A throwaway paragraph at the bottom of the Buffalo Bills team report at USA Today indicates that the Bills are investigating San Diego Chargers backup quarterback Charlie Whitehurst as a possible restricted free agent signing. The report indicates that the Chargers are expected to put a third-round tender on Whitehurst, meaning that if the Chargers let him walk to another team, they'd receive a third-round pick as compensation.
Whitehurst, who will turn 28 in August, has spent the past four seasons as a reserve in San Diego, the team that drafted him in the third round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He's spent his entire career playing behind Philip Rivers and Billy Volek, and has not yet attempted a regular season NFL pass. He did rush for a touchdown in his rookie season.
Current Bills GM Buddy Nix was with San Diego as the team's Assistant GM when the Chargers drafted the 6'4", 220-pound prospect out of Clemson. Nix told reporters earlier this week that Buffalo's quarterback of choice may come from within the organization, but head coach Chan Gailey cautioned that the team would definitely be adding a quarterback in some capacity.
Conceivably, Buffalo would allow Whitehurst to compete for the starting job alongside internal candidates Trent Edwards, Ryan Fitzpatrick and even Brian Brohm. It might take a significant offer to get Whitehurst out of San Diego, however, as Chargers GM A.J. Smith is known to stockpile heavily at the position. Whitehurst has also not yet been tendered, and the end compensation - whether it's a third-round pick or something else - will play a role in this evaluation as well.