A lot of posts here have brought up whether J.P. Losman or Gibran Hamdan should start this week. (I think everyone agrees Trent Edwards should start if he is physically capable.) It's an interesting question so I decided to put up a thread to give everyone a place to contribute their thoughts.
Losman is gone approximately 12 seconds after the final gun of the season-ending Patriots game. He's auditioning for other teams, which should give him plenty of motivation to do his best. Some have used this fact as a knock on the guy - why let him try out for other teams when Buffalo can give reps to the possible second stringer for next season? I don't see it that way. In the broader context, Buffalo has an opportunity to set the tone for future free agent departures. To wit, the Bills won't screw you just because you're leaving at the end of the season. Losman played the (mind) game. He kept his mouth shut and took his benching like a man (or terrorist bear if you prefer). He did what back-ups are supposed to do - stay quiet and ready - so he's held up his end. Other players around the league will see that and also see how Buffalo responds to him. As others have pointed out, it's hard enough to get free agents to sign in Buffalo. Why make it harder by gaining a reputation for screwing guys on their way out?
Hamdan is a complete unknown. He's the "heir apparent" to the #2 QB slot, a slot that is likely to see significant and meaningful playing time given Edwards' injury history. Are three games (assuming Edwards doesn't return this season) really enough of a yardstick to preclude Buffalo from using a draft choice on a QB to at least push Hamdan, if not Edwards?
The only way to know what Hamdan has to offer is to play him, which means screwing J.P. and sending a bad message to free agents. Does possibly saving a draft choice outweigh possible negative perceptions by future free agents? What say you?