Bills can't hand starting job to Trent Edwards

But this is what I just posted in the links article from yesterday:

RE: Edwards starting this year
I must admit that if I were running the Bills, I would also strongly consider Trent Edwards for starter this year. Just no need to deal any type of compensation for a similar type player (Thigpen, T. Jackson, J. Campbell) and since we are not going to the playoffs anytime soon, no need to deal anything for a good QB (McNabb, Pennington).

BUT: I would also draft the franchise QB this year. Identify the 1 QB from this draft class that you feel will be the best (for me, that’s Bradford, but also wouln’t mind Clausin), and then do whatever you have to do to make sure you get him in the draft.

Have the prospect sit for at least a year, maybe 2, while Edwards either: 1.) stands there and takes the beatings or 2.) becomes a semi-decent QB again. Obviously, option #2 would be ideal…..

Bottom Line: If we are rebuilding, then do it right. Identify and draft the franchise QB as quickly as possible, because they take the longest to get good. Then, draft/acquire the offensive linemen. Don’t trade any draft picks for players unless they will still be contributing to the team in 5-6 years from now. And resign yourself to being terrible for the next 2 or so years. But know you are rebuilding the right way.

Any type of free agent solution to this problem is not going to get the Bills to the Super Bowl. The only QB who is going to potentially get the Bills to the Super Bowl is still in college, or leaving college this year.

As such, you identify the next great NFL quarterback and draft him. Be it this year, or next year. And once you identify him, you do whatever it takes to get him. That is the only way to win in the NFL these days (aside from the occasional exception of having a fantastic defense.)

RE: Players like Evans, Schoebel, Stroud, TO not liking Edwards as the starter…..I’m sorry, but changing an entire coaching staff screams rebuilding. They should know they are not shooting for the playoffs this year, or even next. Especially when changing the entire defensive scheme.

Bottom line: Do the rebuild the right way. Identify the next First Round (top 40 picks, so second round too) QB that is going to be a winner in this league (P. Manning, Rivers, Rothliesberger, E. Manning, Brees, Favre, etc) and get him anyway possible. Let him sit for at least a year, maybe two….and don’t spend any valuable draft picks on the QB we are “throwing to the wolves” in the meantime….

actually won’t mind Edwards as starter. Sure, there will be the people who hate him because of last year, and I can see why they may hate him. But there are also alot of people who are ready to give Edwards one more chance….or at least hold the fort down until the next great NFL QB arrives and is trained.

thaaaat was a joke.

new regime, we need new blood, rebuild mode do it all.

“The NFL Draft is weak on quarterbacks this year, as well. Sam Bradford and Jimmy Clausen are widely considered the top options, but it’s very possible both could be gone by the time the Bills’ ninth overall pick rolls around. Talent drops off severely from that point; it’s possible that this draft could yield zero quality NFL starters.”

I feel like we say this every year, no? We loved Bradford, he was almost going to be the #1 overall pick until he came back to college and suffered a few injuries. McCoy was getting more love before playing this season as well. It’s tough to dismiss a class with so many national championship and heisman trophy winners. (I know, I know, those guys don’t always pan out) But very un- “give this guy a chance” of you! : )

“would you accept Edwards as the team’s starter from any situation other than the winner of a fair, balanced competition?”

Of course not.

But if he wins it fair and square, I’ll take him on the condition that I see improvement in the rest of the infrastructure of the team, with the idea that 1) Edwards becomes what some people, not me, thought he could become or 2) we find the Answer at qb and switch him in when its time.

I wouldn’t be shocked at all if Edwards opens the season as a starter. Can’t wait for training camp! :-)

- I surely am not defending Trent Edwards, but you have to take into consideration that the Bills had the worst offensive line in football – Every time Edwards or Fitzpatrick dropped back, they were running for their lives. Yes, you do win in the trenches, and anybody that doesn’t believe you need a solid offensive line to win in this league, should start reading books written by Parcells and Lombardi.
- Tony Romo is a prime example of a QB that has all day to throw and in my opinion, would be another Trent Edwards if he played behind a line like the Bills.
- Where was the running game? Bills didn’t have much of one and that only makes it that much more difficult on the Q.B. – Jets made it to the Championship thanks to an excellent offensive line and average Q.B. in Sanchez.
- Until the Bills build a solid offensive line, I doubt it is even worth drafting a Q.B. in the first round.
- why is Edwards despised – I would think Crackhead Lynch should be more despised than him – Or Orenthal James………give me a break, that comment makes no sense!!!!
- Typical Buffalo!

all the other options and Gailey being known from turning chicken **$% into chicken salad, I wouldn’t totally be against having Edwards as the starter. However, that said, even keeping Edwards around is going to prevent this franchise from moving forward. I think the Bills are royally screwed because I don’t see them solving the QB spot unless they somehow trade for McNabb which seems ridiculously unlikely. I say tank it this year, transition to the 3-4 and hope to get a franchise signal caller in 2011.

Kudos! It seems (so far) that we are somewhat in agreement that:

1.) We are rebuilding.
2.) We need to find the next great NFL quarterback to lead us to the Super Bowl.
3.) Trent Edwards wouldn’t be a bad guy to QB the team in the meantime….in fact, there is the possibility he could fulfill some of his potential. And if not, no biggie anyway.

See, Bills fans can be patient. But we should also be rewarded for our patience. PLEASE BRING THE NEXT PEYTON MANNING, DREW BREES, BRETT FAVRE, PHIL RIVERS in to QB the Bills! WE DESERVE TO WATCH ANOTHER HOF QB PLAY HERE. IT MAY BE THE ONLY WAY WE EVER WIN A SUPER BOWL. MAKE IT HAPPEN. You have our support to lose the next few years, but we better have a difference maker at QB to watch for the next 10 years in return.

Edwards is a capable back-up QB that might last in the NFL for 10+ years ala Todd Collins. I do not see a starting QB when I watch him play.

Sure he’ll have a few good games as long as everything is going well in the game but when things start going wrong he is not the type that can pull a team out of the druthers. He will never be the over confident QB that is the trait of the great ones as shown by his inability to hit a receiver on the move and his penchant for checking down too fast. Opposing teams already know that he can be rattled and will come after him on every occasion—-I don’t care if he plays behind a good O-line or not he is what he is. Plus, he is one head injury from being forced to retire. He had injury problem’s at Stanford and he has had injury problem’s with the Bills.

.

Edwards is one of the most despised players in recent Bills history.

I still want to know how this happened. I don’t understand how the guy was completely vilified. Obviously, his play was horrible over the last year and a half. But doesn’t he still have some of the same qualities that we admired when he was playing good?

And can’t his confidence be fixed with a slump buster?

Now, I’m not saying he’s the cure-all forever, but he can’t be that bad of an option for a rebuilding year.

as long as it is a fair competition with equal reps and they bring in competent veterans to push Trent I can see how that would help Trent mature and maybe were able able to bring out his upside that everyone was talking about at the start of last season…..I’m starting to think OBD are Quarterback killer……where a quarterbacks promise comes to crash and burn

Count me in the pro-Edwards group. Any half-decent coach or coordinator will see from film that Edwards has talent and upside and may be Rich Gannon-ish. He needs a good line and no TO. Besides the line, I think TO was the worst thing to happen to Edwards. TO forced the Bills to call games differently than they normally would. Edwards does not need a deep threat, he need many sure handed short threats, i.e., RBs, TEs, possession WR and good pass catching FBs.

I don’t think Edwards would be handed the job, but Gailey would be crazy not to seriously consider him.

We obviously need a QB, but I’d rather wait a year and get the right QB than acquire one this year that will leave us in the same predicament down the road. We’re not going to compete next year so let’s fill the other holes.

I’m not sure if he is the answer. I would prefer to see the Bills bring in Pennington, and have Edwards serve as his back-up. He can learn from Pennington, and then may be ready to lead once Chad retires.

I give him a bit of a pass, because I’m not sure who could have succeeded with that o-line, a new o coordinator, and a new offensive scheme that made no sense for the personnel that was in place.

- We draft a QB that is not yet ready Week 1.
- Brohm shows he does not have the potential we were hoping for and
- Edwards beats Fitzy for the job. (last year Fitz was arguably better)

As any other bills fan I want to see our team in the playoffs at least its been 10 years. And ya Chan Gailey said that Edwards could be the starter in 2010….are you serious “Captain Checkdown”. This is like a step back in my mind. However, Gailey is a man that builds QB so remember when we rallied around Edwards with that 5-1 a year ago. I will agree with anyone that after the concussion he was not the same but if Gailey is the man we all know. Captain Checkdown could lead us back to some winning record. We need to look at the future but lets face it the bills organization can’t turn around in a year unless Ralph starts using some of that money in this uncapped year.

One example I want to throw out there is the Ravens they had a hell of a Denfense….(our secondary is nasty, our LB core could be great with mitchell poz maybin schobel and maybe foote or porter, and a few tweaks in the d-line we are good enough to be a defensive team). Remember the Ravens offense horrible with trent dilferlets face it I think edwards is a little better than that the man was nothing special.

I think we need to build and our defense can be very strong if our coaching staff knows who to bring in and what position to play them at. Our offense needs work QB, OT, WR…..it can’t all happen in one year…All I can say is that as a Bills fan i will always wear my colors proud no matter how bad our team is and no matter how many years it takes to it the playoffs

But i really don’t think Chix will hand it over to Edwards. Right now it seems like they are going to go through every possible option, before even considering who the starting QB will be. I don’t “despise” Edwards, but he simply looked scared out there. I think he is the better QB between Fitz and him, but when no one trusts you, and you don’t trust you O-line on any play – well you lose.

I recognize he needs some work…….but with the way the team has handled QB’s the last few years it isnt suprising that the last two young guys they have tried to groom have turned into certified train-wrecks……….

Thats more on the coaching and development more than the talent I believe. Trent lost himself and the team……..but theres no reason to believe that he cant earn the team back as well.

I agree no matter what the team decides to do that I competition for the starting job is the only way to solve this mess right now.

In our recent past, we handed over the QB1 position to rookies out of desperation. Both Losman & Edwards (especially Edwards) were thrown in way too quick and the pressure got top them.

The more I think about this year’s draft and the 2010 season, I am absolutely convinced that we need to fix the LT position more than anything and there are very good quality options to us in Rd1, which is probably where we need to be looking this year. I am starting to believe the hype about Gailey and his ability to get the most out of any QB. If this is indeed accurate, then maybe he can salvage Trent’s career? Trent did look like he had the “smarts” at the beginning, with the proper tutelage & guidance and better protection up front and more importantly – better play calling and much less predictability and maybe with a little deception sprinkled in, maybe just maybe he could be successful.

For 2010, if we fix our line and as a result decide to let our 3 incumbents battle it out, I’d be fine with that. I agree with you Brian that nothing should be given and it should be a fair 3-way competition. I definitely wouldn’t mind getting a veteran QB in Buffalo but not at the expense of high draft picks, we really need every draft pick we have. I look at options next year for QBs and I really like Mallet or Locker so if 2010 is the year where we solidify the trenches and prepare for 2011, I’m fine with that. Our QBs were unlucky last year in that they had no Oline and absolutely no offensive strategy or system. Firing the OC two weeks prior to the season (Actually not firing him at the conclusion of 2008 was the real crime) and putting so many eggs in the “no-huddle” basket wasn’t the QB’s fault. I look at Drew Brees and he clearly does not have a canon arm but it doesn’t prevent him from being one of the best. I look at the begining of Bree’s career and it is quite similar to Trent in 2008, so I certainly am not averse to giving him another chance to compete for the position. At the end of the day, we have so many other fish to fry, we might as well make sure he wasn’t “the one”.

I’m basing this on the “QB Hits” stat rather than sacks, as I consider it a far more telling barometer of an offensive line’s performance. Look at the top half of O-Lines in that category, only 2 of the sixteen teams there were flat out uncompetitive this year: the Browns and the Panthers (who still managed to finish 8-8). The rest of those teams either made the playoffs or were in it until the last week or two. The first and third ranked teams in that category played in the Super Bowl and the Jets (fourth) played in the AFC Championship. Now look at the bottom ten, only two of those teams made the playoffs behind quarterbacks that were able to put up fantastic stats because their O-Line gave them a little time to pass before collapsing. The Bills O-Line had guys in the back field seemingly before the pall was snapped. When a QB has a hand in his face in under a second, that’s when bad things start to happen.

Now that I’ve mentioned the O-Line, I have to say I’m probably one of the few that wouldn’t have any problem if Edwards won the job in the preseason. I have yet to have a problem seeing Trent Edwards take the field because there’s something about the guy when he’s under center that tells me he has what it takes to be an above average starting quarterback. Remember when we started 5-1 and he was putting up very solid numbers? Remember a big factor in why we started 5-1 besides what looked like pocket presence from Edwards? We could actually run the ball into the end zone. In 2008, Edwards was never the primary reason why we lost 8 of our last 10, in some games he was barely a factor. It is very easy to throw a QB under the bus because he plays at the most glorified position on the field, but a young quarterback with a bad offensive line spells disaster. Trent’s biggest problem is that he’s too smart. He knows enough not to randomly throw the ball 50 yards down the field into the waiting arms of a defender, but he takes things a step too far and doesn’t throw the ball 15 or 20 yards down the field. Trent is a coachable guy that doesn’t deserve to be handed anything, but if he goes head-to-head-to-head against Fitz and Brohm, I think he’s the better true-QB and is the guy with more potential. But an offensive line together that can hold up a little better than past ones and I think he’s got a shot to be a successful quarterback.

I’m all for having him win the starting job, if we then focus on protecting him adequately.

no. i want a new qb. that’s not currently on the roster

particular in mind for the future, but for the present, there are trends here that are being swept under the table.

Trent might have something to salvage, but first he has to erase the negative perceptions he has created in his teammates’ minds—and that’s a major disadvantage. That’s where Pennington has the advantage over Trent.

Why is the focus of this article (and comments) about Trent (among current QBs) being the heir apparent? Didn’t we witness Fitz prove he’s a slightly better option? (at least until Trent proves he regained confidence)

I have always liked Edwards as a person. He seems nice, smart, and happy to be a Bill. But after I saw how the team responded better to Fitz, I can’t see how TE is still thought of as the best QB on the roster. Can someone straighten me out?

Nothing against the guy personnelly, seems like a fine young man. I don’t look at him as a quality backup yet alone a starter. First of he is fragile, like Rob Johnson looks like a iron man compared to him. Second, he has a weak arm for the long throw. Third, no self confidence, lost this way to quickly. All these things are out of his control so he is useless to the Buffalo Bills.

However, if he’s on the roster next season he does deserve a shot at the starting QB job. I hope he’s not on the roster at the beginning of next season. I believe it would be in both the Bill’s and Edward’s best interest to part ways. However I can envision him on the roster,and having some success behind a healthy O line,until he takes his first monster hit and reverts into Trentative mode.

Somewhere between “win with what you’ve got” (Gailey) and “bring in a guy who has won before… because he’ll probably continue to win,” (Nix) is wat I expect to see.

I think they’ll trade for a veteran QB who has won in the league and let him compete with Trent and Fitzpatrick for the start. If Edwards loses that competition, he’ll be jettisoned.

When I was younger and more emotionally invested in this team, this kind of news would have worn on me substantially. Now? I’ll just sick back hope it’s all media speculation from a newspaper that never seems to have any beat writers who actually have a grip on the team’s pulse. Maybe Gaughan right, but for now, I’ll just hope he’s being lazy in his reporting because the media that covers the Bills locally never seems to break any stories surrounding the team.

If it IS true, that will just about do it for me regarding true concern for this morbid franchise. I tried to be optimistic about the iffy Nix and Gailey choices with reagrds to fixing the absolute joke that was the Dick Jauron era, but keeping Trent Edwards as anything more than a training camp arm would be absolute lunacy for this new braintrust. The author of this post is correct in his assessment of how some Bills’ fans (including me) view Trent Edwards. I personally despise him more than any Bills QB I’ve ever suffered through (including bums like Rob Johnson, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Kelly Holcomb, and JP Losman). I hate his overall comfort with poor performances, his unwarranted sense of self worth, and most importantly, his anemic on field production. I will not sit and watch another year of Trent Edwards under any circumstance and while I’m a Bills’ supporter for life, I won’t waste my time watching a story unfold that has no other possible outcome but failure. Trent Edwards has never shown anything to warrant a place in an NFL lineup despite being handed a job by Dick Jauron and company based on absolutely nothing. Everything you need to know about Trent Edwards is already in the history books. He’s no better than Stoney Case, Will Furrer, Kyle Boller, Browning Nagle, or any of the worst QBs in recent memory. He belongs on his couch back in California on Sundays that’s exactly where this coaching staff will be in the near future if Edwards is their answer at QB.

Personnaly, I quess thats what reporter shoot for is stirring hypothetical scenerio’s to stirr the pot. Everyone here has fallen for it.
Why can’t we be patient and wait for what we all asked for. Let Gailey and his staff evaluate what we have on the roster. Let Nix and his staff along with Gailey and his offensive staff evaluate the combine. Let them decide which is best for this franchise and then let the chips fall.
This is our biggest advantage we have. We asked for this overhaul, we got some good evaluaters to perform this process for us. We couldn’t get much younger with the talent we have at the QB position. We don’t have an offensive scheme in place and we are picking what we should do at that position. This is rediculous.
Let the front office do their job. I just hope somewhere in the evaluation they realize we need a running game to compliment our QB. Then we can have at least something on the offensive side of the ball to identify with.

I can see trent as a “Dilfer”…Don’t throw the ball away type of player. I’m OK with that. (For now…)

he wont even be on the roster!!!

Let’s stir the pot a little more.
Barring somebody is crazy enough to give us a draft pick for Trent…..

TONIGHT, PROFILED ON THE NASHVILLE NEWS:
Not invited to the combine, working out, and will certainly go loooooowww in the draft or completly undrafted, here he is folks!
Jonathan Crompton. 6-4, 228 from UT.
He played for 3 or 4 O-coordinators, played part time for 3 seasons with bad UT teams, and then finally had a good year as a senior as a starter (with a marginal UT team).
2008 Tennessee (5-7) 8 86 167 51.5 889 5.3 111.1 4 5
2009 Tennessee (7-6) 13 224 384 58.3 2800 7.3 215.4 27 13
We bring to camp Trent-Fitzy-Brohm.
Do we draft Crompton in the last round (or does somebody beat us to it) or sign him as an UFA?

We go into camp with FOUR young arms, let them duke it out with each getting their share of reps….. then, the one who sucks the most, gets cut or put on the practice squad, and the one who sucks the least, we start and keep the other two as backups.

We draft for need this year, then get a franchise QB (Locker) next year.
WAHOOOO!!! Go Bills.

… wait, I’m not very well known on this board, at least yet. So I guess I’ll have to reiterate, that I think that unless Buddy can get Clausen, and feels confident enough that he can get a decent left tackle and nose tackle, then we’d do better to address those two subjects and sign Pennington to compete with Fitz for starter (as well as possibly slotting into the ‘mentor’ role for Brohm and another prospect); and at this stage, I would not quote odds on who gets the nod.
But as for Trent getting the job back — I can’t say I see it happening. Not after his record from last year, no matter what the cause, I can’t see him getting his confidence back. Whereas Fitz at least seems to have had a clear head about him, and was able to take a few risks here and there (as opposed to doing the check-down cha-cha almost every play, like Trent was doing every time I saw him). I don’t think he’s great, and as a matter of fact think ‘adequate’ is a compliment under the circumstances, but it’s not one I could give Trent Edwards last year.