What can you possibly take away from a preseason game? Not all that much, but there were a few noteworthy moments from Saturday contest against the Bears (even with a certain ball-catcher injured).

-- Trent Edwards' completion to Lee Evans was nice, but we need to see more intermediate routes and decisive throws. We requested that he be allowed to drop back more than four times this week, and he obliged. We can't be naive enough to suppose that there aren't receivers running more than nine yards downfield, and five of his 10-of-10 performance went to running backs. That said, 10-of-10 is kinda nice, and I continue to be hopeful, but not expectant, of a major improvement for Edwards.

-- I was already criticized for this sentiment last week, but I really believe Leodis McKelvin is going to be a star, not just on the team, but in the league. He should be the type of corner you end up paying big bucks rather than letting walk, something the Bills didn't see fit to do with Nate Clements, Antoine Winfield or Jabari Greer.

-- Never throw a pity-party for guys making well-over six figures per year in their early 20s, but tough times for Stevie Johnson and James Hardy. Neither is a typical slot threat and neither will outshiner Lee Evans or Terrell Owens, so it almost feels like a predestined year of relative obscurity. Unless Roscoe Parrish is traded, it's hard to imagine either wide-out on the field, and that could include empty backfield sets if Shawn Nelson is anything close to the real deal.

-- If you missed my Sportstalk Saturday show, here's a recap -- there's no reason Aaron Maybin shouldn't be in camp right now. When the draft happened, which of the following names would you have not expected to be in the final three hold-outs: Andre Smith, Michael Crabtree or Maybin? Exactly.

-- I need to address the Ellis Lankster thing right now, as I interviewed him for Bills Digest right after the draft. The guy is a football player, not an orator, and those who called the Whiner Line -- and there were plenty -- making fun of a guy with a major speech problem need to take a step back. If he keeps making interceptions, maybe he'll work it out, too. A fantastic game for the rookie, and you wonder if he'll spell the end of a veteran corner making more money.

-- How about a no-huddle offense using 16 more minutes of the clock than the Bears? The four interceptions certainly helped.

-- No Bills running back ran for more than 3.2 yards-per-carry.

-- Chris Ellis got to the quarterback again, which is a beautiful thing. Too many people signalled Ellis as a third-round bust, but most defensive ends have miserable first seasons. You can point directly to Texans wonder Mario Williams, the No. 1 overall pick who only registered 4.5 sacks his rookie year before totalling 25-plus in his second and third years. I'm not saying Ellis is one-third the player Williams is, but it's a nice sign. Aaron who?

Email: nick@wgr550.com