Labor Day is approaching. It's time to shift gears, close one door and open another, turn

over a new leaf or an entire branch full of leaves. Use whatever cliche you please.

How about letting a smile be your umbrella when it comes to the Buffalo Bills? OK, that may

fall under the heading of fantasy football but let's give it a try.

Take the case of their starting quarterback, Trent Edwards. Maybe when he faces the New

England Patriots' defense in the Monday night season opener eight days from now he won't act

as if he's being pursued in a graveyard by Freddy Krueger.

Let's assume he's going to stay in the passing pocket long enough to locate Terrell Owens

or Lee Evans open deep downfield. Let's also assume that Edwards will adhere to the first rule

of quarterbacking — "protect the football!"

Since the Buffalo defense did not possess a pass rush a season ago and we don't yet know if

Aaron Schobel has returned to the form he had prior to last year's injury, we can't assume

anything about a possibility of spooking any big-time quarterback, much less the Patriots' Tom

Brady.

So let's just hope that Aaron Maybin, this year's primo draft choice who was selected in

order to help repair the limp rush, has not fallen behind the class to the point where he

won't be much use as a rookie. Chris Ellis, who did not look the part of a first-day draftee

at all last season, gave us some hopeful glimpses during the preseason. More than glimpses are

needed.

More finger-crossing is needed concerning the completely restructured offensive line. After

playing well in the victory over the Chicago Bears, the line was the picture of disorientation

when it encountered the 3-4 defense for the first time. Johnny Jolly, an anonymous backup

defensive lineman for the Packers, looked like the second coming of Reggie White against the

Bills.

Some of this may be due to the lack of playing time together and the breaking in of both

starting guards, rookies Eric Wood and Andy Levitre. Nevertheless they don't have much time to

find cohesion since they follow the work of the previous line, which took five-minute breaks

as soon as it reached the red zone.

Wood and Levitre aren't the only rookies who need to come through in a hurry. The Bills

have been firing blanks in the premium section of the draft for the entire decade. Do the

names Erik Flowers, Travares Tillman, Corey Moore, Mike Williams, Willis McGahee, J.P. Losman

and John McCargo irritate your memory as well as refresh it?

Besides Maybin, Wood and Levitre, they need to hit it big with Jairus Byrd at safety, a

position that has grown in importance over the last several years; Shawn Nelson, whom they

expect to be the most useful tight end on the roster since Pete Metzelaars in the Super Bowl

years; and Nic Harris in the slim linebacker department who is expected to at least make an

impression on special teams.

Also needed are some pleasant surprises, low draft choices or free agents who will

contribute beyond expectations. Among those candidates are two 2008 rookies, running back

Xavier Omon and offensive tackle Demetrius Bell. Omon had a nice preseason and may play a much

larger role considering Marshawn Lynch's suspension and Fred Jackson's hand injury. The

coaches would like to have a quick-developing tackle like Bell.

That's a huge menu of hope, I realize, and I'm pushing my luck when I request a large

dollop of improved game management by coach Dick Jauron.

Larry Felser, former News columnist, appears in Sunday's editions.