In the 2020 NFL Draft last year, the Buffalo Bills surprised everyone and drafted Jake Fromm in the 5th round. Immediately, people were unsure of the move and questioned if Fromm would compete for the starting quarterback spot. However, those that follow the Bills knew that Josh Allen was solidified as the franchise quarterback even before this past season he just had.
After recently signing Mitchell Trubisky to a one-year $2.5M deal, it’s uncertain what the plan is for Fromm in 2021. In 2020, Fromm served as an emergency quarterback option who would only see the field if all the other Buffalo quarterbacks were ruled out because of covid.
The question is if the Buffalo Bills had Fromm as a covid contingency plan from the moment he was drafted last year. If he was just a covid contingency plan then maybe he’s expendable, but if not, that could mean the Bills value him as a cheap developmental backup to Josh Allen for years to come. Based on our perceptual set as Buffalo Bills fans, it now seems like Fromm is expendable with Davis Webb still on the roster and the addition of Mitchell Trubisky.
However, without any NFL tape, it’s tough to adequately evaluate Fromm and know what to expect from him in NFL situations. He had great production playing for Georgia, in the toughest college football conferences, but collegiate production doesn’t always translate to the next level. It’s tough to say exactly how valuable Fromm would be as a trade piece, but I’m pretty confident that Brandon Beane could use him to trade up in the upcoming draft.
Initially, the Bills were at a stalemate in trade negotiations with the Eagles for Zach Ertz. It was rumored that the Eagles wanted a 3rd round pick from the Bills and the Bills don’t even have a 4th round pick to counter offer. So Immediately once the Buffalo Bills signed Trubisky, I thought maybe trading the Eagles Fromm and a 5th rounder could get the deal done.
With that being said, that scenario seems much less likely after the signing of Jacob Hollister, but that doesn’t mean Fromm a trade piece is completely off the table. Without a 4th round pick and two 5th round picks in the upcoming draft, Brandon Beane could try to work a trade including Fromm and a 5th round pick to get a 4th rounder.