It seems like forever since Jim Kelly, the last great Bills' quarterback, was running the offense. The 2010 season will be upon us before you know it, and so with that being the case, let's take a look at who actually will be quarterbacking the Bills this year.
Despite a lackluster offense that failed to convert one third down opportunity after another in 2009, the entire quarterbacking trio from last year has returned. On the surface, that seems like a slap in the face to Bills' fans that were expecting, hoping, and praying for some type of upgrade at the position.
But now the keys to the Bills' organization are in the capable hands of GM Buddy Nix and head coach Chan Gailey, and the Bills felt very strongly about making sure they fully understood exactly what they had on their hands with this trio before they ventured outside the organization and brought in some new blood.
Let's take a look at the key players, analyze who will be doing what this year, and end the show with a look at 2011 for good measure.
Despite a lackluster offense that failed to convert one third down opportunity after another in 2009, the entire quarterbacking trio from last year has returned. On the surface, that seems like a slap in the face to Bills' fans that were expecting, hoping, and praying for some type of upgrade at the position.
But now the keys to the Bills' organization are in the capable hands of GM Buddy Nix and head coach Chan Gailey, and the Bills felt very strongly about making sure they fully understood exactly what they had on their hands with this trio before they ventured outside the organization and brought in some new blood.
Let's take a look at the key players, analyze who will be doing what this year, and end the show with a look at 2011 for good measure.
Trent Edwards was the Bills third round draft pick in 2007, and he was one of the three draft picks the Bills got back in the Willis McGahee trade. Since then, Edwards has shown flashes of promising play, (the 5-1 start to the 2008 season comes to mind), and flashes of less than stellar play. A career total of 25 interceptions compared to 24 touchdowns is not something to be proud of.
Edwards appears to have the confidence of his teammates, and he is confident in himself. Whether or not he can be effective in the Chan Gailey offensive scheme is something that Bills' fans will be wondering about as well.
By most accounts he is coming in to the season as the favorite to be named the starter. Chan Gailey has not officially named a starter yet, so Edwards will have to win the position at training camp. Edwards was endorsed this week by Jim Kelly, which is a complete reversal of where Kelly stood at the end of last season.
Edwards was prone to injury in college, and that reputation has followed him to the pros. Two concussions suffered in two years mean that the backups to Edwards will have to be ready to perform every week.
Edwards will be as effective as his offensive line allows him to be. The Bills will rely heavily on the running game this year, and if that is working then expect Edwards to do the majority of his passing off of play fakes, freezing the linebackers and secondary and attempting to catch defenses by surprise. If the offensive line is not working, expect Edwards to go back to a short passing game, dumping the ball off to backs and tight ends.
At least he has another formidable weapon to throw to this year in C.J. Spiller. He has lost his possession receiver in Josh Reed, and no longer has Terrell Owens to look to. Lee Evans will be there, but it is anyone's guess as to who steps up to be the No. 2 receiver opposite Evans. The potential guys include James Hardy, Steve Johnson, Chad Jackson, and rookie Marcus Easley.
Roscoe Parrish and C.J. Spiller will probably line up in the slot, and Edwards has decent to good tight ends available in Shawn Nelson and Derek Schouman.
Edwards is entering the final year of his contract with the Bills, so it truly is a make or break year for him, not only as a member of the Buffalo Bills, but also as a starting NFL quarterback. If he is the starter in Week One, and the Bills lose the majority of their games coming out of the gate, expect Gailey to not hesitate and either Brian Brohm or Ryan FItzpatrick to take over.
Edwards appears to have the confidence of his teammates, and he is confident in himself. Whether or not he can be effective in the Chan Gailey offensive scheme is something that Bills' fans will be wondering about as well.
By most accounts he is coming in to the season as the favorite to be named the starter. Chan Gailey has not officially named a starter yet, so Edwards will have to win the position at training camp. Edwards was endorsed this week by Jim Kelly, which is a complete reversal of where Kelly stood at the end of last season.
Edwards was prone to injury in college, and that reputation has followed him to the pros. Two concussions suffered in two years mean that the backups to Edwards will have to be ready to perform every week.
Edwards will be as effective as his offensive line allows him to be. The Bills will rely heavily on the running game this year, and if that is working then expect Edwards to do the majority of his passing off of play fakes, freezing the linebackers and secondary and attempting to catch defenses by surprise. If the offensive line is not working, expect Edwards to go back to a short passing game, dumping the ball off to backs and tight ends.
At least he has another formidable weapon to throw to this year in C.J. Spiller. He has lost his possession receiver in Josh Reed, and no longer has Terrell Owens to look to. Lee Evans will be there, but it is anyone's guess as to who steps up to be the No. 2 receiver opposite Evans. The potential guys include James Hardy, Steve Johnson, Chad Jackson, and rookie Marcus Easley.
Roscoe Parrish and C.J. Spiller will probably line up in the slot, and Edwards has decent to good tight ends available in Shawn Nelson and Derek Schouman.
Edwards is entering the final year of his contract with the Bills, so it truly is a make or break year for him, not only as a member of the Buffalo Bills, but also as a starting NFL quarterback. If he is the starter in Week One, and the Bills lose the majority of their games coming out of the gate, expect Gailey to not hesitate and either Brian Brohm or Ryan FItzpatrick to take over.
The 56th overall selection in the second round of the 2008 draft by the Green Bay Packers, Brohm was surprisingly cut by Green Bay and sent to their practice squad. The Bills took a chance and signed him to the team last year when injuries left their QB position rather thin.
Brohm was part of the 2007 trio of top QB prospects that included JaMarcus Russell and Brady Quinn. Based on the results to date, this is a trio that hasn't really done much of anything, as none of the three are still with the teams that drafted them. It should be noted that Brohm however decided to go back to school and finish out his senior year at Louisville, and was part of the 2008 draft instead.
Brohm had a storied college career that included being a serious Heisman Trophy candidate in 2006 and being named the Orange Bowl MVP in 2007. Brohm showed he was an up-and-comer, but things obviously did not click for him in Green Bay. Can Chan Gailey resurrect his career?
So far, Brohm has made one career start, and the only thing you can say about that game was that Brohm survived. He was able to throw the completion to Terrell Owens that was the 1,000 catch of his career. Sure, Brohm did not have much time to prepare, and the amount of reps he had in practice were minimal. Duly noted.
Right now, Brohm has the chance to impress Chan Gailey and gain consideration for the starting quarterback position. Gailey has already mentioned that Brohm is the quarterback candidate who has made the biggest jump so far. But, considering from how far Brohm had fallen, is that jump really high enough to warrant him being the starter?
If Edwards fails to win the starting nod out of training camp, I have a weird gut feeling that Brohm would then be named the starter. I think that since he hasn't really had a viable opportunity to play, if he is given the chance to perform he has the chance to surprise some people and show that he belongs.
Brohm was part of the 2007 trio of top QB prospects that included JaMarcus Russell and Brady Quinn. Based on the results to date, this is a trio that hasn't really done much of anything, as none of the three are still with the teams that drafted them. It should be noted that Brohm however decided to go back to school and finish out his senior year at Louisville, and was part of the 2008 draft instead.
Brohm had a storied college career that included being a serious Heisman Trophy candidate in 2006 and being named the Orange Bowl MVP in 2007. Brohm showed he was an up-and-comer, but things obviously did not click for him in Green Bay. Can Chan Gailey resurrect his career?
So far, Brohm has made one career start, and the only thing you can say about that game was that Brohm survived. He was able to throw the completion to Terrell Owens that was the 1,000 catch of his career. Sure, Brohm did not have much time to prepare, and the amount of reps he had in practice were minimal. Duly noted.
Right now, Brohm has the chance to impress Chan Gailey and gain consideration for the starting quarterback position. Gailey has already mentioned that Brohm is the quarterback candidate who has made the biggest jump so far. But, considering from how far Brohm had fallen, is that jump really high enough to warrant him being the starter?
If Edwards fails to win the starting nod out of training camp, I have a weird gut feeling that Brohm would then be named the starter. I think that since he hasn't really had a viable opportunity to play, if he is given the chance to perform he has the chance to surprise some people and show that he belongs.
Ryan Fitzpatrick has seen a lot in a short NFL career. Ivy League smart, Fitzpatrick is a Harvard graduate. He has been on a two-year rotation plan in the NFL so far. Two years in St. Louis, two years in Cincinnati, and now entering his second year with the Bills.
Fitzpatrick, just like Levi Brown, was a seventh round draft pick. He was thrust in to action as a rookie and was able to throw for over 300 yards in his pro debut. He also took over for an extended run of starts for an injured Carson Palmer in Cincinnati, just like he took over for Trent Edwards last season.
Fitzpatrick seems to have a hard time shaking the backup label, but nonetheless he is a valuable player to have on the roster.
As an example of how smart Fitzpatrick is, he was able to complete the Wonderlic Test in nine minutes, which is unheard of. His final score wass in the 48-50 range, which means he is in the top one percent of NFL player scores.
He should not have any trouble executing Chan Gailey's complicated offense or his game plans. How accurately he will be able to throw the ball to receivers is a completely different story.
It is his accuracy that holds Fitzpatrick back. He does have some ability to scramble, as was evidenced by the long TD run he had last year. He did have some nice long balls to T.O. for scores last season, but there were plenty of missed passes and interceptions to go along with the highlights.
It is comforting for the Bills' brass to know that they have a proven player like Fitzpatrick who they can turn to whenever they need him. For whatever reason, people just don't view him as a legitimate starter, and he will probably be there all year on the sidelines, waiting for the opportunity when he is pressed into duty again.
Fitzpatrick, just like Levi Brown, was a seventh round draft pick. He was thrust in to action as a rookie and was able to throw for over 300 yards in his pro debut. He also took over for an extended run of starts for an injured Carson Palmer in Cincinnati, just like he took over for Trent Edwards last season.
Fitzpatrick seems to have a hard time shaking the backup label, but nonetheless he is a valuable player to have on the roster.
As an example of how smart Fitzpatrick is, he was able to complete the Wonderlic Test in nine minutes, which is unheard of. His final score wass in the 48-50 range, which means he is in the top one percent of NFL player scores.
He should not have any trouble executing Chan Gailey's complicated offense or his game plans. How accurately he will be able to throw the ball to receivers is a completely different story.
It is his accuracy that holds Fitzpatrick back. He does have some ability to scramble, as was evidenced by the long TD run he had last year. He did have some nice long balls to T.O. for scores last season, but there were plenty of missed passes and interceptions to go along with the highlights.
It is comforting for the Bills' brass to know that they have a proven player like Fitzpatrick who they can turn to whenever they need him. For whatever reason, people just don't view him as a legitimate starter, and he will probably be there all year on the sidelines, waiting for the opportunity when he is pressed into duty again.
Levi Brown was drafted in the seventh round by the Bills with the 209th overall pick in the 2010 draft.
Brown was able to get an equal share of the reps with Brian Brohm in the first OTAs, but when Edwards and Fitzpatrick came into camp, Brown was relegated to fourth string. He is probably being viewed as a developmental project and is likely ticketed for the Bills' practice squad.
Brown began his college career at Richmond University but transferred from there after only being involved in three starts. While at Troy University, he finished last year as the second leading passer in yardage in the NCAA with a whopping total of 4,254 yards. He was only behind Case Keenum of Houston.
Brown has decent size at 6'4" and weighs 224 lbs. Bills' fans will probably get a brief glimpse of Brown during the preseason, but that should be the extent of his exposure this year unless a slew of injuries hit the team.
Brown was able to get an equal share of the reps with Brian Brohm in the first OTAs, but when Edwards and Fitzpatrick came into camp, Brown was relegated to fourth string. He is probably being viewed as a developmental project and is likely ticketed for the Bills' practice squad.
Brown began his college career at Richmond University but transferred from there after only being involved in three starts. While at Troy University, he finished last year as the second leading passer in yardage in the NCAA with a whopping total of 4,254 yards. He was only behind Case Keenum of Houston.
Brown has decent size at 6'4" and weighs 224 lbs. Bills' fans will probably get a brief glimpse of Brown during the preseason, but that should be the extent of his exposure this year unless a slew of injuries hit the team.
What are the positive assets that Bills QBs will be able to employ in 2010?
1) Three solid running backs in Fred Jackson, Marshawn Lynch, and C.J. Spiller. This is probably one of the deepest, if not the deepest, backfields in the entire NFL. This trio will be counted on to pound the ball in the running game, pass protect, and be a dump-off target for screens and swing passes.
2) Lee Evans. He is the sole proven receiving threat that the Bills have on their roster. The other speed merchants—C.J. Spiller and Marcus Easley—hope to show that they can turn in some long, spectacular plays as well. If it wasn't for Evans, the defenses could smother the line of scrimmage and completely shut down the running game.
3) Young, aggressive offensive line. Gailey wants the Bills' linemen to be tough, and that is in line with the makeup of the young Bills on the line: Eric Wood, Andy Levitre, Demetrius Bell and Jamon Meredith. How the rookies Ed Wang and Kyle Calloway fit into the mix remains to be seen.
4) Good tight end targets. Derek Schouman appeared to be set for a very solid season in 2009 when he caught nine passes for over 100 yards in the first two games of the season before suffering a season-ending injury. Shawn Nelson was a steal in the fourth round of the draft last year, but he needs to continue his development and stay on the field in order to reach his potential.
1) Three solid running backs in Fred Jackson, Marshawn Lynch, and C.J. Spiller. This is probably one of the deepest, if not the deepest, backfields in the entire NFL. This trio will be counted on to pound the ball in the running game, pass protect, and be a dump-off target for screens and swing passes.
2) Lee Evans. He is the sole proven receiving threat that the Bills have on their roster. The other speed merchants—C.J. Spiller and Marcus Easley—hope to show that they can turn in some long, spectacular plays as well. If it wasn't for Evans, the defenses could smother the line of scrimmage and completely shut down the running game.
3) Young, aggressive offensive line. Gailey wants the Bills' linemen to be tough, and that is in line with the makeup of the young Bills on the line: Eric Wood, Andy Levitre, Demetrius Bell and Jamon Meredith. How the rookies Ed Wang and Kyle Calloway fit into the mix remains to be seen.
4) Good tight end targets. Derek Schouman appeared to be set for a very solid season in 2009 when he caught nine passes for over 100 yards in the first two games of the season before suffering a season-ending injury. Shawn Nelson was a steal in the fourth round of the draft last year, but he needs to continue his development and stay on the field in order to reach his potential.
What are the biggest issues facing Bills QBss in the 2010 season?
1) Offensive line. Pictured is Ryan Fitzpatrick being sacked against the Patriots last year. The number of sacks will hopefully go down, and they should assuming that the majority of the Bills' projected line starters are able to stay healthy for the majority of the season. That statement contains a number of ifs and a few leaps of faith, but it is what it is. There is not a ton of depth here, especially from a veteran standpoint.
What remains to be seen is how many crucial penalty flags the young line gets hit with in key moments? We do not yet know if veteran Cornell Green will start for the Bills, but Raiders' fans referred to him as a penalty flag machine.
2) Proven wide receivers to throw to. After Lee Evans, the career stats for the remaining Bills' receivers in basically pretty embarrassing. It is believed that ample playing time and regular first team reps will allow someone to step up his game and fill the void. Seeing is believing, and we are collectively holding our breaths to see exactly who will be that guy.
3) Shaking off the tag of a losing team. The Bills have had moments of winning games in the fourth quarter, but frankly they are too few and far between. More memorable are the fourth quarter collapses on the national stage— the Monday Night Football games in the past couple seasons against New England and Dallas are prime examples.
1) Offensive line. Pictured is Ryan Fitzpatrick being sacked against the Patriots last year. The number of sacks will hopefully go down, and they should assuming that the majority of the Bills' projected line starters are able to stay healthy for the majority of the season. That statement contains a number of ifs and a few leaps of faith, but it is what it is. There is not a ton of depth here, especially from a veteran standpoint.
What remains to be seen is how many crucial penalty flags the young line gets hit with in key moments? We do not yet know if veteran Cornell Green will start for the Bills, but Raiders' fans referred to him as a penalty flag machine.
2) Proven wide receivers to throw to. After Lee Evans, the career stats for the remaining Bills' receivers in basically pretty embarrassing. It is believed that ample playing time and regular first team reps will allow someone to step up his game and fill the void. Seeing is believing, and we are collectively holding our breaths to see exactly who will be that guy.
3) Shaking off the tag of a losing team. The Bills have had moments of winning games in the fourth quarter, but frankly they are too few and far between. More memorable are the fourth quarter collapses on the national stage— the Monday Night Football games in the past couple seasons against New England and Dallas are prime examples.
If during the 2011 draft you hear the phrase, "The Buffalo Bills select University of Washington Quarterback Jake Locker", then it means that the majority of these things occurred or will occur.
a) The Bills finished with the worst record in the NFL.
b) None of the QBs were able to take Gailey's offense and make it work.
c) The Bills will have finally found the answer to the open-ended question "Who Will Ever Succeed Jim Kelly?"
d) Tickets will be going faster for the 2011 season.
Luckily for the Bills, the 2011 draft promises to hold much greater depth for franchise QB-types than the 2010 draft did. It was clear that Buddy Nix wasn't enamored with any of the other QB choices available to him after Sam Bradford went to the Rams with the first pick and Tim Tebow went to Denver in the first round as well.
Nix has not demonstrated yet that he can pull off a major trade. Until he does, expect the Bills to look to the draft to identify their next franchise QB. Hopefully that selection will be the one that ends the string of average QBs drafted by the Bills—J.P. Losman, Todd Collins, and Rob Johnson.
a) The Bills finished with the worst record in the NFL.
b) None of the QBs were able to take Gailey's offense and make it work.
c) The Bills will have finally found the answer to the open-ended question "Who Will Ever Succeed Jim Kelly?"
d) Tickets will be going faster for the 2011 season.
Luckily for the Bills, the 2011 draft promises to hold much greater depth for franchise QB-types than the 2010 draft did. It was clear that Buddy Nix wasn't enamored with any of the other QB choices available to him after Sam Bradford went to the Rams with the first pick and Tim Tebow went to Denver in the first round as well.
Nix has not demonstrated yet that he can pull off a major trade. Until he does, expect the Bills to look to the draft to identify their next franchise QB. Hopefully that selection will be the one that ends the string of average QBs drafted by the Bills—J.P. Losman, Todd Collins, and Rob Johnson.
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