On Kelly and Edwards

So this response is a little bit belated but still pertinent. Training camp begins in about a week and a half, and officially the Bills have yet to name a starting quarterback as the position is still up for grabs. One well respected Bill and Hall of Fame Quarterback, Jim Kelly, weighed in with his endorsement of Trent Edwards.



I think the media made a lot more out of these comments than there really is. I've read headlines saying Kelly "wants" or "is pulling for" Edwards to start for the Bills, but his comments say nothing that any Bills fan wouldn't say. Kelly "hopes" it's Trent Edwards who ends up being named the starter and I am behind Kelly on this one. I hope Edwards ends up starting as well and here are MY reasons why.

1) Experience: Edwards is the most experienced of any of our QBs

2) Accuracy: Edwards has a much more accurate arm than Fitz, though I can't speak much about Brohm until I see some preseason ball played.

3) Leadership: Edwards APPEARS poised to step up, he's talking the talk. Again, in preseason I want to see him walk the walk, but as of now he's saying and doing all the right things.

4) Work ethic: Offseason training à la superbowl-winning QB Brees, with whom Edwards is often compared, cannot be a detriment in my mind. Edwards has been strength and endurance training using the same methods as Brees.

5) Most importantly, he is at this moment the #1 QB for the Bills.

I can't speak for Kelly, but my hope for Edwards winning the starting role is anchored in him being presently perceived as the forerunner in the three man race. Assuming that all three QBs improve throughout the rest of the offseason, it can only be a positive thing to have the leader (Edwards) continue to stay in the lead. Right now Edwards has a slight edge on Fitz and Brohm, and if he can show the coaching staff that he outright deserves the starting role, that says to me he has improved above and beyond expectations and at a faster pace than Fitz and Brohm. So, I hear ya Jim Kelly. Edwards has so far shown us he deserves to be #1 on the depth chart coming into training camp (even if just by a nose); I am rooting for him just like you. I want him to perform as a starter come training camp, preseason, and even better, come the regular season.

Minicamp is D-U-N

The Bills wrapped up minicamp last Friday and the QB storyline that all Bills faithful have been following wrapped up with a "To Be Continued" as Gailey again would not divulge the QB depth chart and only managed to say he's got one in his head but that anything can change. He also went on to say that people should not read into who gets the first reps come training camp next month. So here's what I'm taking home from the minicamp's QB battle... Brohm has made a big impression and is in serious consideration for the starting job. Edwards is the man to beat as of this point, there's no disputing that, but after hearing Gailey's comments about Brohm, it's clear he has at the very least exceeded the head coach's expectations. Here are his words on Brohm: "You know the last two weeks, he's made a jump in my opinion. I thought he practiced well. We'll have to see how it progresses once we get pads on and all that." My prediction is that come training camp the QBs will be Edwards, Brohm, and Fitzpatrick in that order and the heaviest competition will be between Edwards and Brohm.

Again, are any of these three QBs in a good position to bring this team success? If your definition of success is making the playoffs then I say no, at least not in the AFC East. If you define success as improving upon last year's offensive rankings (28th in points per game, 30th in both yards and passing yards per game and 16th in rushing yards per game), not that it would be difficult to improve upon those dismal rankings but I do believe the Bills will claw their way out of the NFL's basement in terms of production so yes they'll be more successful offensively. As for wins, given our difficult schedule it wouldn't surprise me if we had a much more productive offense this year that didn't translate into more wins but I'm not gonna play the numbers game until I see how the team does in pads with a few more weeks to study up on the playbook and heal up our injured players.

What's becoming my favorite battle is the #2 WR spot. Gailey had some high praise for his receiving corps at the close of minicamp and it looks like the #2 receiver's spot is anyone's to gain. Among the qualified candidates are Hardy, Johnson, Easley, Roosevelt, Jones, Nelson... am I missing anyone. I think you can basically count out all the rookies on that list just for lack of NFL experience which leaves you with Hardy and Johnson as the real competitors for the spot. That's not to say that I don't think the rookies will contribute, and as we've seen with teams like the Colts and Vikings of last year, rookie receivers can be a force. Still, Hardy and Johnson have 2 years experience on this squad, that may not mean so much with the coaching changes but they have had time to get to know the (so far) #1 QB, Edwards, and develop a chemistry with other members of the offense. With Hardy's injury last year hampering his development, and with Johnson visibly seeking the advice of Owens on the sideline and on the practice field last year, I see Johnson as a lock for the #2 spot unless Hardy can really step up and make his presence known. Bills insider Chris Brown also sees Roosevelt as a potential #2 receiver and I'd trust someone who's been watching the team come together firsthand throughout the offseason. Here's his take on the QBs, WRs, and RBs through minicamp.

As for the offensive line, who could honestly say they are confident in what we have right now? I'm not going to comment too much on the Bills line as it's no secret the left tackle position is a disaster, but it's at least a little encouraging to know that Wang's injury isn't serious, Bell is ahead of schedule in his rehab, and Meredith is performing well so far. I'm still crossing my fingers on a Gaither trade because not only is he young and talented, but he's NOT INJURED. I'd sacrifice my firstborn to see him signed to a long term deal as a Bill because he would without a doubt add a much needed boost to the offense simply by pluggin' a hole (that's what she said?)

Lynch, my boy, seems to be doing well so far. Gailey, who's probably not too big a fan of his truancy, had nothing bad to say about him. In fact he even commented that Lynch seems to be a quick study, and reports on Bills-dot-com say he's cutting well and he looks quick. I'm hoping to see the Beast Mode of old because I've been an unwavering and perhaps foolish supporter of his but I still think he can contribute to this team. A backfield of Jackson, Lynch and Spiller would be doper than dopesick and I'm eager to see how Gailey intends to use all 3 backs. They're all a threat in the running and passing game and I wouldn't be surprised if each of them had over 100 touches by season's end. Some may think I'm crazy to think Lynch will get that many, but see how his production came along by the end of last season and factor in that he's playing for a new coach who claims to be giving everyone a fair shot and a fresh start and it's not so crazy. Once he got a few games into the season he picked up his game right where he had left off in 2008 and I'll toast to 2010 being the year of the Beast Mode.

Not much more to say on minicamps. The defense looks pretty good and players seem to be adjusting well to their new positions, ie Kelsay. I think all of Bills nation has their sights on Maybin and will be livid if he does not do something big this season, but as of now I don't think you can gauge where he's at. If if had to prognosticate, I'd say he won't be a starter at least at the beginning of the season, but I think he'll grow into the position by season's end and will have at least 5 starts.

All for now, I'm just gonna end this post with a happy birthday shout-out to my Mom. This is from me and Marshawn.