The Bills ranked 31st in the league in stopping the run last year, but they were also bad against the pass.

Buffalo allowed a whopping 48 pass plays of 20 or more yards, and their last-place rankings on third down and in the red zone were mainly the result of being burned through the air at critical junctures.

Improving the secondary was a prime consideration this off-season for new general manager Marv Levy and coach Dick Jauron, who added six new players to the mix: free agents Matt Bowen, Kiwaukee Thomas and James Bethea and draft choices Donte Whitner, Ashton Youboty and Ko Simpson.

They join a list of returning players that includes starting corners Nate Clements and Terrence McGee, free safety Troy Vincent and reserves Jabari Greer, Eric King, Rashad Baker, Rob Lee, Coy Wire and Jim Leonhard.

The key upgrade is at safety.

Whitner, the No. 8 overall pick in the draft, will replace Lawyer Milloy at strong safety, giving Buffalo a big hitter with speed and more versatility in implementing schemes. Simpson and Bowen add depth to the position.

As good as Milloy was, the four-time Pro Bowler had slowed down considerably.

After analyzing game tape of last season, new Bills defensive coordinator Perry Fewell could sympathize with what predecessor Jerry Gray was up against.

"As I looked at it last year, Lawyer was always sitting in the box," he said. "Looking at it, that's an eight-man front, maybe they're going to blitz. Now we're interchangeable. (Whitner and Simpson) give us flexibility. Both guys can cover. From a look, disguise (standpoint), we've gotten better with those additions."

Clements, Buffalo's franchise player, is on board for one more season and likely won't be retained beyond 2006 given the money involved. Youboty has the potential to take his place in the starting lineup, and Simpson will eventually supplant 15-year veteran Vincent, who will be a good mentor.

The Bills' long-range planning seems sound.

"I'd like to say yes, this group can be an elite group," Fewell said. "But they've got to come in and prove that. I think we're building on something here. We have good competition and competition brings the best out of all of us."

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