The Top Five Buffalo Bills Training Camp Battles To Watch: Part One- Quarterback
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Starting QB Job Up For Grabs
Long gone are the days of the explosive K-Gun offense that lead the , as Bills fans around the world haven’t been able to experience a Bills quarterback pass for over 300 yards since November 26, 2006. Chan Gailey prefers an offensive attack, which has brought excitement to not only the fans, but the players as well.
However, the Bills lackluster quarterback depth chart consisting of the inconsistent Trent Edwards, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Brian Brohm, and the rookie Levi Brown, a 7th round pick in the 2010 NFL Draft.
New GM Buddy Nix was pestered with questions about why he decided to pass on Jimmy Clausen and Colt McCoy, yet the stand-up Nix replied, “Yeah, well, we got quarterbacks. Fans don’t want to hear that, they don’t want to believe that. We’re going to see if the ones we got can play.”
The Contenders
1.) Trent Edwards: This is a do-or-die year for Edwards, as “Captain Checkdown” needs to step up to the plate and become a leader for this young team. Edwards has been the victim of a front office in disarray, due to the constant movement of coordinators.
Edwards hopes to prove himself this season, and while watching highlights from OTAs, he connected on several deep passes…Let’s hope he can continue this when the pads come on.
2.) Ryan Fitzpatrick: Ryan Fitzpatrick did bring moments of excitement to the Buffalo Bills last season, mainly in the Jacksonville Jaguars game, but to be honest he is nothing more than a decent backup…making $5.1 million over three years.
Fitzpatrick supporters often acknowledge his experience…That “experience” never amounted to over 2,000 passing yards in a season.
3.) Brian Brohm:
Brian Brohm was a highly touted prospect coming out of Louisville, where he had an outstanding career in which he passed for 10,775 yards and 70 touchdowns. Brohm was drafted in the second round of the 2008 NFL Draft by the Green Bay Packers.
Upon his arrival, he was experiencing difficulties adjusting from the spread offense he had grown accustomed to at Louisville, to the fast-paced Packers’ offense.
Head Coach Chain Gailey has never been short on praise on Brohm. I expect Brohm to stay on the roster, simply due to his physical abilities, and the fact that lack of playing time contributed to the decline in his progress.
4.) Levi Brown
Levi Brown is more of a “project” that could use a year or two on the practice squad, but at 6’4” 214 lbs, he does have the physical traits that are expected from a quarterback.
Brown exhibits great arm strength, which definitely needs to be considered in the nasty elements of Buffalo. He isn’t the best decision maker, and his mechanics are a bit shaky.
My opinion is that Chan Gailey liked the physical attributes he had to offer, at the right price to become a project. At Troy, Levi Brown posted a passer rating of 146.07, while passing for almost 7,000 yards and 43 touchdowns, despite starting for only two seasons. Brown but he within a year or two, he could develop into a successful backup.
Breakdown
Chan Gailey is handling the quarterback competition the only way he can. With the exception of Levi Brown, he was given Edwards, Fitzpatrick, and Brohm. I expect Trent Edwards to be the starter on week one, and if he continues his dismal play Brian Brohm will be my second choice under center. I’d like Levi Brown to spend a year with the practice squad to further improve his natural football IQ to match his physical traits. Ryan Fitzpatrick will most likely be No. 3 on the depth chart.