Help wanted: Linebackers needed in Buffalo

The Buffalo Bills are headed into free agency with a plethora of needs including LB, CB, WR, QB, and TE.

The team has gutted two areas:  linebacker and wide receiver. Both areas need addressing and should get a strong look as free agency is less than a week away.

The Draft will, hopefully, address one or two (is it too much to hope for more?) positions of need, but plucking a couple of free agents off the market before then will make their job so easier.

Like last year.

The Bills went big when they landed prized defensive free agent Mario Williams. Having done that, they were not at the mercy of a "positional pick of dire need" in the first round. Yes, they did need CB help as well, but there would have been a strong urge to reach for a pass-rushing DE instead of getting a quality cornerback in Stephon Gilmore. Gilmore is now one of the anchors of the defensive backs.

But those are only two pieces. Even though they had some strength on the defensive line and some players in the defensive backfield, the Bills defense was atrocious last season. As a group they couldn't stop the run, couldn't defend the pass and couldn't pressure the QB, quandary complicated by an inept defensive coordinator in Dave Wannstedt. Problems on defense were worse because of the poor play of their linebackers and lack of a corner opposite Gilmore.

Rebuilding the LB corps,especially in the middle, should be of the utmost importance. New defensive coordinator Mke Pettine is looking at a fairly clean slate as the team parted ways veteran LB Nick Barnett. All that remain are Kirk Morrison and youngsters Nigel Bradham and Kelvin Sheppard along with recently signed 10-year veteran, Bryan Scott. But none of them have the opposition quaking in their shoes.

That area has a serious need for quality over quantity. They could address it in the draft with their first round pick, but they also, because of some cap-space, could pick one up when the free agent market opens up for business.

Daryl Smith is a 9 year NFL veteran who's been stuck on a pretty bad team in Jackonville and Vito Stellino of jacksonville.com believes the linebacker will be headed to free agency come March 12. According to Stellino, Smith and fellow Jag Derek Cox are likely to "get more on the open market than the Jaguars are willing to offer."

Smith is ranked the 59th top available free agent by nfl.com's, Greg Rosenthal, who calls him "one of the most underrated linebackers of his era. But Smith, said Stellino, "is coming off a major injury.'' That major injury was a groin that kept him in IR until the last two games of the 2012 season. He had 5 1/2 tackles in those two games.

Another reason Smith is ranked so low on the fee agent chart is his age. He'll be 31 on March 14.

But throughout his career, the 6'2" 248 lb. linebacker has been a standout player and a character guy.

Former Buffalo Bill Paul Posluzny called Smith, "Our best linebacker." When asked why he's so overlooked, “You tell me,” Posluszny said, laughing. “I really don’t know. When I was in Buffalo, and we watched Jacksonville, we watched No. 52. He stood out.

He has for years.”

Poz continues, “When he (Smith) is on the field, opposing offenses are always looking for him, because he’s the guy who brings pressure for us. He draws a lot of attention, so he opens things up for other guys. They have to account for Daryl. That changes things. When he’s on the field, the other team has to know where he is, and we are able to run certain defenses, because we know, ‘That’s Daryl Smith’s job and he’s going to do it well.’

The above quotes were taken from a piece by John Oesher, senior writer for jaguars.com.

Oesher says that Smith's approach to the game is "quiet, low-keyed" and those are the reason's he's overlooked.

Former Bills and Jaguars head coach Mike Mularkey had this to say (from the piece,) “He’s a really good football player that you don’t hear a lot about. He’s as important to the defense as anybody. He doesn’t do anything that says me, me, me. He’s absolute leader in his own way.”

Sounds like a football player and a character guy.

Smith is the type of player that the Bills, as well as a lot of teams, could use. Stellino suggests in his piece that the NY Giants could be a landing spot for Smith.

The Bills have a new regime and we're not sure exactly what kind of scheme defensive coordinator Mike Pettine will use, but there are a few things we do know:  the Bills need linebackers and character guys should always be welcome on the team. A few veterans sprinkled about is never a bad thing either. And if you can find it all in one player, that's even better.

Plus, the underrated Daryl Smith who will be 31 and is coming off of an injury, will probably not break the bank in Buffalo despite the team always needing to overpay for free agents.