Don't count out Trent Edwards

[Mikie2times]

Quarterback progression comes in so many forms. Some guys like Brady or Roth-burger might experience success right away and grow from then on. Other guys like Kerry Collins or Rich Gannon may take half a career for the light to turn on.

 

I researched the data and one of the most prevalent turn around years for the better QB’s has been year four. Dozens of recent players have experienced more INT’s then TD’s, low completion%, poor yards a completion….Then year four hits, the numbers turn around and progression is shown throughout the rest of the career. Clearly a QB can look like two different people during even normal career progressions.

 

Some things about Trent I think to be true

 

1. Trent is a smart person. He has a high degree of intelligence for an NFL QB

2. Trent has been hit a ton with Stanford and Buffalo

3. Trent has a very quick release

4. Trent chooses to check down at a very high percentage

6. Trent has shown he can be accurate

7. Trent has shown he can lead 4th quarter comebacks

7. Trent has not shown he's capable of generating a lot of points

8. Trent has had poor direction and coaching, if nothing else from lack of consistency

9. Trent has regressed

10. Trent gets Injured

 

Trent is a smart guy, he picked up the system quickly. He was a blank slate. Being hit a ton at Stanford he developed one of the quickest releases in football. In that situation, his senior year, Stanford took a NCAA worst 50 sacks. So he also understood the value of checking it down. As a smart player he came in the NFL with the not to lose mentality any Rookie QB should have. He seemed to know his role precisely. Our sack rates dropped dramatically when he replaced JP. He moved the chains with short accurate throws, and yes, plenty of check downs. He even gave us actual hope by making big time NFL throws against Washington and Jacksonville. As time passed people wondered, why can't we score??????

 

It's part of the maturation of most quarterbacks to have some early success. The hard part is adjusting once the defensive coordinators have adjusted to you. At one point Trent knew his role precisely, now his role must change to create more down field opportunities. These changes were to be facilitated by the same coaching staff vilified on this board. Regardless of coaching, history shows this part of the transition to be the most difficult for any QB. If he makes it past this stage, he's a sure fire NFL QB. Not easy as we all know. What transpired was a major regression.

 

Once decisive Trent now looked confused. He was confused before this year started, but after the changes he must have been brain mush. No confidence ensued, it created interceptions, accuracy problems, poor decisions. The line was horrid, + his confusion = higher sack rates. All this eventually leading him back to a disgusting combination or the previously mentioned problems and his safety blanket, the check down. He was then injured and now in most fans eyes is a lost cause.

 

I don't know how Trent will do, the odds are far stacked against any QB, for Bills QB's....well...

But the point is the Trent we've watched and puked over is nowhere near the Trent he actually is. Last year he was a beaten, confused QB, but he is still the same QB that many thought was the answer. This is clearly the year the numbers show as the breakthrough year for QB. It wouldn't shock me one bit to see Trent surprise a lot of people on this board.

[Geno Smith's Arm]

Quarterback progression comes in so many forms. Some guys like Brady or Roth-burger might experience success right away and grow from then on. Other guys like Kerry Collins or Rich Gannon may take half a career for the light to turn on.

 

I researched the data and one of the most prevalent turn around years for the better QB’s has been year four. Dozens of recent players have experienced more INT’s then TD’s, low completion%, poor yards a completion….Then year four hits, the numbers turn around and progression is shown throughout the rest of the career. Clearly a QB can look like two different people during even normal career progressions.

 

Some things about Trent I think to be true

 

1. Trent is a smart person. He has a high degree of intelligence for an NFL QB

2. Trent has been hit a ton with Stanford and Buffalo

3. Trent has a very quick release

4. Trent chooses to check down at a very high percentage

6. Trent has shown he can be accurate

7. Trent has shown he can lead 4th quarter comebacks

7. Trent has not shown he's capable of generating a lot of points

8. Trent has had poor direction and coaching, if nothing else from lack of consistency

9. Trent has regressed

10. Trent gets Injured

 

Trent is a smart guy, he picked up the system quickly. He was a blank slate. Being hit a ton at Stanford he developed one of the quickest releases in football. In that situation, his senior year, Stanford took a NCAA worst 50 sacks. So he also understood the value of checking it down. As a smart player he came in the NFL with the not to lose mentality any Rookie QB should have. He seemed to know his role precisely. Our sack rates dropped dramatically when he replaced JP. He moved the chains with short accurate throws, and yes, plenty of check downs. He even gave us actual hope by making big time NFL throws against Washington and Jacksonville. As time passed people wondered, why can't we score??????

 

It's part of the maturation of most quarterbacks to have some early success. The hard part is adjusting once the defensive coordinators have adjusted to you. At one point Trent knew his role precisely, now his role must change to create more down field opportunities. These changes were to be facilitated by the same coaching staff vilified on this board. Regardless of coaching, history shows this part of the transition to be the most difficult for any QB. If he makes it past this stage, he's a sure fire NFL QB. Not easy as we all know. What transpired was a major regression.

 

Once decisive Trent now looked confused. He was confused before this year started, but after the changes he must have been brain mush. No confidence ensued, it created interceptions, accuracy problems, poor decisions. The line was horrid, + his confusion = higher sack rates. All this eventually leading him back to a disgusting combination or the previously mentioned problems and his safety blanket, the check down. He was then injured and now in most fans eyes is a lost cause.

 

I don't know how Trent will do, the odds are far stacked against any QB, for Bills QB's....well...

But the point is the Trent we've watched and puked over is nowhere near the Trent he actually is. Last year he was a beaten, confused QB, but he is still the same QB that many thought was the answer. This is clearly the year the numbers show as the breakthrough year for QB. It wouldn't shock me one bit to see Trent surprise a lot of people on this board.

 

Three Things About Trent That I Know To Be True

 

1. He lacks the balls to throw the football downfield.

2. He lacks the balls to throw into tight coverage.

3. He gets injured too often.

[aristocrat]

^ i think trent's problems are gone with dick...dick wanted that simple offense and i believe coached trent down to make the simplest decisions. i believe he could be good with someone that will actually run a pro offense

[Mikie2times]

Three Things About Trent That I Know To Be True

 

1. He lacks the balls to throw the football downfield.

2. He lacks the balls to throw into tight coverage.

3. He gets injured too often.

 

Balls? Really.....? Why don't we get Chuck Norris at QB. To have balls you need to know exactly what will happen on a play. To have balls without that is idiocy. Like most QB's with his experience he wasn't at that point yet.

 

As for injury, well when your a human pinata, in large part to outside circumstances, that does effect that. If things turn around, he won't get hit as often. He won't get injured as often. I'm surprised in many of these seasons how he lasted as long as he did college/pro.

[rpcolosi]

^ i think trent's problems are gone with dick...dick wanted that simple offense and i believe coached trent down to make the simplest decisions. i believe he could be good with someone that will actually run a pro offense

 

 

that offense run by dick encourage NOT turning the ball over - ie don't throw downfield, into coverage, and check down unless its a gimme. i do in fact think that Fitzpatrick throwing more downfield had less to do with him as a QB and a lot more to do with DJ not having the final say on play calling.

 

I very much agree in that I'd like to see trent get some solid coaching out of Gailey. In no way would that upset me. I'm also not against AVP coming back as a QB coach. He still has a lot of potential to become a good OC someday, getting thrown into the fire shouldn't ruin him just like I hope it didn't ruin Fewell (who will be an awesome HC).

 

GO BILLS!!!!

[HumbleAndHungry]

Despite having a sub-par offensive line, I still believe Trent is not the answer for the Bills. Good quarterbacks must be risk takers at times. Trent is an extremely conservative quarterback who rarely takes chances downfield. Buffalo needs a quarterback with a strong arm who is not afraid to sling it downfield and trusting his receivers to make a play. I think because Trent had a lack of trust in his receivers and himself, he was hesitant to take any risks in the passing game. Also, he is very feable and injury prone. I think the Trent project was a bust and the Bills need to move on. A solid free agent quarterback should be picked up here in the next several weeks to get us through the next couple years, while we select a quarterback in either this year or next years draft to develop

[Wilson from Gamehendge]

Quarterback progression comes in so many forms. Some guys like Brady or Roth-burger might experience success right away and grow from then on. Other guys like Kerry Collins or Rich Gannon may take half a career for the light to turn on.

 

I researched the data and one of the most prevalent turn around years for the better QB’s has been year four. Dozens of recent players have experienced more INT’s then TD’s, low completion%, poor yards a completion….Then year four hits, the numbers turn around and progression is shown throughout the rest of the career. Clearly a QB can look like two different people during even normal career progressions.

 

Some things about Trent I think to be true

 

1. Trent is a smart person. He has a high degree of intelligence for an NFL QB

2. Trent has been hit a ton with Stanford and Buffalo

3. Trent has a very quick release

4. Trent chooses to check down at a very high percentage

6. Trent has shown he can be accurate

7. Trent has shown he can lead 4th quarter comebacks

7. Trent has not shown he's capable of generating a lot of points

8. Trent has had poor direction and coaching, if nothing else from lack of consistency

9. Trent has regressed

10. Trent gets Injured

 

Trent is a smart guy, he picked up the system quickly. He was a blank slate. Being hit a ton at Stanford he developed one of the quickest releases in football. In that situation, his senior year, Stanford took a NCAA worst 50 sacks. So he also understood the value of checking it down. As a smart player he came in the NFL with the not to lose mentality any Rookie QB should have. He seemed to know his role precisely. Our sack rates dropped dramatically when he replaced JP. He moved the chains with short accurate throws, and yes, plenty of check downs. He even gave us actual hope by making big time NFL throws against Washington and Jacksonville. As time passed people wondered, why can't we score??????

 

It's part of the maturation of most quarterbacks to have some early success. The hard part is adjusting once the defensive coordinators have adjusted to you. At one point Trent knew his role precisely, now his role must change to create more down field opportunities. These changes were to be facilitated by the same coaching staff vilified on this board. Regardless of coaching, history shows this part of the transition to be the most difficult for any QB. If he makes it past this stage, he's a sure fire NFL QB. Not easy as we all know. What transpired was a major regression.

 

Once decisive Trent now looked confused. He was confused before this year started, but after the changes he must have been brain mush. No confidence ensued, it created interceptions, accuracy problems, poor decisions. The line was horrid, + his confusion = higher sack rates. All this eventually leading him back to a disgusting combination or the previously mentioned problems and his safety blanket, the check down. He was then injured and now in most fans eyes is a lost cause.

 

I don't know how Trent will do, the odds are far stacked against any QB, for Bills QB's....well...

But the point is the Trent we've watched and puked over is nowhere near the Trent he actually is. Last year he was a beaten, confused QB, but he is still the same QB that many thought was the answer. This is clearly the year the numbers show as the breakthrough year for QB. It wouldn't shock me one bit to see Trent surprise a lot of people on this board.

I definitely agree. I have said this a couple times in the past few weeks. I think Trent Edwards could be just as good as Sanchez was this year. Considering the Jets were winning with him throwing 12-15 for 100 yards...Trent could easily do that with the right play calling, and a good o-line and a solid defense.

 

I would say Trent is better than Zweigle Sanchez.

[reddogblitz]

^ i think trent's problems are gone with dick...dick wanted that simple offense and i believe coached trent down to make the simplest decisions.

I'm not buying it. Trent's problem last year and the year before is that he couldn't make any decisions. He'd hold on to the ball and couldn't decide what to do. Then he'd throw it to ML or the TE. There were guys out there open past the LOS and Trent just couldn't' decide what to do until it was too late.

[billsrcursed]

Quarterback progression comes in so many forms. Some guys like Brady or Roth-burger might experience success right away and grow from then on. Other guys like Kerry Collins or Rich Gannon may take half a career for the light to turn on.

 

I researched the data and one of the most prevalent turn around years for the better QB’s has been year four. Dozens of recent players have experienced more INT’s then TD’s, low completion%, poor yards a completion….Then year four hits, the numbers turn around and progression is shown throughout the rest of the career. Clearly a QB can look like two different people during even normal career progressions.

 

Some things about Trent I think to be true

 

1. Trent is a smart person. He has a high degree of intelligence for an NFL QB

2. Trent has been hit a ton with Stanford and Buffalo

3. Trent has a very quick release

4. Trent chooses to check down at a very high percentage

6. Trent has shown he can be accurate

7. Trent has shown he can lead 4th quarter comebacks

7. Trent has not shown he's capable of generating a lot of points

8. Trent has had poor direction and coaching, if nothing else from lack of consistency

9. Trent has regressed

10. Trent gets Injured

 

Trent is a smart guy, he picked up the system quickly. He was a blank slate. Being hit a ton at Stanford he developed one of the quickest releases in football. In that situation, his senior year, Stanford took a NCAA worst 50 sacks. So he also understood the value of checking it down. As a smart player he came in the NFL with the not to lose mentality any Rookie QB should have. He seemed to know his role precisely. Our sack rates dropped dramatically when he replaced JP. He moved the chains with short accurate throws, and yes, plenty of check downs. He even gave us actual hope by making big time NFL throws against Washington and Jacksonville. As time passed people wondered, why can't we score??????

 

It's part of the maturation of most quarterbacks to have some early success. The hard part is adjusting once the defensive coordinators have adjusted to you. At one point Trent knew his role precisely, now his role must change to create more down field opportunities. These changes were to be facilitated by the same coaching staff vilified on this board. Regardless of coaching, history shows this part of the transition to be the most difficult for any QB. If he makes it past this stage, he's a sure fire NFL QB. Not easy as we all know. What transpired was a major regression.

 

Once decisive Trent now looked confused. He was confused before this year started, but after the changes he must have been brain mush. No confidence ensued, it created interceptions, accuracy problems, poor decisions. The line was horrid, + his confusion = higher sack rates. All this eventually leading him back to a disgusting combination or the previously mentioned problems and his safety blanket, the check down. He was then injured and now in most fans eyes is a lost cause.

 

I don't know how Trent will do, the odds are far stacked against any QB, for Bills QB's....well...

But the point is the Trent we've watched and puked over is nowhere near the Trent he actually is. Last year he was a beaten, confused QB, but he is still the same QB that many thought was the answer. This is clearly the year the numbers show as the breakthrough year for QB. It wouldn't shock me one bit to see Trent surprise a lot of people on this board.

 

I LOL'd !!!

[Mikie2times]

Despite having a sub-par offensive line, I still believe Trent is not the answer for the Bills. Good quarterbacks must be risk takers at times. Trent is an extremely conservative quarterback who rarely takes chances downfield. Buffalo needs a quarterback with a strong arm who is not afraid to sling it downfield and trusting his receivers to make a play. I think because Trent had a lack of trust in his receivers and himself, he was hesitant to take any risks in the passing game. Also, he is very feable and injury prone. I think the Trent project was a bust and the Bills need to move on. A solid free agent quarterback should be picked up here in the next several weeks to get us through the next couple years, while we select a quarterback in either this year or next years draft to develop

You think you know that Trent is a conservative QB. The fact is we have no idea what reasons made him conservative. Could have it been coaching? Could have it been experience? Could it have been talent? Sure it could just be him, but a lot of young players have a similar career path. Impossible to tell if 2010 Trent will be like anything we've seen before.

 

Last stand on the durability question... I challenge you to show even 2 or 3 players that played college 2005/2006 and pro's during Trent's years. Divide pass attempts by sacks, if any QB in this stretch was sacked at a higher % I would be shocked, and this is with a guy who checks down and has a lightning release. Peyton Manning doesn't stay healthy because of mutant genetics (could be possible with him), it's cause he doesn't take many hits.

[Mikie2times]

I'm not buying it. Trent's problem last year and the year before is that he couldn't make any decisions. He'd hold on to the ball and couldn't decide what to do. Then he'd throw it to ML or the TE. There were guys out there open past the LOS and Trent just couldn't' decide what to do until it was too late.

Sounds like a confused player. My whole point is I think he can pick this up, what we've watched is no a sign of what he could be. If he can pick up the reads, be confident, he has some other very good things going for him.

[Mikie2times]

I definitely agree. I have said this a couple times in the past few weeks. I think Trent Edwards could be just as good as Sanchez was this year. Considering the Jets were winning with him throwing 12-15 for 100 yards...Trent could easily do that with the right play calling, and a good o-line and a solid defense.

 

I would say Trent is better than Zweigle Sanchez.

Thanks Byrds, one out of about a dozen. I would like to see a Vet brought in. If Trent wins the battle great, good for him. But if not and he gets a chance to play from injury he might stay awhile. I see him with potential to be far better then Sanchez. Of course I'm not predicting it because having any QB actually work out seems impossible with this team.

[....lybob]

Even behind a good Oline QBs take a lot of punishment and have to be durable- I won't mind Trent as a backup he's a smart guy with adequate skills who could come in a manage a couple games.

[Beebe's Kid]

I'm not buying it. Trent's problem last year and the year before is that he couldn't make any decisions. He'd hold on to the ball and couldn't decide what to do. Then he'd throw it to ML or the TE. There were guys out there open past the LOS and Trent just couldn't' decide what to do until it was too late.

I haven't stuck up for TE in a very long time. For some reason when I read your post, I was asking, why the hell did AVP have WRs running 40 yard sideline streaks every play? It seemed like Lee and TO were always taking off straight up the sidelines. Any pressure at all and that route is trash...which I thing teams proved against us week in and week out.

 

My issue with TE is his mental toughness and commitment to the Bills. I really feel he quit on us in Tennessee. I don't think his heart is in it. I know it's been hard, and maybe Gailey will be the infusion he needs to relight the fire.

 

I really don't know what we are going to do. I am going to put my faith in Nix/Gailey to make the right decision. It is easy to get all worked up and say trade for this guy, or draft that guy, but really McClain would be an amazing addition if we could solve the QB position outside of the draft. In house, which I would prefer Brohm, would be even better, allowing us to have a stronger team. I would love McNabb...not too crazy about Vick, or Tebow.

 

Man, it seems like this is dragging on forever!!!

[Geno Smith's Arm]

Balls? Really.....? Why don't we get Chuck Norris at QB. To have balls you need to know exactly what will happen on a play. To have balls without that is idiocy. Like most QB's with his experience he wasn't at that point yet.

 

As for injury, well when your a human pinata, in large part to outside circumstances, that does effect that. If things turn around, he won't get hit as often. He won't get injured as often. I'm surprised in many of these seasons how he lasted as long as he did college/pro.

 

Yes really.

Balls.

 

He is a prototypical BACKUP QB. Smart player. Keep it close to the vest, Kelly Holcomb Mk II. He was being pressured by the coaches to throw the ball downfield more, not be more trentative. He will catch on somewhere, like maybe a backup for the Detroit Lions.

 

He has less charisma and leadership skills than the average NFL punter.

 

Ryan Fitzpatrick, no great shakes, played with more urgency behind the same crappy line. His stats were about the same, but any unbiased observer could see that Fitz had more presence.

 

I'm sure Trent will improve, but he is not the answer. Maybe in 5 years he will be the next Brad Johnson, but even that would be a stretch.

[uforesircher]

It wouldn't shock me one bit to see Trent surprise a lot of people on this board.

 

the only thing that will shock me about te is if he is still on the roster come training camp.

 

i have nothing against te but i just dont think he can turn it around - i'd love to be wrong - but i really do not think i am

 

however, if he is in training camp - i will root for him as hard as i do for any buffalo bills player - because that is what we do as fans

[DarthICE]

!@#$ Edwards. Sucked ass in College and sucked ass here. He was a Jauron pick because he was exactly what Jauron wanted in a QB. The clown has no business ever starting in the NFL.

[billsfreak]

Quarterback progression comes in so many forms. Some guys like Brady or Roth-burger might experience success right away and grow from then on. Other guys like Kerry Collins or Rich Gannon may take half a career for the light to turn on.

 

I researched the data and one of the most prevalent turn around years for the better QB’s has been year four. Dozens of recent players have experienced more INT’s then TD’s, low completion%, poor yards a completion….Then year four hits, the numbers turn around and progression is shown throughout the rest of the career. Clearly a QB can look like two different people during even normal career progressions.

 

Some things about Trent I think to be true

 

1. Trent is a smart person. He has a high degree of intelligence for an NFL QB

2. Trent has been hit a ton with Stanford and Buffalo

3. Trent has a very quick release

4. Trent chooses to check down at a very high percentage

6. Trent has shown he can be accurate

7. Trent has shown he can lead 4th quarter comebacks

7. Trent has not shown he's capable of generating a lot of points

8. Trent has had poor direction and coaching, if nothing else from lack of consistency

9. Trent has regressed

10. Trent gets Injured

 

Trent is a smart guy, he picked up the system quickly. He was a blank slate. Being hit a ton at Stanford he developed one of the quickest releases in football. In that situation, his senior year, Stanford took a NCAA worst 50 sacks. So he also understood the value of checking it down. As a smart player he came in the NFL with the not to lose mentality any Rookie QB should have. He seemed to know his role precisely. Our sack rates dropped dramatically when he replaced JP. He moved the chains with short accurate throws, and yes, plenty of check downs. He even gave us actual hope by making big time NFL throws against Washington and Jacksonville. As time passed people wondered, why can't we score??????

 

It's part of the maturation of most quarterbacks to have some early success. The hard part is adjusting once the defensive coordinators have adjusted to you. At one point Trent knew his role precisely, now his role must change to create more down field opportunities. These changes were to be facilitated by the same coaching staff vilified on this board. Regardless of coaching, history shows this part of the transition to be the most difficult for any QB. If he makes it past this stage, he's a sure fire NFL QB. Not easy as we all know. What transpired was a major regression.

 

Once decisive Trent now looked confused. He was confused before this year started, but after the changes he must have been brain mush. No confidence ensued, it created interceptions, accuracy problems, poor decisions. The line was horrid, + his confusion = higher sack rates. All this eventually leading him back to a disgusting combination or the previously mentioned problems and his safety blanket, the check down. He was then injured and now in most fans eyes is a lost cause.

 

I don't know how Trent will do, the odds are far stacked against any QB, for Bills QB's....well...

But the point is the Trent we've watched and puked over is nowhere near the Trent he actually is. Last year he was a beaten, confused QB, but he is still the same QB that many thought was the answer. This is clearly the year the numbers show as the breakthrough year for QB. It wouldn't shock me one bit to see Trent surprise a lot of people on this board.

 

Trent lacks one thing from being an above average NFL QB: Confidence. Alot of the tools he has he is afraid to use them. Maybe if he had an offensive line that blocked once in awhile he might gain some of that lost confidence and it might cut down on some of his injuries too.

[StamerforPrez]

You took all that time to write list reasons why we should keep trent? You either must have a lot of time on your hands, or be a very funny guy because those reason's you gave are hilarious.

 

Trent sucks, doesn't have any marbles, doesn't have an arm, and doesn't have what it takes. His lack of passion for the game and the bills is constantly put on display not only on the field, but also at press conferences after repeatedly dismal performances. Personally, I'd rather have JP back in there taking chances and making stupid mistakes then have someone in there who's to scared to take any chances other than screen plays.

[C.Biscuit97]

^ i think trent's problems are gone with dick...dick wanted that simple offense and i believe coached trent down to make the simplest decisions. i believe he could be good with someone that will actually run a pro offense

 

 

I was a big TE fan but this is such a cop out. It's like blaming Mularkey and Fairchild for Losman's problems. Losman was a bad QB because he was a bad QB. I think Trent has ever you want in a QB but his problems are mental. Look at how many more downfield passes Fitz threw. Do you really think the coaches had separate gameplans for the QBs?

 

I really liekd TE but he really let me down. I think he can be a good backup in the league for year but I don't know if he will ever start again. He definitely still has potential but he's his own worst enemy. If you're gonna go down, go down firing not checking down.