Don't count out Trent Edwards

[Peter]

I agree with the original post.

[DrFishfinder]

Quarterback progression comes in so many forms.

 

snip...

 

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.

 

The beaten, confused Trent that "we've puked over" is exactly who he actually is, under the circumstances in which he played. He looked good at 5-1 and was rated in the top 5 QB's in the league at that point. Then he got a concussion, the OL fell apart, he got another concussion and that OL fell apart, and on and on and on.

 

Things are starting out pretty much with a clean slate next season, from the GM, HC, OC and DC on down. As has been said before, no QB can throw while he's flat on his back. So hopefully they'll address the OL first. As for Edwards and any chance of him staying, I'm all for Gailey giving him a shot in pre season. But bring in a bona fide starting QB first. I don't think the Bills can afford the luxury of experimenting with Edwards yet again, to see if it was reason A, B, C or D - Z that he didn't work out. Give him a shot in preseason, but make the decision to keep him or not quickly, and move forward either way.

 

And make damn sure there is a starting caliber QB on the roster in case the decision is NO.

[Alphadawg7]

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.

 

Uh, when did we all of a sudden get the number 1 ranked defense in the NFL? Because that is the sole reason the Jets made it that deep with Sanchez playing up and down as a rookie QB this year. So unless you think we have a top 3 defense in this league, we are going to need more than a lame duck QB like Trent throwing up games that consistently look like 180 yards, 1TD, 1INT...

 

For the record, Sanchez is a significantly better QB than Trent. The Jets wouldnt have made the playoffs with Trent, let alone the AFC championshp game.

[DarthICE]

Uh, when did we all of a sudden get the number 1 ranked defense in the NFL? Because that is the sole reason the Jets made it that deep with Sanchez playing up and down as a rookie QB this year. So unless you think we have a top 3 defense in this league, we are going to need more than a lame duck QB like Trent throwing up games that consistently look like 180 yards, 1TD, 1INT...

 

For the record, Sanchez is a significantly better QB than Trent. The Jets wouldnt have made the playoffs with Trent, let alone the AFC championshp game.

 

Again, I don't get why Bills fans hang on to scrubs like Edwards

[grelit]

If Trent Edwards is the Quarterback next season I will cancel my season tickets in which i have had for 10 years.

 

So done with him.

[Over 29 years of fanhood]

If Gailey holds an open competition between the 3 QB's on the roster and decides that Trent is the most talented then I have no problem with him being named the starter. No one was bitching about how much "Trent sucks" when the Bills were 5-1.

 

For the first time in his career Trent has a head coach that has a !@#$ing clue how to run an offense. He also knows how do develop a quarterback. If he wins the job I'll hope and pray that he turns out to be great.

 

Lets not forget, Favre and Young were run out off teams because they "sucked".

 

Interesting point... I totally forgot about youngs stint in Tampa. Yea he was written off as a bust after 2 disaster seasons. He even struggled in San Fran early on. He then proceeded to become one of the best... If that kind of this could happen, then surely any of the 3 QB's on the roster can at least play to the Thigpen level!!

[GG]

If he does turn it around, I highly doubt it will be in Buffalo. Hard to achieve that turnaround when you've lost confidence from your offensive teammates.

 

The guys' the OP pointed out (and countless others) resurrected their careers in greener pastures.

[CountDorkula]

My take on our 3 QB's

 

Edwards- Has shown flashes of being good, we were 5-1 at one point and eveyone loved him, now he has been abismal and everyone hates him. If we gave him another shot i would be ok with it. If we let him walk i would be ok with that as well

 

Fitzpatrick - Very inconsistent, Great one throw atrocious the next. Mobile, but IMO just an adequate backup.

 

Brohm - Aparently has potential and lots of it. The guy was on a practice squad behind day 2 picks. If he had this potential and was any sort of good dont you think other teams would have gone after him as well. I just dont see why everyone is high on him. Again if we give him a shot im ok with it, if we let him go ok with that as well

[Alphadawg7]

My take on our 3 QB's

 

Edwards- Has shown flashes of being good, we were 5-1 at one point and eveyone loved him, now he has been abismal and everyone hates him. If we gave him another shot i would be ok with it. If we let him walk i would be ok with that as well

 

Fitzpatrick - Very inconsistent, Great one throw atrocious the next. Mobile, but IMO just an adequate backup.

 

Brohm - Aparently has potential and lots of it. The guy was on a practice squad behind day 2 picks. If he had this potential and was any sort of good dont you think other teams would have gone after him as well. I just dont see why everyone is high on him. Again if we give him a shot im ok with it, if we let him go ok with that as well

 

Reality check on the 5-1 by Trent...he was bad in 4 of those games and about average in the 2 other games.

 

And Brohm does have LOADS of upside.

[Meark]

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.

 

1. We have a ****ty O-line and there isn't time to throw down field

2. Better to throw it away than throw an int.

3. See #1

[JohnC]

!@#$ 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.

 

Why are you so afraid to give TE an opportunity to compete for a roster spot? You and many others automatically refer to how poorly he has performed with the Bills. But the truth of the matter is that all the qbs have performed inadequately because the line and offense were horrendous. Our OL, especially at the tackle positions, were at a USFL level. Even our best rookie prospects (Levitre and Woods) were periodically overwhelmed. To make matters even worse the caliber of offensive coaching philosophy was at a very primitive level.

 

The Bills are a long way from legitimately competing for a playoff spot. In my view the playoffs won't materialize for this struggling franchise until there is new ownership. As it stands it is very difficult to fairly assess any qb until the OL is bolstered to the point that the qb and backs aren't under seige before the play develops.

[2003Contenders]

The way I look at it, the only one of the three QBs that we can draw a serious conclusion on is Fitz. That is, he has proven to be exactly what you want in a backup: a solid performer, who is capable of starting a few games here and there, but not consistent enough to be the starter. (Think: Frank Reich)

 

With Edwards I keep going back to how he played, not just in those first 6 back in 2008, but even how he looked in his rookie year. Remember, the word we kept hearing about him was "poise". He didn't get flustered, made quick decisions, and unloaded the ball quickly. Well, that is what really seemed to be missing from his arsenal the past two years. Can the dude get his mojo back? I don't know, since he certainly regressed over the last year and a half. But he went from having Fairchild (lousy and overly conservative) as his OC as a rookie to Schonert (even worse than Fairchild) to AVP (whose play calling was overly predictable to say the least).

 

Obviously, we have no idea what we have in Brohm. I don't think you can draw any conclusions from that Atlanta game last season, as he certainly didn't embarrass himself behind a patchwork OL -- but he certainly didn't open eyes either.

 

Barring a trade for a top shelf QB (like McNabb), I think we may have to be content with what we have. There is no free agent that I prefer over what we have now. I don't especially like any of the QBs in this year's draft -- at least not as an instant starter. And I believe that early emphasis on fortifying the offensive line (BOTH in the draft AND free agency) would go further toward fixing the offense. I would like to see a serious 3-way open competition for the starting QB position in the off-season. If Fitz wins that comepetition, then I think we know the answer about Trent for once and for all.

[VanCity]

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.

 

Okay, so you want a "ballsier" Brett Favre at QB then? I'll take someone who checks down instead of throwing the ball into tight coverage and risks getting picked every time off any day. It is incredibly frustrating to watch both styles, but one gives their defense better field position than the other. The one who at least allows the punting team onto the field.

 

As for Trent, I am not sold either way. He showed flashes of being good, but his concussions are worrisome. He was scared last year. Fear can drag a man to his football grave.

[ChanOverChin]

KzooMike,

 

I think you make some good points about Edwards. He could still prove to be a much better QB than he has shown (and he has shown us some good things) with a much improved O-line in front of him, better coaching, and a better overall scheme.

 

Enter Chan Gailey.

 

I would still bring in a vet QB and /or a high draft pick at QB to challenge Edwards for the starting QB position, but if I were Gailey I would give Edwards a fair shot to be the Bills' starting QB under the new regime. I think Edwards has more upside with better coaching and a better scheme than does Fitzpatrick.

[San-O]

One of the concerns drafting him was he inability to stay healthy. I had really high hopes for this QB after

seeing what the late Bill Walsh had to say, but he just hasn't panned out.

 

I also have to really question his cold weather, bad condition play.

 

Am I way off on this?

[DrFishfinder]

Barring a trade for a top shelf QB (like McNabb), I think we may have to be content with what we have. There is no free agent that I prefer over what we have now. I don't especially like any of the QBs in this year's draft -- at least not as an instant starter. And I believe that early emphasis on fortifying the offensive line (BOTH in the draft AND free agency) would go further toward fixing the offense. I would like to see a serious 3-way open competition for the starting QB position in the off-season. If Fitz wins that comepetition, then I think we know the answer about Trent for once and for all.

I really, really, really, really, really

 

hope you're wrong about that part.

[Geno Smith's Arm]

Okay, so you want a "ballsier" Brett Favre at QB then? I'll take someone who checks down instead of throwing the ball into tight coverage and risks getting picked every time off any day. It is incredibly frustrating to watch both styles, but one gives their defense better field position than the other. The one who at least allows the punting team onto the field.

 

As for Trent, I am not sold either way. He showed flashes of being good, but his concussions are worrisome. He was scared last year. Fear can drag a man to his football grave.

 

WOW!

 

You're asking me to choose between Brett Favre and Trent Edwards (or Trent Dilfer, or Brad Johnson, or Kelly Holcomb)?

 

Brett Favre has won a Super Bowl, and has been the aknowledged leader of some excellent, and exciting (that's important) teams that have gone deep into the playoffs. He raises the level of play of all the players around him. Call it presence, charisma, leadership, I don't care (just PLEASE don't call it swagger!), but it IS important!

 

He never missed a game in 19 seasons. He holds many of the all-time passing records (yeah, even interceptions). He is a first ballot Hall of Famer, whose career is woven into the folklore of NFL history, blahblahblah....

 

Brett Favre is truly the opposite of Trent Edwards. I can't even imagine how much better the Bills would have been if they would've had Favre as their QB for the last 19 seasons.

 

You're out of your mind.

[thewildrabbit]

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.

Six Things I Know About Any Bills QB I Know To Be True

1. They lack the time to throw downfield

2. They lack the offensive scheme that allows receivers to be put into position to get open

3. They lack the trust that his receivers will be in proper position and be open for timed routes

4. They lack a dominate running attack to take pressure away from them

5. They lack a decent game plan and play caller

6. They lack a decent offensive line to protect them

 

There is a reason the Bills front office went to an offensive minded coach... I would suppose 10 years of being 25th or worse on offense might be that reason... TEN YEARS!!!

But hey, it is always the QB's fault right!

[Geno Smith's Arm]

Six Things I Know About Any Bills QB I Know To Be True

1. They lack the time to throw downfield

2. They lack the offensive scheme that allows receivers to be put into position to get open

3. They lack the trust that his receivers will be in proper position and be open for timed routes

4. They lack a dominate running attack to take pressure away from them

5. They lack a decent game plan and play caller

6. They lack a decent offensive line to protect them

 

There is a reason the Bills front office went to an offensive minded coach... I would suppose 10 years of being 25th or worse on offense might be that reason... TEN YEARS!!!

But hey, it is always the QB's fault right!

 

Yes. One could point a finger of blame at the Bills in ten different directions and always be right, but they have had sub par quarterbacking, the key position to any team's success. There is a reason why none of the coaches with prior success wanted to come to Buffalo. Because they don't have a quarterback. If Peyton Manning or Tom Brady were the Bills QB , there would have been heavy competition for the head coaching position. Why? Because coaches know that it all starts with the QB.

 

How come none of these guys have gone on to become even decent players elsewhere?

[TheChimp]

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.

THIS