Quarterback
Doug Flutie stepped in to guide the Bills to the playoffs in the most unlikely of years. Flutie's wide-open run and gun style got everyone involved and lit a fire in all of his teammates as well as earning him a healthy contract extension. Rob Johnson struggled through the Bills' 0-3 start, but guided the team to a huge victory over San Francisco and another win at New Orleans in the season finale. Johnson has a lot of zip on his ball and remains the quarterback of the future. Nonetheless in 1999, it's Flutie's job to lose, and Johnson is just going to have to settle for over $5 million a year as a backup. Alex Van Pelt is solid and will remain as the No. 3 quarterback, and continue to develop.

Running Backs
Antowain Smith solidified his position as a premier running back in Buffalo this past season. Smith upped his production to 1,124 yards on 300 carries for 8 touchdowns, but did not prove capable of going at it alone throughout an entire game. 12-year veteran, Thurman Thomas, will be back for what could be his last season in the NFL. For the first time ever in '98, Thomas was not the every-down back, but he handled his role well and contributed big. FB Sam Gash enjoyed his first Pro Bowl season and will return to lead block for the aforementioned. Jonathan Linton is Gash's backup and is a valuable reserve. Cleveland selected Clarence Williams in the expansion draft.

Wide Receivers
Eric Moulds emerged as a game-breaking wide receiver, with 67 receptions for a team record 1,368 yards and nine TD's. Andre Reed is still an excellent player, but at age 34, he is starting to lose a step. Kevin Williams is a very capable No.3 receiver but for the most part has been a possession style receiver. Quinn Early also sees spotty field time and his ability to get vertical makes him an asset. What the Bills are looking for though, is a speedster that is going to stretch defenses, and the team seems set on acquiring one.

Tight Ends
Jay Reimersma is a solid TE, but needs to become a better run blocker in order to become the starter that the Bills need to have. Riemersma caught 25 passes for 288 yards and seemed to become one of Flutie's favorite targets. Lonnie Johnson has been very inconsistent and signed this off-season with the Kansas City Chiefs. Duane Young is the only other player on the roster and Johnson's departure makes his re-signing a priority.

Offensive Line
The offensive line seemed to really respond to the play of Doug Flutie. The left side, with LOG Ruben Brown and LOT John Fina, is fairly solid. OC Dusty Zeigler won his position in the pre-season and showed grit, starting in all 16 games. ROG Joe Panos avoided injury and continued to get the job done with his "street fighter" type style. The Bills are happy to return the services of ROT Jerry Ostroski. Ostroski does his best work in the running game, but has continually improved at pass protection. Backups Jamie Nails and Marcus Spriggs remain green, but serve as quality backups in the case of injury.

Defensive Line
This is a position of concern in the off-season for the Bills. DE Bruce Smith is still effective, as witnessed in his 10 sack '98 season, but he is aging and the team feels it's time to bring a young guy in to develop under Smith's tutelage. LDE Marcellus Wiley has some pass rush moves, but is sometimes too slow to shed. Sean Moran is the backup at DE, but lost most of the season to injury. NT Ted Washington in his 8th season, is finally getting noticed. Washington had four sacks and returned to his second Pro Bowl in as many years. Backup NT Shawn Price is a big-time effort player, and is a valuable reserve for the veteran Washington. The only FA here is backup DE Mark Pike, and the Bills feel that he is expendable.

Linebackers
This unit steadily progressed all season long, and will come back in '99 completely in tact. ROLB Gabe Northern, RILB John Holecek, LILB Sam Cowart and LOLB Sam Rogers are the four starters and seem to have gelled as a unit in the 3-4 scheme of the Bills. Dan Brandenberg and Marlo Perry are both capable backups that are most effective in nickel pass coverage situations. Former starter Chris Spielman, who sat out all of '98, departed to his home-state Cleveland Browns.

Defensive Backs
The Bills are looking to beef up their depth in the secondary. Knee injuries to Thomas Smith and Marlon Kerner left this unit very thin. Ken Irvin and Donovan Greer finished the season as the starting corners. Henry Jones and Kurt Schulz were pretty much staples at the safety positions. Jones is a versatile strong safety, and a veteran leader on the field. Schulz is a savvy player that overachieves for the marginal talent he works with. Valuable Raymond Jackson was lost in expansion, making it a top priority to get a cornerback through either free agency or the draft.