teams, too.

Follow me on Twitter at: GTorlone