Is this the year James Hardy emerges as an impact wide receiver?

Now would be a good time to step up.

Terrell Owens is gone after one overly hyped season. The Bills also declined to re-sign

long-time veteran Josh Reed, leaving the offense with a young, unproven corps of receivers

behind Lee Evans.

There are a number of candidates for the No. 2 spot, with Steve Johnson, Chad Jackson and

rookie Marcus Easley entered in the wide-open competition.

Head coach Chan Gailey said it's way too early to tell who will come out on top.

But Hardy, a 2008 second-round draft pick, is expected to be the guy. He is certainly

approaching this offseason like the job already belongs to him.

"Most definitely, it's mine," he said after the Bills' first week of organized team

activities. "I'm going for it. You will see me out there. I feel that this is my breakout

season."

The leap from college to the NFL is usually most difficult for wide receivers. The pro game

is faster and its more complicated offenses and multiple defensive schemes create an

adjustment period for receivers.

History has shown that receivers often have their breakout season during their third year.

Some of the most productive wideouts of the past decade — Owens, Steve Smith and Chad

Ochocinco — had their first 1,000-yard seasons in their third year.

Former Bills wideout Eric Moulds made the first of his three Pro Bowl appearances in his

third year after catching 67 passes for a career-high and franchise-record 1,368 yards and

nine touchdowns. Evans' third-year totals of 82 catches and 1,292 yards are still the best of

his career (he also had eight TDs).

It might be a bit of a stretch to expect that kind of production from Hardy, who has just

10 catches and two touchdowns in his first two seasons. But the ingredients seem to be in

place for him to take a big leap forward.

Under Gailey, Hardy will have something he didn't get under the previous coaching regime

— an opportunity.

"If you look back at those guys who had breakout third years they got a chance to play a

lot," Hardy said. "I didn't get on the field enough to show what I could do my first two

years."

Expected to bring a physical presence at wide receiver, the 6-foot-5, 220-pound Hardy had a

pedestrian rookie season. He appeared in 14 games (three starts), but eventually lost playing

time to Johnson, a seventh-round pick that year. Hardy's first year came to a disappointing

end after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee in a December road game

against the New York Jets.

Hardy's development was further stunted by the slow recovery after knee surgery that

prompted the team to place him on the physically unable to perform list for the first half of

last season. He only appeared in two of the eight games he was on the active roster.

Owens' arrival didn't help either. As expected, Owens and Evans got nearly every offensive

snap and were joined by Reed whenever the Bills used three receivers. That didn't leave much

playing time for Hardy.

"Every guy wants to be out on the field and show that they can contribute to the team,

especially when we weren't winning," he said. "I felt that I could do things to help, but at

the same time I only can do when my number is called. My number wasn't called last year and

now it is. The past is the past. I'm putting it all behind me and I'm ready to go."

As hard as it was not playing, Hardy understood he wasn't going to replace Owens and Evans

atop the depth chart. So instead of playing, Hardy watched and learned from his veteran

teammates.

Owens in particular took Hardy under his wing by showing the young receiver what it takes

to succeed at the pro level.

"I learned how to practice every day, how to go all out every rep," Hardy said. "I learned

how to watch film. He came to my house; I went to his house often. He showed me how to break

film down, what to look at as far as defenders, how to read defenses and how to have a certain

communication with the quarterback on certain routes that you want to run."

With Owens providing the teaching, Hardy was a willing pupil. But Owens is gone and school

is out. The time has come for Hardy to show how much he benefited from Owens' expertise.

"James is doing well and I think he learned a lot from Terrell, but now he needs to come

into his own," Evans said. "Like how to run certain routes because it's different than how I

run them. Right now he's in the learning phase, but physically he's looking well and now it's

about nailing down this offense."

The Bills are counting on Hardy to step up this season. They didn't address the receiver

position until the latter half of the draft and didn't make much noise in free agency.

Hardy intends to do his part to show the coaches he's ready to live up to their

expectations.

"It's a good pressure in my eyes," he said. "I feel the work that I've done since they have

been here and them seeing how hard I'm going to work to be that second receiver had a lot to

do with them not picking up any extra guys. Just having the right system and the right plays

to get me involved, which coach Gailey is bringing in now, I'm just so excited and I feel they

are, too."