FanPost

Doug Whaley's Shopping List for QB's

Okay, now that we know a little more about the coaching staff and coordinators... The next major decision for Whaley and the Bills will be shopping for at the QB position. If you asked me last year at this time if I thought Kyle Orton would be our QB for 12 games last year, I would have laughed in your face. So I guess anything is possible at this point of the year. Certain the trade market is wide open beyond the free agent market, (maybe the retirement market is open again if Marino or anyone else still has it in them to return.. no not Brett Farve). My choice would be Locker, Mallet, Hoyer, Sanchez, Ponder.


Option #1 Free Agent Quarterbacks

1. Mark Sanchez
2. Jake Locker
3. Brian Hoyer
4. Matt Moore
5. Ryan Mallett
6. Christian Ponder
7. Tarvaris Jackson
8. Shaun Hill
9. Michael Vick
10. Matt Hasselbeck
11. Colt McCoy
12. Jimmy Clausen
13. Jason Campbell
14. Dan Orlovsky
15. Blaine Gabbert
16. Josh Johnson
17. T.J. Yates
18. Tyrod Taylor
19. Luke McCown
20. Matt Flynn
I think the top 6 guys "could" be starting QB's in our league on the "right team" as long as they stay healthy and have a good system and support structure around them. I am not sure if any of them have experience in a Greg Roman type of system from their prior training or development? That might be telling if someone could connect the dots to see if there are any clues who might be selected from this list.

Option #2 Trade for a QB: There are a number of QB's that are potentially eligible for the trade market. While the Bills don't have a ton of leverage here, they do have some players to consider here including Spiller, Kuandjo, Wood, Hughes, if they feel the right guy is there for the taking. Whaley did trade for Hughes with a higher draft pick middle LB that didn't work out in Indy, so he can do player for player trades. My choice would be Mike Glennon, Kirk Cousins or Aaron Murray. (Don't think we'll touch Folk, Kaep, Bradford, Palmer, Manning)

List of QB's for trade that are not in any particular order: 1. Folk 2. Kaepernick 3. Mike Glennon (particularly if TB is looking to draft Marriota) 4. RG3 5. Bradford 6. Carson Palmer 7. Peyton Manning 8. Kirk Cousins 9. Aaron Murray/Tyler Bray (KC 3rd and 4th stringers)

Option #3 Draft a QB Obviously we are not getting one of the top 2 guys... what diamonds in the rough are out there left over??? This draft pick or UDFA will battle with Jeff Tuel for the practice squad QB. Brandon Bridge would be my choice here...

Rank Player Pos. Pos. Rank School Class Ht. Wt. Proj. Round
1 *Marcus Mariota QB 1 Oregon rJr 6-4 215 1
3 *Jameis Winston QB 2 Florida State rSo 6-4 232 1
28 *Brett Hundley QB 3 UCLA rJr 6-3 227 1-2
92 Bryce Petty QB 4 Baylor rSr 6-3 230 3
116 Garrett Grayson QB 5 Colorado State rSr 6-2 220 3-4
156 Shane Carden QB 6 East Carolina Sr 6-2 221 4-5
171 Brandon Bridge QB 7 South Alabama rSr 6-5 235 5
185 Cody Fajardo QB 8 Nevada rSr 6-2 215 5-6
191 Sean Mannion QB 9 Oregon State rSr 6-5 220 5-6
207 Bo Wallace QB 10 Ole Miss Sr 6-4 217 6
227 Blake Sims QB 11 Alabama rSr 6-0 208 6-7
240 Jake Waters QB 12 Kansas State Sr 6-1 210 7
259 Tyler Heinicke QB 13 Old Dominion Sr 6-1 213 7-FA
271 Taylor Kelly QB 14 Arizona State rSr 6-2 210 7-FA
276 Bryan Bennett QB 15 Southeastern Louisiana rSr 6-2 215 7-FA
286 Connor HallidayInjured QB 16 Washington State rSr 6-4 198 7-FA
307 Chuckie KeetonInjured QB 17 Utah State Sr 6-1 200 7-FA
319 Nick Marshall QB 18 Auburn Sr 6-1 210 7-FA
378 Hutson Mason QB 19 Georgia rSr 6-2 209 ––
386 Ryan WilliamsInjured QB 20 Miami (Fla.) rSr 6-5 222 ––
411 Jerry Lovelocke QB 21 Prairie View A&M rSr 6-5 242 ––

BRANDON BRIDGE:
STRENGTHS: Tall, narrow body type with athletic footwork and long-striding speed to pick up yards with his legs. Elite-level arm strength and release quickness with the ability to add velocity and extra RPM's on his throws with ease. Not shy about testing tight windows and trusts his arm to make frozen rope throws and put the ball anywhere he wants on the field. He has mobility to keep the play alive when the pocket breaks down, shaking off arm tackles and stepping up with his eyes downfield. Shows the ability to work through his reads and is a quick thinker to make snap decisions. Displayed outstanding toughness playing through an ankle injury most of November 2014. WEAKNESSES: Bridge has improved field vision, but needs to develop his eye use and tends to stare down receivers, often leading defenders to his intended target. His receivers will struggle to handle his fastball at times and Bridge needs to develop a change-up and overall better touch to all levels. His mechanics and accuracy need refined, but neither needs an overhaul. With only a dozen collegiate games under his belt, Bridge doesn't have the ideal experience and might need a season or two to develop before he's ready for consistent game reps, requiring a patient NFL team. COMPARES TO: Colin Kaepernick, 49ers -- Bridge is tall and lean with a rocket launcher on his right shoulder like the 49ers quarterback and has more than enough velocity on his passes to toss ropes to all levels of the field. --Dane Brugler (12/4/14)

Player Overview

South Alabama has never had a player taken in the NFL Draft, but between Bridge and tight end Wes Saxon, that should change in April. A little-known recruit out of Canada, Bridge was recruited heavily by Buffalo before then-head coach Turner Gil left for Kansas in 2010. Bridge was planning on going to a Canadian school before an independant recruiter lined him up with Alcorn State. He transfered to South Alabama in 2012, and served as a reserve most of his career. In 2013, he participated at the Manning Academy. "It was kind of shocking. Heisman winners like Johnny Manziel were there. Guys like AJ McCarron who had great years," Bridge said of his experience at the passing camp. "I was from a little school so I was a little shell-shocked. Cameras were following them. I felt like a camper. But in 2014 I came in with the mindset that I didn't care what school I'm from, I'm going to go in and compete. I went in there and did a lot better than I did the year before." Bridge earned the opportunity to start as a senior and appeared in 10 games, recording 51.9-percent completions, 1,648 passing yards, 6 interceptions and 17 total touchdowns (14 passing, 3 rushing). Bridge had his best individual performance in the regular-season finale against Navy, finishing 19-for-28 (67.9-percent) for 172 passing yards, four touchdowns and two interceptions. "He's as raw as he is talented," an AFC North scout told NFLDraftScout.com. "The ball shoots off his hand and he has some traits you cannot teach. I'm just not sure how naturally the game comes to him. How much better can he get? What is his football ceiling? I'm not sure. But he could end up being a bargain for a team that brings him along at his pace." Bridge was invited to the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl in Los Angeles, and said he would definitely consider the CFL if he isn't selected in the NFL Draft. "My arm strength is one of my biggest strengths," he said. "I need to work on my mechanics but I have the arm strength, the size and the speed. I can extend plays and keep it alive. I know how to make something out of nothing."


Just another great fan opinion shared on the pages of BuffaloRumblings.com.