ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. – Drew Bledsoe can now go home and rest.

A month of minicamp sessions ended Wednesday for the Buffalo Bills with a new offensive scheme installed, leaving the quarterback optimistic and prepared to put last season’s troubles behind.

“I’m extremely optimistic to be honest with you,” Bledsoe said. “I feel like at this point in the season, this is as good a team as I’ve been on.”

Bledsoe acknowledged he and his teammates might have been saying the same thing at this time last year – before his struggles began and before the Bills stumbled to a 6-10 finish.

What’s different this time is Bledsoe’s belief the necessary changes have been made to make it work.

The Bills have a new head coach in Mike Mularkey, who took over after Gregg Williams was fired in December. Mularkey, an offensive expert, has worked to simplify a Bills scheme that was considered convoluted and too one-dimensional last year.

The Bills have back a healthy No. 1 receiver in Eric Moulds, who was hobbled by a groin injury for most of last season. The team also bolstered its receiving corps by selecting Lee Evans – a speedster, who could take the pressure off of Moulds – in the first round of last April’s NFL Draft.

And then there’s the Bills commitment to running the ball, something the team neglected to do for parts of last season. Besides having starter Travis Henry back, Buffalo’s ground game should be bolstered with a healthy Willis McGahee, the first-round draft pick who missed his rookie season last year recovering from a knee injury.

Combined, this is what has Bledsoe excited as he heads to his offseason home in Montana to take the next six weeks off before training camp opens Aug 1. in suburban Rochester.

“I’m going to enjoy my summer, go home and see the family and come back ready to roll,” Bledsoe said.

While Bledsoe’s place as the Bills’ starter remains intact, questions have surfaced about how long he will keep that job.

Bledsoe is coming off his worst season. He finished with 2,860 yards passing with 11 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.

The Bills also have begun making plans for a future without Bledsoe. The team gave up its first-round pick in next year’s draft to trade up and select in April’s first round quarterback J.P. Losman, who had a strong finish to Wednesday’s minicamp session with some impressive throws.

Bills president Tom Donahoe continues to back Bledsoe.

Earlier this week, during an hour-long interview on Buffalo’s WGR radio, Donahoe said: “I never felt that Drew’s skills were diminishing.”