Buffalo Bills Need To Start Developing A Quarterback

The Bills need to get a young, smart athletically talented QB, and they need to sit him behind Ryan Fitzpatrick for a few years so he can learn the game. I have to be honest. I have no clue where to get this guy, but I am sure it’s not at #10 in the 2012 draft. It may be later in the draft though. Hopefully, it won’t be a 7th round prayer like Levi Brown.

But I think the most important point is that a QB needs to be developed. I know there are exceptions like Cam Newton who excel from day 1. But the more realistic approach is the Aaron Rodgers approach. Get a young, smart, talented QB and let him learn the game behind the current starter. Rodgers had the benefit of learning from Favre, so he might have had an advantage that other young prospects don’t get. But I have to believe that a QB as intelligent as Ryan Fitzpatrick would be an outstanding teacher. Just imagine if Fitz could instill his intelligence and knowledge into a more athletically talented body.

That is what needs to happen. Now, how do we do it?

I know some were optimistic that Tyler Thigpen was going to be a quality backup. A few even wondered how soon he would displace Fitzpatrick as starter. When we actually saw him under center, we got a serious dose of reality. He doesn’t even look like a viable backup, and that sentiment seems to have been seconded by the coaching staff’s decision to let Fitzpatrick keep playing despite the alleged rib injury. So now we have Fitzpatrick, and not much else. We are probably not going to find a quality veteran backup anyway. That doesn’t leave many alternatives to developing a youngster. I would add that the odds of finding an undrafted free agent who can develop into a competent backup or more are somewhere between slim and none. We need to draft a QB. It’s not going to be in the first round, so we can scratch Ryan Tannehill off the list, but I hope Buffalo does some serious looking in the 3rd to fifth round.

B. Smith was brought in to be that third QB on the roster that under the new rules could be active on game day. By getting Smith the Bills have a player that can do many things besides QB as an extra game day player. This seemed like a smart move and if he can be honed into a true option at QB then all is well. The problem seems to be that The Bills dont have any confidence in bringing Smith in as a #2 QB (rightfully so). This means that they would be really taking a risk to go out and get a developemental #2 QB. If they did that and then Fitz went down, the team would be left with a #2 that is not ready, and Smith who is probably not capeable.

I dont know the answer to this unless we start carring 4 QB’s, which negates the advantage that Smith is giving us.

I think Brandon Weeden from OSU might be a good QB to consider in later rounds.

We need a QB of the future, always. The Patriots do this very well. They always have at least one or two backups who are developing, and able to play for Tom Brady if he’s injured, who can either be traded for high picks or kept around as the eventual replacement.

Is my #1 overall complaint about how the Buffalo Bills are being managed. And it’s the main reason why I have a feeling of hopelessness when thinking about the team’s future competitiveness.

In my opinion, every year that goes by without the Bills identifying and acquiring the QB that will succeed Ryan Fitzpatrick just pushes this team another year from making a real run at a Super Bowl victory.

Even if the Bills believe that Fitzpatrick is capable of being the QB of a true Super Bowl contender (which I disagree with), they should make it a priority to acquire a young and talented QB to sit behind him for a few years just for the fact that it would be a good business practice, considering how valuable QBs are in the NFL (you could always trade the young QB away after a few years of development if the starting QB wasn’t ready to be removed from lineup yet…and most likely get a great return, if the guy is any good) and how often starting QBs get injured. It makes too much sense not to.

I think the Bills were darn lucky they stumbled onto Fitz when they did. In 2010 he came in under difficult circumstances and played better than we could have expected. 2011 saw him play well until the injury. He insists it’s no excuse, and that’s cool, but I think it affected his play.

With that said…yeah, they need someone in development. Russell Wilson from UW? Honestly I don’t know. Hard to tell how college QBs will do in the pros.

I really hope we get rid of Thigpen ASAP, if he doesn’t need to be on the books this year then get him off of them. I really like BJ Coleman from Chattanooga. He is 6-3, has a strong arm, loves football and has that leadership quality. He’d be ready to go in 2-3 years no doubt. I really wanted us to draft Mallett when he was still there RD 3 last year, but I think Coleman could be the same kind of player without the “trouble.”

The first 5 players the Bills drafted last year made contributions this year.
If the Bills are going to make the play-offs, they need similar production from this years draft class.

I would not be upset if they used a day 3 pick on a QB, but wake me up when they guy performs in a regular season game game. John Skeleton would be great, but until a young QB performs in a game, he’s just another Levi Brown. At least with Brad Smith they get some production out of that roster spot.

The draft is really our best option IMO. I have not seen much evidence of teams having luck with hopeful franchise QB transplants from other teams depth charts via trade and such (Cassel, Kolb, etc…) Not to mention it’s too expensive with regards to money or sacrificing draft picks.
That being said, i feel the last two years were just a case of prospects not falling where Nix & Company expected. I believe both years and including the upcoming draft they had quarterbacks in mind, developmental or otherwise that they just missed on drafting. Hopefully chips fall differently this year.

Outside of Luck and RGIII, is there a top 10 QB? I’m not buying Tanehill, or Weeden at 10. That leaves us looking a little deeper.

Which turns me to my fellow rumblers – maybe just my personal impression, but I thought there was almost a fever pitch mania evaluating the QB prospects last year. Maybe because we had the 3 pick and virtually everyone would be available. I suppose its that fat contract they gave Fitz which kind of takes the air out of any hope we’d swing big for a QB. Anyway, looking forward to some youtube scouting on potential guys in the later rounds.

So let’s have it, guys, I need some edification from folks fluent in college football on prospects we can be looking to as a project QB.

We have a seasoned QB that is growing with an offense and an offensive line. As long as the talent level is brought in to push the current roster and bolster the depth that has been lacking over the years we can assume that things will get better going forward. We did finish the season going 1-8 but there was many factors that contributed to this. There were also many positives as a result. The one positive that we cannot ignore are the players that were brought in last season having a year behind them and the new players coming in this year that will have a full offseason to prepare. Then there is the arguement regarding the change in defense that did not help the team one bit the past two seasons. Perry Fewell’s defense wasn’t broken it just lacked some serious linebacking and interior lineman help. Chix has made thier bed, now they are forced to lie in it, IMO we need to get this defense right before we worry about an early pick at QB in the draft or a Matt Flynn type from another roster. Fitz still needs more weapons and Thigpen needs time to adjust and take things seriously. We want to be a passing team but we also need the running game support to back it up. I still believe that we will be okay going into next season ignoring the QB position in the early rounds, but if all else fails, the next regime will surely bank on that young stud they everyone here is coveting coming out of the following draft.

I have heard several predictions about the Bills taking Brock in the 4th Round. Now, I know nothing about this guy. Is he any good? Do any of you believe that he can develop into an NFL starter. What can you guys tell me about him?

I don’t see anything different about the state of the roster now compared to what it was when Nix and Gailey took over. They had ample time to develop a QB “for the future” and in the end, they chose to hide from risky draft picks and instead, endorse Ryan Fitzpatrick multiple times through both actions and words. I don’t think this regime survives another losing season, so the best move the franchise can do at this point is endorse the people in place for a season and if it fails as expected, tear it down and let somebody mopre qualified choose the QB. going forward. Hopefully, Nix and Gailey were right all along and Fitzpatrick will be coming off a playoff season in the prime of his career entering 2013. I won’t hold my breath, but that has to be the “plan” at this point in time.

Ive said so many times that it’s shocking, alarming and upsetting how little this franchise has seemed to value a top QB. It’s one thing to not have one after failing on a pick or two, or whiffing on a trade. But it’s downright unacceptable and dumb to pass on even making a real attempt at finding your guy, year after year. That’s why it’s so sad and tough to see a real future for this team.

If I were a GM, I’d happily acquire later round picks any way I could and spend them on QB’s, athletic offensive linemen and pass rushers every year. I just hope Nux finally goes after “his guy” early this year….

I swear I read that headline in 1994…

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You often hear about OC’s, QB coaches or Head Coaches who are noted for their ability to “develop” QBs. I put the word develop in quotes b/c, frankly, I don’t know what goes into the actions implied in the verb. It would be interesting to know exactly how the Levi Brown experiment went: did they simply throw him in without any special attention? Obvs, I don’t know. Maybe somebody who went to camps knows better.

What I do know is that Chan is noted for designing systems that work to a QB’s strengths. In that light it’s difficult to imagine that a developmental prospect would have any NFL strengths to build around. Levi Brown had a bitchin’ arm but I don’t know that that’s something for Chan to go on, which leads me to believe that the Bills will not draft a truly developmental prospect. Everybody knows they wanted Cam; seems to me their going for the top guy or taking a flyer.

Maybe the David Lee hiring is a sign of a shift in philosophy . . .

The Bills still have a lot of holes, especially on defense. The pass rush has been godawful!!! IMO, it’s going to take 2 more drafts to get the Bills in serious contention, so they should wait until the team is truly built before drafting Fitz’s successor.

In the 4th. Until he proves that he cant do it in the NFL, I want to be the team that sees if he can. The guy just seems like he has the tools, only knock is hes too small. Well, Im willing to roll the dice with one of our 4th rounders on him and see what hes got with a year or two of coaching.

http://www.californiagoldenblogs.com/2012/2/21/2757041/qb-score-2011-college-quarterback-efficiency-ranking

I have to say: I’m very happy this regime is at least sticking with one QB. I mean, who here misses the Todd Collins/Billy Joe Somebody, Flutie/Johnson, Bledsoe/Losman, Van Pelt/Holcomb, or Losman/Edwards eras? (I think i’m leaving out some other eras of Van Pelt’s.)

Can be had in the middle rounds and the dude can play. Sometimes people look too much into measurables and Wilson may lack the size but he was rock solid this year. It would be a waste to draft Osweiler in the 2nd, I don’t see that much in the kid TBH. This would be the perfect fit for our organization.

Tannehill in the 1st or Osweiler in the 2nd or even BJ Coleman in the 3rd-might be a reach. Take a QB you like and develop him for 2 years. We can address some needs CB, WR in FA, and address DE,OT in the draft. and depth at FS, LB in the late rounds.

I wouldn’t be in favor of the Bills spending any picks in the first three rounds to draft a QB and am not sure that I would want them to spend a 4th rounder on a QB either at this point. I think that the team’s needs at other positions—specifically DE, CB and OLB—are too great and need to be addressed first.

I do, however, want the Bills to draft a young QB to develop in the middle-to-late rounds and think that they will do so.

I really like Russell Wilson, but think that he just might be a tad too short—although he would be an interesting prospect.

There are, however, three other prospects that I think might still be there when the Bills pick in the 4th and 5th rounds:

Kirk Cousins—Has decent size and a good arm. Has had success and played in cold weather. My concern is whether he has enough of the “clutch gene” to come up big in big games.

Darron Thomas—Has decent size and better arm-strength than you might think. Is a terrific athlete who has had a lot of success also. My concerns are 1.) he hasn’t really played in cold weather and, more importantly, 2.) how accurately can he throw in a more conventional NFL-style offense? With a year or two of seasoning behind Fitz, if Thomas could develop his accuracy and ability to read NFL pass-defenses, he could be a bigger Michael Vick-type of player.

Kellen Moore—Extremely intelligent, great leader and extremely accurate passer. Has won more games in college than any other QB and played in cold weather. The knocks on Moore are his size—he’s the same height as D.Brees, but VERY slender at 191 lbs.) and his arm-strength (which is rated as “below average” although he didn’t seem to have problems throwing deep to T.Young, etc.).

As you might have noticed, I’m a big fan of Kellen Moore. I watched a lot of his college games and only A.Luck and R.GIII come close to him in accuracy. He makes up for his less than strong arm by reading defenses and anticipating where the windows will be extremely well. He doesn’t run very well, but has that maddening escapability that Tom Brady has, where he will feel the rush and just take one step to avoid it. He won’t have an issue with Buffalo’s weather and is the kind of consistent winner that Nix likes (he also came up big in big games—in fact, most of his losses were due to the PK missing). And, I think he can add sufficient bulk in a NFL conditioning program. The question-mark will be his arm-strength—is it reasonable enough and can he add some to it? If it is or he can, with his accuracy, he could pick defenses apart if given just reasonable time.

Accuracy and the ability/willingness to play in the cold are the big questions with Darron Thomas. Having played in the Oregon offense, it truly is hard to know just how well Thomas really can throw the ball. He seemed to be able to get the ball deep when he wanted, but the same questions have to be asked of his that were asked about Cam Newton at this time last year. While not as big as Newton, Thomas is bigger than Michael Vick and a fast and dangerous runner. Like Moore, he experienced a lot of success in college and was a clutch performer, so he fits in that category, but could he be a fit in Chan Gailley’s offense? To me, he could be a very intriguing possibility, although a bit of a mystery until he can prove that he can be consistently accurate throwing the ball and has the ability to read NFL defenses.

Cousins, to me, is a bit more of a “sure thing” than Moore or Thomas in the sense that he has a lot of the measurables and also had success in college while playing in cold weather. I think he could definitely be a back-up QB in the NFL and perhaps even a starter. But, can he develop into a franchise QB? I don’t know. While Moore has shown outstanding accuracy and Thomas is a terrific athlete, Cousins is good to very good in a lot of areas, but never really showed me that there’s an area where he’s truly outstanding. Still, there are QBs with less going for them than Cousins starting in the NFL and he could be a good prospect to pick up in the middle rounds to develop. But, like Moore and Thomas, he will have to develop and develop a fair amount to have a chance to become a franchise-type QB in the NFL.

With Fitz at the controls, the Bills could give any one of these three QBs a chance to develop without having to invest one of their top draft picks in a QB. Given that they have an extra 4th and an extra 5th round draft choice (and might pick up a compensatory pick), they could give one of these three a year to show whether they truly have the potential to be a franchise-quality QB or not. And, if not, it wouldn’t be devastating if they were to drop him and look to pick up a QB earlier in next year’s draft when M.Barkley, L.Jones and G.Smith, amongst others, will be coming out as seniors (and the Bills should have a better defense and more weapons on offense to help a young QB be successful).

Of course, this is just my opinion and the way that I would like to see them approach this area of need.