The fieldhouse is empty and the Buffalo Bills have scattered for the next month and a half.  After three days of mandatory attendance, and several weeks of voluntary attendance, Bills players and coaches get the summer off before they head to training camp. 

I haven’t been to all of the minicamp sessions, but I’ve been to enough.  And here are some thoughts and observations to chew on over the next six weeks:

-There’s no doubt that Terrell Owens has already raised the competitive level of the team.  You can see it in practice.  And I think the number one beneficiary of Owens’ competitiveness will be CB Terrence McGee.  Terrence has always been a hard worker and a solid defensive back, but his one-on-one battles with Owens in practice are epic.  I’m ready to predict right now that McGee will earn a Pro Bowl bid at CB this year, thanks in large part to battling it out with T-O in practice every day.

-The Bills need a backup quarterback.  I saw nothing at all from Ryan Fitzpatrick during the practices, and I’m worried.  Gibran Hamdan is a great teammates and a good resource for Trent Edwards, but I would hate to have to start him in a game if Edwards was hurt.  And let’s face it, Edwards has missed at least four starts in his first two years in the league due to injury.  If they’re serious about contending for a playoff spot, they need an experienced, capable backup quarterback by the time they go to camp.

-The Bills seem very deep in the WR corps.  With Steve Johnson catching everything thrown his way in camp, and Roscoe Parrish the NFL’s best punt return specialist, there will be some difficult decisions to make late this summer at the WR spot.  Locked in to the roster: Evans, Owens, and Reed.  Hardy’s recovery from his knee injury will be something to watch in training camp, and that complicates matters.  Parrish, Johnson, and Justin Jenkins figure to be locked in an intense battle for one or two roster spots during camp. 

-It’s no secret that the Offensive Line is the biggest question mark on the team.  Nothing less than the future of Trent Edwards, Dick Jauron, his staff, and maybe Terrell Owens hangs on their ability to jell quickly and become effective.  With Wood and Levitre at guard, the Bills are much more athletic and quick up front.  But can Langston Walker do enough in the running game to keep Marshawn Lynch picking up the first downs?  Can he handle the fast paced no-huddle?  The O-Line may be the key to Buffalo finally ending its’ playoff drought.

Just a couple of observations.  Let us know what issues you’ll be thinking about as training camp approaches.