Buddy Nix And The Franchise Quarterback

July 26, 2011; Orchard Park, NY, USA; Buffalo Bills general manager Buddy Nix during a press conference at Ralph Wilson Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-US PRESSWIRE

No one needs to tell you that many of the Bills issues in recent years have been due to the lack of a solid franchise quarterback. Whether it be J.P. Losman,Drew Bledsoe, or Trent Edwards, the Bills have seemed to miss on every quarterback that they have acquired. Last season the Bills took a risk thinking they may have found that player. Now its starting to look like they were wrong.

GM Buddy Nix has been quite candid the past few weeks about the quarterback position, a very different approach than had been used in the past. Last week Nix said he’d like the have a franchise QB here in Buffalo before he stepped down from the job. This week he says that it should happen this year.

For the Bills organization, this is quite a bold move. As nice as it is to hear, is it really a good idea? Have the Bills already openly given up on their season? There are still eight games left for the team to play. Ryan Fitzpatrick is still the starting quarterback, at least for now. However, things are starting to look quite poorly for him. Fans may say its a little too late.

In the past Nix has been one of the first to defend Fitzpatrick. Even when games were poor fans had no real reason to think that the team would actually be parting ways with him. The team signed Fitz to a long term deal last season after a hot start, but faltered incredibly. It seems like his stock is now falling in the organization, but who their expecting to bring in is actually quite an interesting question.

With the Bills schedule, its hard to believe they will be a top three pick. This year’s draft does not have the talent that last year’s did, which could make this very interesting timing for the team. At the top of the list is Matt Barkley out of USC, but he has struggled some this season. If he finishes the year strong, it would not surprise me if he was the first quarterback selected. I’ve tied him to Kansas City for a few weeks now.

Another option could be Geno Smith, who may be in a very similar position that Robert Griffin III was in last season. Smith has been putting up big numbers at West Virginia and has shown great mobility as well as passing ability. Could he be a player the Bills would be interested in?

The Bills may have missed the boat last year when many solid prospects were drafted into the league. Past Barkley and Smith, there really isn’t a ton of talent this season. And remember, Nix doesn’t exactly have the best track record when it comes to drafts. Fans must once again put their trust into the front office’s hands, hoping that the team finally gets that young piece to build around.