PROBLOGUE: I apologize if I'm missing anything incredibly obvious... I am not even close to in "football state of mind." I try to turn it off from the Super Bowl until free agency. I used Chris Brown from the Bills' web site free agent list, since I'm assuming he wouldn't have the wrong information!

(WGR 550) -- Hey, Brad Butler: Thanks for putting a crimp in my Olympic watching!

Laying on my couch and watching my beloved Team USA, I had no intentions of thinking about football for a solid two-to-three weeks, maybe longer. I watched enough college football to decide which players I like, and don't plan on being swayed by "who ran how fast" at the Combine.

(Quickly... for me, the Combine is cool for absolute football nuts like our own Joe Buscaglia and guys who don't like and/or don't pay a ton of attention to the college game. You also get to find out which players are absolute flakes, which is useful. I'll read the reports, talk to Joe and do Podcast interviews with players I need to know more about)

So, now my right tackle is saying "Goodbye" to pro football. Great news. I totally understand him taking off. If I was really good at a job I didn't love -- say fossil juggling -- but the job paid millions of dollars, I'd make several million dollars and then get out. God bless ya, Brad Butler. Don't ruin the government.

But it makes one thing absolutely certain -- next year's Bills are going to look very, very different. Already gone are Butler, Derek Fine and a bunch of special teams regulars (John Wendling, Justin Jenkins). Many fans would love to see Donte Whitner and Marshawn Lynch traded, and many would love to see Trent Edwards dealt or released. Terrell Owens likely isn't coming back unless no one else wants him (so maybe he's coming back). Aaron Schobel might retire, and Eric Wood's injury return is questionable at best. Roscoe Parrish has been whispered as a trade piece by a lot of folks.

Also, a few mainstays are unrestricted free agents no matter what: Ryan Denney and Josh Reed. Wouldn't be surprised to see Denney in Miami with his brother (pure speculation). Reed was rewarded for working his tail off week-in and week-out for years with the prize of being inactive to close the season. Bryan Scott is unrestricted. Also, and if Scott leaves, we'll never be able to play music together, as discussed. How sad.


Now, an uncapped year changes the free agency status of Richie Incognito, George Wilson, Ralph Ellison, Ashton Youboty, Joe Klopfenstein and Gibran Hamdan. An uncapped year is super complicated. My brain starts on fire whenever I think about it.

So..... who is guaranteed to be here come the start of the season? Let's review (and believe me, I'm totally open to being wrong about half this list!):

DEFINITELY BACK:
Fred Jackson
Lee Evans
Geoff Hangartner
Andy Levitre
Paul Posluszny
Terrence McGee
Leodis McKelvin
Shawn Nelson
Aaron Maybin
Spencer Johnson
Marcus Stroud
Kyle Williams
Kawika Mitchell
Jairus Byrd
Chris Ellis
Drayton Florence
Rian Lindell
Brian Moorman

PROBABLY BACK:
Ryan Fitzpatrick
Chris Kelsay
Reggie Corner
Garrison Sanborn
James Hardy
Nic Harris

There are a bunch of other guys under contract, but it's ridiculous to even speculate when there's a new head coach and three new coordinators in town. You can't guarantee back-ups from the Dick Jauron/Perry Fewell won't get cut.

This team could be awful, but they'd be awful with a bunch of new guys.