A Novel Concept.

[patmoran2006]

How about this as a Novel concept..

ALL three quarterbacks go to training camp in late-July.

and thennnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn..

All three quarterbacks get their reps in so the coaching staff can see who look's the best running the offense.

and thennnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn..

We get to preseason, and each quarterback gets a chance throughout to work with the first team offense and from that the NEW coaches will get a perfect chance to evaluate which of the three quarterbacks best moves the offense up and down the field and puts points on the board.

and thennnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn...

At some point late in the preseason Coach Dick Jauron sits down and talks with his staff and judging by the PLAY ON the field, not the media and fans off it, which quarterback has looked the best and gives the Buffalo Bills the best chance to win ON the football field.

I like about 95% of the other people on here are hoping that JP Losman shows enough to earn the starting job. Unlike a lot of you though, I'm on the verge of GAGGING everytime I hear that Losman "needs" to be the starter just because he "might" turn out great, or because he's younger, or because he's a former first round draft pick, or Holcomb has a chicken arm, blahblahblahblah.

I can name you DOZENS of QB's in the league over the last several years who were first round picks, had all the physical skills coming into the league, and were nothing more than garbage in the NFL. I don't care if we claim Vince Ferragamo , Matt Kofler or Joe Dufek off the waiver wire. Whoever PEFORMS the best in camp and preseason should be the starting quarterback.

If Losman earns the job on the field and I hope he does, then he DESERVES the spot, deserves the chance and most importanly deserves the respect of his veteran teammates. But if he doesnt, and Holcomb and/or Nall "play" better, then THEY deserve to start.

WTF is that so hard to comprehend? Are we supposed to have "competition" at every spot on the field except for QB, which just happens to be my far the most important position?

(I"m prepared to get hit with the "groans". Making sense seems to be the exception a lot more than the norm as of late when it comes to this team)

Trade McGahee, Cut Fletcher.. blahblahblah.
GaG

[Philagape]

What if there's no clear-cut frontrunner, if JP and another QB or all three play well enough? Then I think the franchise's investment in JP and his upside should make a difference.

[billsburgh]

What if there's no clear-cut frontrunner, if JP and another QB or all three play well enough? Then I think the franchise's investment in JP and his upside should make a difference.
Yes, if 2 or even all 3 play at about the same level, JP should be given the opportunity to prove that he can be what we all hope he can be. But my gut feeling is that Jauron would go with the experienced vet in that situation.

[LifetimeBillsFan]

How about this as a Novel concept..

ALL three quarterbacks go to training camp in late-July.

and thennnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn..

All three quarterbacks get their reps in so the coaching staff can see who look's the best running the offense.

and thennnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn..

We get to preseason, and each quarterback gets a chance throughout to work with the first team offense and from that the NEW coaches will get a perfect chance to evaluate which of the three quarterbacks best moves the offense up and down the field and puts points on the board.

and thennnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn...

At some point late in the preseason Coach Dick Jauron sits down and talks with his staff and judging by the PLAY ON the field, not the media and fans off it, which quarterback has looked the best and gives the Buffalo Bills the best chance to win ON the football field.

I like about 95% of the other people on here are hoping that JP Losman shows enough to earn the starting job. Unlike a lot of you though, I'm on the verge of GAGGING everytime I hear that Losman "needs" to be the starter just because he "might" turn out great, or because he's younger, or because he's a former first round draft pick, or Holcomb has a chicken arm, blahblahblahblah.....

If Losman earns the job on the field and I hope he does, then he DESERVES the spot, deserves the chance and most importanly deserves the respect of his veteran teammates. But if he doesnt, and Holcomb and/or Nall "play" better, then THEY deserve to start.....

I believe that that is precisely what the Bills intend to do, based on their assessment of which QB is best at doing what they want their QB to do, the way they want it done (which may not always be apparent to the observer who may not know what it this is).

Like you, Pat, I also hope that Losman can continue to improve and performs well enough in the preseason to clearly win the job and take the decision out of the coaches' hands. But, Philagape raises a good point--one that I think is behind a lot of the arguing that Bills fans here and pretty much everywhere have been doing about the Bills' QB competition this off-season. Which, I agree with you, has become tiresome!


What if there's no clear-cut frontrunner, if JP and another QB or all three play well enough? Then I think the franchise's investment in JP and his upside should make a difference.

It's a choice that I think that they are probably hoping that they will have to make! It's certainly better than not having any of of the QBs play well enough. Although, I think that if none of them performs particularly well, the decision about who to start will probably be made the same way.

As for how they will decide between the two or three of the QBs who perform well, it is likely that they do already have certain criteria in mind which they will be using to assess each player's performance. How they rank those criteria, in terms of importance, and how each QB "scores" on each of those criteria, as well as on the whole, is one method that they may use to differentiate between how the QBs have played to that point. That would be the fairest way and will probably, in some way, figure into their ultimate decision.

But, feelings and prejudices often do play a role as well in these kinds of decisions by coaches. And, it wouldn't or shouldn't be surprising if they do in this case as well. That's why, initially, I came to the same conclusion as Billsburg that they would probably go with the experienced veteran and said that they would start the season with Holcomb, but bring in Losman to spark the team once Holcomb started to struggle. I based that on Levy's philosophy that it takes young QBs time to develop and that it not wise to put a lot of pressure on a young QB to come in and be a team's "saviour" when the team has weaknesses in a lot of areas--which is outlined in Levy's book--and the way that Jauron handled his three QBs in Chicago. And, it could still work out that way. Especially if none of the QBs performs very well in training camp or the preseason.

But, like it or not, the Bills signed Nall for a reason. And, there are indications that they may want him to succeed or at the very last intend to give him every opportunity to succeed. So, IMHO he has some things going in his favor that are going to keep him a player in this competition and that may factor in their ultimate decision if he does perform well enough in training camp and the preseason. And, that is the basis of the article that I have written for the BZ front page that I have mentioned in previous posts.

At this point, performance in training camp and the preseason is going to mean a lot in terms of determining the ultimate outcome of this competition. IMHO it is going to be very interesting to watch how the QBs do and then see what decision the coaching staff come up with at the end. I think it is going to be fascinating...and, for me, make the Bills' season worth watching as well to see what, if any, changes they make at the position as the season progresses, no matter what the team's record is.

[Mudflap1]

Great post by Pat, good post by Lifetime (as usual).

One problem I have is this "investment" with Losman. Sure, he is a young QB who was a late first round pick. However, Losman is too often compared here to the likes of Eli Manning, Alex Smith, Peyton Manning, or some other top quarterback taken in the draft. The dollars invested in those guys and the hype of their talent that goes along with it is much different and much higher than it is with J.P. Losman. Frankly, I don't think Jauron, Fairchild, and Levy care a whole lot about the "investment" that's been made into J.P. Losman or whether they owe it to themselves to give him every opportunity to win the job. There is a big difference between Losman, who was dubbed by many to be a signficant risk before the draft, and "slam dunk" prospects like the aforementioned. In addition, as I said, those guys were paid big bucks on rebuilding teams, so they had to get in there and play, much for the same reason as you will since Vince Young playing later this year, and quite possibly Matt Leinart. Can someone honestly compare what Matt Leinart has accomplished in high school and college with J.P. Losman? It's a joke really.

This all being said, I think J.P. does have a lot of upside, and I want to see him separate himself from the pack and start. But I don't think the coaches are going to lose any sleep if, say, Nall rises to the top and beats he and Holcomb both out. Likewise, if Nall and Losman both stink, and Holcomb is his usual conservative yet somewhat steady self, Holcomb will start. Losman doesn't "deserve" anything. He needs to earn it. I am rooting for him, but I also have no problem with where the coaches are coming from.

Jon

[jamze132]

News Flash!!! This just in:

There is a QB competition in Buffalo this year. The three leading candidates in no particulr order are JP Losman, Kelly Holcomb, and Craig Nall. WOW!



Is this new news? Or is it getting old?

[Philagape]

Great post by Pat, good post by Lifetime (as usual).

One problem I have is this "investment" with Losman. Sure, he is a young QB who was a late first round pick. However, Losman is too often compared here to the likes of Eli Manning, Alex Smith, Peyton Manning, or some other top quarterback taken in the draft. The dollars invested in those guys and the hype of their talent that goes along with it is much different and much higher than it is with J.P. Losman. Frankly, I don't think Jauron, Fairchild, and Levy care a whole lot about the "investment" that's been made into J.P. Losman or whether they owe it to themselves to give him every opportunity to win the job. There is a big difference between Losman, who was dubbed by many to be a signficant risk before the draft, and "slam dunk" prospects like the aforementioned. In addition, as I said, those guys were paid big bucks on rebuilding teams, so they had to get in there and play, much for the same reason as you will since Vince Young playing later this year, and quite possibly Matt Leinart. Can someone honestly compare what Matt Leinart has accomplished in high school and college with J.P. Losman? It's a joke really.


We invested a first-round pick plus the picks we traded for that pick. If we disregard that, it's like saying the draft means nothing. Wasting those picks sets this franchise back one or two years, and the only way that's undone is if Nall becomes a star.

Where other QBs are drafted is irrelevant, especially considering that some great QBs have come out of later rounds.

[Jan Reimers]

We know exactly what Holcomb can do, and there is enough film on Nall to get a pretty good picture of his quarterbacking skills as well.

We have not seen enough of Losman yet to know how good he can be, and we are only going to find out by putting him on the field. If he is even close to Holcomb and Nall, JP should play. If he is behind the other 2 simply because of their experience, JP should play.

And if, because we are so young at certain positions on D, and still a little unsettled on the O line - in other words, if we are a year or two from being a playoff team, anyway - why not play the guy with enough potential to have been a first round pick?

[Mudflap1]

I agree, in terms of who can become a star, great quarterbacks can come from any round, look at Joe Montana and Tom Brady.

However, that's not my point. My point is everyone compares Losman and his numbers to Eli Manning, Peyton Manning, and all of those guys, and says Losman deserves the same playing time and latitude. My point is, no he doesn't. He was a dime a dozen late first round pick who was a controversial choice to begin with, by a controversial GM (Donahoe). If he earns the right to start -- I'm thrilled. If he doesn't, then he shouldn't play.

Jon

[Mitchy moo]

News Flash!!! This just in:

There is a QB competition in Buffalo this year. The three leading candidates in no particulr order are JP Losman, Kelly Holcomb, and Craig Nall. WOW!



Is this new news? Or is it getting old?

:deadhorse

[alohabillsfan]

And Thhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeennnnnnn

the competition winner has a bad game and a dumb a$$ coach (currently residing in Maimi) yanks him and puts in a noodle arm, no upside, save my coaching a$$ QB, (P.S. which thankfully did not happen).

[YardRat]

We invested a first-round pick plus the picks we traded for that pick. If we disregard that, it's like saying the draft means nothing. Wasting those picks sets this franchise back one or two years, and the only way that's undone is if Nall becomes a star.

Where other QBs are drafted is irrelevant, especially considering that some great QBs have come out of later rounds.

Am I the only one that sees a contradiction here?

[X-Era]

I can name you DOZENS of QB's in the league over the last several years who were first round picks, had all the physical skills coming into the league, and were nothing more than garbage in the NFL. I don't care if we claim Vince Ferragamo , Matt Kofler or Joe Dufek off the waiver wire. Whoever PEFORMS the best in camp and preseason should be the starting quarterback.[quote=patmoran2006]How about this as a Novel concept.

OK, so there must have been Hundreds of QB's beyond the 1st round who ended up being wash ups.

Its all a crap shoot, but there are TANGIBLE reasons why some players are drafted in the 1st round.

And, only someone who belives this team has a legit shot at the playoffs or SB, would want a short term answer...Im gagging thinking of Holcomb and his 4 int performance agianst the clown Jets as a answer.

If thats an answer, Im not sure I want the question...wait, who is the guy most likely to lead your team to 5 and 11?

At 5 and 11, id rather go 3 and 13, with a higher draft pick and get LOADS of data on your young QB and whether he EVER can take you anywhere or not.

[Philagape]

Am I the only one that sees a contradiction here?

Only if Nall is Brady or Montana.

[G. Host]

Yes, if 2 or even all 3 play at about the same level, JP should be given the opportunity to prove that he can be what we all hope he can be. But my gut feeling is that Jauron would go with the experienced vet in that situation.

There is not one grade but multiple ones and Bills would take the one with most high grades in areas which they consider most important OR QB which has ability to overcome perceived weaknesses.

The Bills coaching staff have multiple people to evaluate their QBs, how they fit in their new offense (and new defense for a QB which can not sustain drives can ruin defense), and what potential they see in the players for rest of contract. They do not see things as simpleton-like as some who post on this board "XXXX is starting QB, end of debate."

[G. Host]

We know exactly what Holcomb can do, and there is enough film on Nall to get a pretty good picture of his quarterbacking skills as well.

We have not seen enough of Losman yet to know how good he can be, and we are only going to find out by putting him on the field.

There is more film on Losman than Nail - arguement does not hold water.

[patmoran2006]

What if there's no clear-cut frontrunner, if JP and another QB or all three play well enough? Then I think the franchise's investment in JP and his upside should make a difference.

I agree with that. If JP plays better or as well as Holcomb/Nall in the preseason then he should be the starter.

[EDS]

We know exactly what Holcomb can do, and there is enough film on Nall to get a pretty good picture of his quarterbacking skills as well.

We have not seen enough of Losman yet to know how good he can be, and we are only going to find out by putting him on the field. If he is even close to Holcomb and Nall, JP should play. If he is behind the other 2 simply because of their experience, JP should play.

And if, because we are so young at certain positions on D, and still a little unsettled on the O line - in other words, if we are a year or two from being a playoff team, anyway - why not play the guy with enough potential to have been a first round pick?

Losman has alot more game experience then Nall, so I am not sure how we can have enough "film" on him but not enough on Losman.

[TacklingDummy]

We know exactly what Holcomb can do, and there is enough film on Nall to get a pretty good picture of his quarterbacking skills as well.



Craig Nall and his career 33 pass attempts, 23 comp., 314 yards, 5 TDs, 0 TDs, 139.4 RAT.