After QB Drew Bledsoe is released on Feb. 22, the Bills will be in the market for a veteran backup for J.P. Losman. Their first option, said coach Mike Mularkey and GM Tom Donahoe, is to talk Shane Matthews into returning to the team. The 11th-year pro was coaxed out of retirement last year after Losman broke his leg and Travis Brown injured his knee and was released. He appeared in two games, throwing a pretty 33-yard TD pass to rookie Lee Evans in a blowout win over San Francisco.

"We'd like an experienced backup and Shane is a possibility," Mularkey said.

If Matthews calls it quits, there will be plenty of other options for the Bills. The market is expected to be flooded with veterans by March 2, the start of free agency. Then it becomes a matter of money and the player's willingness to mentor Losman.

Some names to chew on include Vinny Testaverde, Brad Johnson, Rich Gannon, Jay Fiedler, Chris Chandler, Kurt Warner and Jeff Garcia.

On the free-agent front, the Bills have cleared about $14 million in cap room after re-structuring WR Eric Moulds and letting Bledsoe go ($2.2 million savings). With that much room, the agent for unrestricted free agent DT Pat Williams doesn't expect Buffalo to place the franchise or transition tag on his client. It's not believed the Bills would want to slap the franchise tag on OT Jonas Jennings either, guaranteeing him a Top Five salary. They'd much rather barter a more cap-friendly deal.

"Until they get the money to do a deal, there's no need to call, they know what his numbers are," Williams' agent Angelo Wright said

NEEDS/DRAFT PRIORITIES:

1. Center. The Bills have to start getting serious about upgrading their line; it's just not in the league of Pittsburgh's, Indianapolis', or New England's, the teams to beat in the AFC. Landing a veteran or good rookie would allow Trey Teague to be shifted to left tackle, making the need to re-sign Jonas Jennings a lot less urgent.

2. Tight end. There are no guarantees that Mark Campbell or Tim Euhus will return to full strength from knee surgeries, and inexperienced new starting QB J.P. Losman definitely needs a tight end to throw to when he's on the run.

3. Backup QB. The Bills need one with experience after promoting second-year man J.P. Losman and cutting Drew Bledsoe. But there's lots of time and lots of names.

FRANCHISE PLAYER
None.

TRANSITION PLAYER
None.

UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENTS
LS Bradford Banta; WR Drew Haddad; LT Jonas Jennings; QB Shane Matthews; TE Ryan Neufeld; OT Marcus Price; FS Izell Reese; DT Pat Williams.

RESTRICTED FREE AGENTS
RB/FB Joe Burns; OL Mike Pucillo; CB Kevin Thomas.

EXCLUSIVE RIGHTS FREE AGENTS
LS Jon Dorenbos; LB Josh Stamer.

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