Second year man

Dylan McFarland's days as a wide-eyed National Football League rookie are over.

The former Flathead Braves standout and University of Montana All-American offensive lineman is now a seasoned second-year man with a whole new perspective on life, the game of football and the NFL.

"I'm a much better player now than I was last year," the 2004 seventh round draft pick said during a May visit to Kalispell.

"I'm a completely different player. My body type is different, stronger. Mentally, I'm more prepared. Physically, I'm more prepared. I know what to expect.

"I'm a different person than I was a year ago. I'm not concerned about whether or not I'll be on a team next year. It's just where I'll be.

"I'm pretty sure I'll be in Buffalo," he added.

But those first few months … admittedly rough.

"Everything goes so fast. They don't slow down for anybody.

"There's so much information they pile on you. You can't catch 90 percent of it - you've got to catch all of it," he said.

The coaches often teach at such speed that McFarland would spend the entire session writing.

His days consisted of four hours of watching film, 2 1/2 hours at practice and at least an hour daily on the Buffalo playbook.

The workday usually began at 7:30 a.m. and didn't wrap until 5:30 p.m.

"The first 10 weeks, I was there seven days a week. It was a little tough on me," he admitted.

Between making the team, finding a place to live and discovering what Buffalo had to offer in the form of entertainment, was a whole lot of studying.

"It went really well, but it was a definite learning experience.

"I was trying to meet people, trying to get in there and play a little bit."

His job as a first-year player was to learn the system, play if needed, get comfortable with the lifestyle of an NFL player - and get faster and stronger.

"(The coaches) were really happy with the strength I was able to gain."

A few of McFarland's thoughts on his NFL career to date.

q Stress - "There's a lot of pressure to perform well any time it's your job," he said.

But when the Bills got off to an 0-4 start in 2004, the stress level went through the roof, especially for the younger players.

Everyone tended to get on the younger players more than the older guys when that happened - even though many of the younger guys weren't the ones on the field.

"When we were winning games, it was a lot more fun."

. Playing time - McFarland played in two games last year "which is pretty good for a late-round rookie guy," he said.

"It was a pretty cool experience playing. I made some mistakes, but basically I played well."

. City of Buffalo - "Windy. It's windy," McFarland said.

"But I like it as a city a lot. I appreciate it's not a huge city. It's not too bad to live there.

"There's a lot of culture. There's something to do all the time."

"It's a small city, but the fans are great," he added.

Buffalo is a city small enough that when people see several good-sized guys together, odds are good those guys are members of the Bills.

McFarland has signed a few autographs.

"People are really courteous out there," McFarland said. "They're pretty knowledgeable about the game. And we're willing to talk to them, sit down," he said.

McFarland described the Buffalo fans in the same way as many NFL TV analysts - blue collar, straightforward people.

McFarland saw that for himself when the Bills got off to an 0-4 start last fall.

"They were still there for us."

. McFarland's goal this year - First to make it. But after that, "I'd like to be a bigger part of the team. It's hard for anybody to stand around and watch. I'd rather be out making plays and helping out."

.The draft - The Bills drafted two offensive linemen this year - Duke Preston of Illinois and Justin Geisinger of Vanderbilt.

"The bottom line is I've got to go play well," McFarland said.

"I can't control what anybody else does.

"But if I play well, I should be there. I've made a career out of making plays when I had to, so this is just another challenge."