The right thing to do with Trent Edwards

[wardigital]

This is the last year of Trent's contract, right?

 

The Bills would be faced with the choice of either keeping him or cutting him. No one is going to trade a draft pick (even a 5th, 6th or 7th) on a guy who has never really proved anything and is on a one-year deal. There is no team in the league that is impatient enough to do that, especially with the CBA in question.

 

And, there are only about five teams in the league where Edwards would even be guaranteed to make the team based on his name alone. Being a starter here does not mean very much around the league right now, and like Todd Collins, and Rob Johnson, and Losman before him, he is probably a third-stringer at best on a majority of other teams (until he proves otherwise, which he still can). So what team in the league is going to give up a draft pick for a third string quarterback?

 

Trent is here for the rest of his contract, exactly because he's cheap. He isn't great, and might at times be awful, but he knows the offense, is familiar with the team and the city, and can run under center.

 

The much more likely cut is Ryan Fitzpatrick. Yes, he plays with a bravado and has some wheels. But he is also comparatively expensive and perhaps only marginally more effective than Edwards.

[buffaloaggie]

If you are the GM, you've got to consider...do I go through another season of the known quantity (TE, RF) and potentially get the same result as if I played my unknown quantity (BB, LB)?

 

If the known gets you to say 4-12, and the unknown can get you to the same place, which do you choose?

 

For me, I choose seeing what BB and LB have got.

They'll be running for their lives. The Flutie of the late 90's would have been perfect right now.

[CodeMonkey]

Cut Fitz ... Ralph needs the money.

Start Trent and keep either Brohm or Brown, whichever Gailey thinks he can do the most with. Put Brohm or Brown in if trent gets hurt, or midseason if Trent still continues to show nothing.

[CardinalScotts]

Hey guys... I'm not a Trent fan by any stretch, however I think it is ridiculous to cut a guy after 1 game while learning a new offense, had 3 OL starters out, and had his 2 starting RB's out. Not to mention, we don't have a legit #2 WR yet.

 

The guy was playing against a first string defense, with a second/third string offense... no one would have looked good.

 

If by preseason week 3 he still looks this bad, I'll ammend my opinion, but for now, he gets 3 games to prove himself before sending him packing.

 

I agree we are jumping the gun a little on this year, but he has been lousy for a lot of games prior. The boos are warrented in my opinion. Gailey is the ONLY guy who can save Edwards career and he's the best option for this year. What Trent is paid isn't going to affect his performance other than it soon will drop to zero if you don't pick up your play. Fitz is the odd man out, I don't think Brohm is the future but they will keep him and Brown will come along for the ride. After this year Edwards either has arrived thanks to Gailey or it's career over not just in Buffalo.

 

Grossman was the second best quarterback in the building Friday night and could have been had for a song. He's not great either, well against guys who don't belong in the NFL he's good but when the bullets fly for real he'll be watching again

[BuffaloBill]

This is the right thing to do with Edwards:

 

click me

 

 

 

 

 

[Got_Wood]

This is the last year of Trent's contract, right?

 

The Bills would be faced with the choice of either keeping him or cutting him. No one is going to trade a draft pick (even a 5th, 6th or 7th) on a guy who has never really proved anything and is on a one-year deal. There is no team in the league that is impatient enough to do that, especially with the CBA in question.

 

And, there are only about five teams in the league where Edwards would even be guaranteed to make the team based on his name alone. Being a starter here does not mean very much around the league right now, and like Todd Collins, and Rob Johnson, and Losman before him, he is probably a third-stringer at best on a majority of other teams (until he proves otherwise, which he still can). So what team in the league is going to give up a draft pick for a third string quarterback?

 

Trent is here for the rest of his contract, exactly because he's cheap. He isn't great, and might at times be awful, but he knows the offense, is familiar with the team and the city, and can run under center.

 

The much more likely cut is Ryan Fitzpatrick. Yes, he plays with a bravado and has some wheels. But he is also comparatively expensive and perhaps only marginally more effective than Edwards.

 

I think you're probably right about how it will play out. Fitzpatrick may even be the predetermined cut from the group because of his salary. He makes way to much to be a backup. Trent is in fact in a contract year and if he doesn't perform he'll be gone. I could see the Bills going forward with Trent, Brohm, and Brown.

[BuffaloRebound]

With the options we currently have and the present O-Line, count me in the Fitzpatrick camp. He is nifty in the pocket, not afraid to take a hit, and isn't afraid to throw the ball downfield. Edwards might be more accurate with a red jersey on and no pass rush but he is useless once he senses a rush, and there will be plenty of pressure with this O-Line.

[In-A-Gadda-Levitre]

I think you're probably right about how it will play out. Fitzpatrick may even be the predetermined cut from the group because of his salary. He makes way to much to be a backup. Trent is in fact in a contract year and if he doesn't perform he'll be gone. I could see the Bills going forward with Trent, Brohm, and Brown.

I think Gailey could hand over the reins to Fitzpatrick, regardless of salary, if he thinks he needs to draft a QB next year. The reason is that he knows what's he's got; Brohm and Brown, not so much. It becomes less about money and more about having enough skills to carry the team until he gets his franchise QB.

[In-A-Gadda-Levitre]

With the options we currently have and the present O-Line, count me in the Fitzpatrick camp. He is nifty in the pocket, not afraid to take a hit, and isn't afraid to throw the ball downfield. Edwards might be more accurate with a red jersey on and no pass rush but he is useless once he senses a rush, and there will be plenty of pressure with this O-Line.

yeah, what he said...

[polish lover]

The best thing to do with Trent is to cut his dead weight worthless butt. No other team would trade a draft pick for Edwards. Are you kidding? Edwards needs a fresh start, maybe as a bar tender or an auto mechanic. Start Fitz or Brohm and draft somebody like Locker next year. His salary is low because he's a loser that doesn't produce. Was his 29.2 QB rating not enough for you in the first preseason game? Fitz, who is generally thought to be a competent backup at best, came in with lesser talent on the field and produced 2 TD drives and a QB rating of 97.6. And don't try to use his 5 for 6 on the first series excuse. The first failed TD drive that was followed by absolutely embarrassing play on Edwards part. That INT was Losmanesque. If Edwards survives roster cuts this preseason he will be cut at the end of the season and he will be lucky if anyone even signs his sorry butt as a third stringer. Yeah he's a nice guy. Nice guys finish last.

[wardigital]

I think Gailey could hand over the reins to Fitzpatrick, regardless of salary, if he thinks he needs to draft a QB next year. The reason is that he knows what's he's got; Brohm and Brown, not so much. It becomes less about money and more about having enough skills to carry the team until he gets his franchise QB.

 

I understand what you're saying, but I think that if whoever plays this year is just "running out the clock" so to speak, until the team can draft a quarterback, I don't know that it makes a difference which quarteback is here, since they're gone anyway.

 

But I think that if Gailey is already thinking about a quarterback next year, then he's not simultaneously thinking about wins this year.

 

The fact of the matter is, Ryan Fitzpatrick, for his successes and faults, is simply not the future starter of the team. He's a stop-gap, at the absolute best.

 

Edwards looked bad in Pre-Season Week 1, and there's nothing to indicate he'll look any better. But for whatever reason, for the last four years, under Jauron and now Gailey, he's had the confidence of the coaching staff and the belief has been held that if the chips fall correctly, he can be a starter in this league.

 

Fitzpatrick is a free-agent next year too. At his price tag, with his production, he's not coming back. He's not a Nix guy, Brohm and Brown are in the wings, and they'll definitely go outside of the organization for at least one arm next season. So why keep him now?

 

I think the most likely scenario is this: Edwards is the opening day starter. He is not specifically told, but the implication is that it is his team to run with for one year. He has the chance to prove his worth in this league for next season when he has all the options in the world of renegotiating a contract here or elsewhere. Fitzpatrick or Brohm are cut. Most likely Fitzpatrick because of his contract, and because the Bills are a frugal team who operate well under the salary cap when they can (they still do pay for players mind you, just not all of the time). They aren't going to keep the more expensive option for the sake of two wins that won't matter very much, frankly.

 

Cutting him also gives the Bills the option of putting Brown on the roster, and using the practice squad spot for another player.

 

It's just my opinion, but I really get the perception that Brohm vs. Fitzpatrick this pre-season is more about who makes the team than who becomes the backup. I think they want to know, in the event of an injury to Edwards (which will almost certainly happen), which one is more likely to be able to manage taking over the team.

 

If Fitzpatrick is not leaps and bounds better than Brohm (and so far, he apparently has not been), then I would suppose he draws the short straw.

[bmur66]

He could be the new Dos Equis beer guy. He is the life of parties he never attended.

[polish lover]

Actually since Edwards and Fitz are both on for 1 more year and Fitz has a larger salary, cutting him now will have more long term implications than Edwards. At least that's normally how it would work, I'm not sure with this uncapped situation...

[wardigital]

Actually since Edwards and Fitz are both on for 1 more year and Fitz has a larger salary, cutting him now will have more long term implications than Edwards. At least that's normally how it would work, I'm not sure with this uncapped situation...

 

The uncapped situation makes it confusing. But also so does it being the pre-season. I believe the financials are different when players are cut before a certain date. If I remember correctly this is why Henry Jones was cut in the final cut many years ago.

[polish lover]

The uncapped situation makes it confusing. But also so does it being the pre-season. I believe the financials are different when players are cut before a certain date. If I remember correctly this is why Henry Jones was cut in the final cut many years ago.

 

In traditional capped years, if a player is cut (at any time) who has 1 or more years left on their contract, the team has to count that salary against the cap for the rest of the contract period (sometimes bonus money is included too, it gets confusing and complicated). This is why you rarely see a guy with 3-4 years left on a high paying contract get cut and why teams try to talk guys into retirement (like Favre in GB) so that they are relieved of the salary responsibilities. So if the Bills decide to cut either Edwards or Fitz, their salary would still count against the cap this year. Given that, cutting Fitz would result in more dead money. However I don't know if any of this matters in this uncapped year

 

If there was no penalty at all for cutting contract players, there wouldn't be much point of signing long term contracts because it would be totally meaningless.

[hammie65]

My vote would be to give each of the four QB's (brown as well) a shot at starting a pre-season game. Give Fitz our next game and then Brohm and Brown the next two, in that order. We have got to see what these guys can do in game situations and we already know what Trent gave us against the skins. TE will never go beyond where he is IMO and Fitz gives us a better chance to manage and win games this season, so if it isn't financially detrimental for the Bills to keep Fitz then I say start him. If Brohm and\or Brown show us something special in their pre-season performances then cut TE, let RF start and then go from there. This way we know for sure what moves need to be made in the next draft!

[BLZFAN4LIFE]

My vote would be to give each of the four QB's (brown as well) a shot at starting a pre-season game. Give Fitz our next game and then Brohm and Brown the next two, in that order. We have got to see what these guys can do in game situations and we already know what Trent gave us against the skins. TE will never go beyond where he is IMO and Fitz gives us a better chance to manage and win games this season, so if it isn't financially detrimental for the Bills to keep Fitz then I say start him. If Brohm and\or Brown show us something special in their pre-season performances then cut TE, let RF start and then go from there. This way we know for sure what moves need to be made in the next draft!

 

Makes sense.

[polish lover]

My vote would be to give each of the four QB's (brown as well) a shot at starting a pre-season game. Give Fitz our next game and then Brohm and Brown the next two, in that order. We have got to see what these guys can do in game situations and we already know what Trent gave us against the skins. TE will never go beyond where he is IMO and Fitz gives us a better chance to manage and win games this season, so if it isn't financially detrimental for the Bills to keep Fitz then I say start him. If Brohm and\or Brown show us something special in their pre-season performances then cut TE, let RF start and then go from there. This way we know for sure what moves need to be made in the next draft!

 

I agree, I saw enough mediocrity and confusion from Edwards against the Skins to let one of the other guys start the next preseason game. Edwards had a 29.2 passer rating to Fitz's 97.6. If this is really a QB competition, Fitz won that round for sure.

[CodeMonkey]

Edwards had a 29.2 passer rating to Fitz's 97.6. If this is really a QB competition, Fitz won that round for sure.

Keep in mind that Fitz played strictly against the skins scrubs as well. Not saying I disagree with your comment, you just need to compare apples to apples

[MattyT]

This thread title makes me think we should be discussing whether or not to put Trent down out of mercy.