My Final Statement About the QB Position

[Typ0]

With all the griping, moaning and taking sides going on. I'm setting aside this little area to highlight my feelings about the QB position so I don't get caught up in other discussions that go no where and take up too much time.

I want to ask people a serious question now. Are you comfortable with Kelly Holcolm heading into the season as our starting QB next season? I personally am not and that means the QB needs to be upgraded.

Now, are you happy with JP Losman being your starting QB next year? I would say yes and I think many would agree. I still do not think JP has proven that he can win big games...if anything we've seen him lay an egg in both big games and games against weaker opponents that caused us to lose. There were a few games against quality opponents that he was asked to go out there and not do anything but not lose us the game and he got that done. But in the long run I don't think that is good enough so I expect to see a lot of progression from him at the beginning of next season or I am going to seriously question what direction the team is going to go with him as the QB.

OK, so that takes care of JP Losman, now here is the rest of the issue with the QB position. We need more talent at that position. The arguement that we have too many needs is weak. QB is the most important position on the field. We need that position solidified and have depth just as much as we need DL, OL or anything else. Without that, we aren't going anywhere.

That means that we need another player at QB who is capable of playing on this roster at least a couple months before camp starts so he can study and get familiar with the system we use. If you think there shouldn't be any competitiveness for the position then you are of the opinion either that you want Kelly Holcolm or you want some player that is clearly not as good as JP Losman as the backup. Well that's just silly. Get a player who has game. A guy who can play. Sorry lickers, that's my opinion and I'm sticking with it.

Every QB in the league has to show up at camp and be better than the other QBs on the roster. If you don't think that is true then you think every NFL organization is nothing than a bunch of homers who are more concerned about protecting their personal favorites instead of winning. I don't think that's true. I think they want to win and every single one of them are going to go with the guy that gives them the best chance of winning with the exception of Green Bay.

[mybills]

Re: My Final Statement About the QB Position

Glad you got that off your chest.

As for my final stance on a QB...

JP Losman is ours, and I'm fine with it.

[LifetimeBillsFan]

Re: My Final Statement About the QB Position

While I happen to think that JP Losman will continue to develop and be the QB that the Bills hope and need for him to be, I can' t disagree with you.

And, it would not surprise me if the Bills did bring in a young QB this off-season, perhaps in the late rounds of the draft, to be the Frank Reich/Alex Van Pelt to Losman, even if JP does develop into the next Jim Kelly. I don't think they will go the free agent route--they have C.Nall and K.Holcomb (if Holcomb returns) to provide "experience" and the pickings are slim there once you get past Vick/Schaub--or will spend a high draft pick on a QB like T.Smith, J.Russell or even a D.Stanton, but a C.Leak, John Beck or J.Zabranski type who can be had in the late rounds and might develop fast could definitely be a possibility. I don't think that Marv Levy has forgotten that Bill Kenney, a late round pick, did a pretty good job for him at KC and actually out-played the QB that he had who was a 1st round pick. So, who knows?

But, still, I think you make a good point. Good post.

[HHURRICANE]

Re: My Final Statement About the QB Position

Let's make this really easy. JP is better than Steve McNair and a bunch of other QB's that are in the playoffs. We didn't make the playoffs because of the QB position. We missed the playoffs because we couldn't run and stop the run. That is a line issue on both sides of the ball.

Is JP the best QB in the league? NO. Could he be? Doubtful. Is he good enough to win us a Superbowl? Yes.

Now we do need a legitimate backup. If that player is good enough to compete for the starting job, even better. I would not cry if Matt Schaub came here for a reasonable contract. JP's the starter but if we started losing games because of his play I wouldn't mind Matt on the bench waiting. Right now JP would have to be missing an arm before I'd want to see Holcomb or nall on the field!!

[ghz in pittsburgh]

Re: My Final Statement About the QB Position

Just answer me this question: has Losman made the same kind of mistake twice this season?

Someone told me that was the biggest positive mark in Jauron's book.

[Michael82]

Re: My Final Statement About the QB Position

Everyone should know where I stand with JP. I have never wavered. I personally love the kid. I love his athleticism, I love his arm, I love his scrambling ability, I love his attitude, I love his moxie. I think that we have finally found ourselves a Quarterback and I love that. Now they need to build a team around him. We got a bunch of pieces, but we also have many missing ones too. JP will take the team far, but he needs the protection first and a big receiver that he can find in the middle of the field when Lee Evans is tripled covered. I'll say this right now because I saw the highlights on ESPN last night....I would kill for Calvin Johnson. but I also wouldn't mind Dwayne Jarrett or Jeff Samardzija.

As for the depth at the position, I totally agree. We need to find ourselves a Frank Reich. Maybe that is Craig Nall, but it definitely isn't Kelly Holcomb. I'm all for getting rid of Holcomb and looking for a FA QB or maybe drafting one in the late rounds.

[OpIv37]

Re: My Final Statement About the QB Position

Typ0- one question: If not JP, then who can we get that's definitely better than JP?

There is no obvious alternative. This team has a lot of other holes- it seems to me that the best thing to do at this point would be to fix the other holes this off-season and hope QB fixes itself. Regardless of who the QB is, we're not going to win too many games when we're 28th in run D.

[kernowboy]

Re: My Final Statement About the QB Position

I'd sign Patrick Ramsay as a backup.

Better than Nall or Holcomb with a bigger arm so can keep JP honest. Plays tough and can step up if JP gets hurt. Had some tough breaks with the Redskins and Jets ... no reason why he cannot do a solid job here

[Ebenezer]

Re: My Final Statement About the QB Position

Typ0- one question: If not JP, then who can we get that's definitely better than JP?

I am betting that we don't get many who will name any names...is JP the second coming of Montana? no. Kelly? no. Ferguson? I think he will be better than Fergy. Which means a lot. Fergy was a really talented QB surrounded by crap except OJ early on and some has beens and Jerry Butler during the Knox era. Given some better players JF would have been able to lead teams a long way. Championships? who knows, too much goes into that. I think JP can lead this team to winning records given the tools.

I still want the doubters to name somebody they would rather bring in...a real possibility not Rivers, Manning, etc.

[Michael82]

Re: My Final Statement About the QB Position

I'd sign Patrick Ramsay as a backup.

Better than Nall or Holcomb with a bigger arm so can keep JP honest. Plays tough and can step up if JP gets hurt. Had some tough breaks with the Redskins and Jets ... no reason why he cannot do a solid job here

interesting idea.

[Yasgur's Farm]

Re: My Final Statement About the QB Position

Everyone should know where I stand with JP. I have never wavered. I personally love the kid. I love his athleticism, I love his arm, I love his scrambling ability, I love his attitude, I love his moxie. I think that we have finally found ourselves a Quarterback and I love that. Now they need to build a team around him. We got a bunch of pieces, but we also have many missing ones too. JP will take the team far, but he needs the protection first and a big receiver that he can find in the middle of the field when Lee Evans is tripled covered. I'll say this right now because I saw the highlights on ESPN last night....I would kill for Calvin Johnson. but I also wouldn't mind Dwayne Jarrett or Jeff Samardzija.

As for the depth at the position, I totally agree. We need to find ourselves a Frank Reich. Maybe that is Craig Nall, but it definitely isn't Kelly Holcomb. I'm all for getting rid of Holcomb and looking for a FA QB or maybe drafting one in the late rounds.

Man it's scarey when I think about how much alike we think. Calvin Johnson or Dwayne Jarrett or Jeff Samardzija or Drew Bennett In that order.

BTW... I cut the USC picture of Dwayne Jarrett from the D&C and hung it in my cubicle next to the Tulane picture of JP I had cut out this time in 2004.

[Goobylal]

Re: My Final Statement About the QB Position

A QB doesn't win games for you, despite common perception. At best a QB affects about 40% of a game, since it's usually about a 40-40-20 mix of offense-defense-ST's (debatable, but offense is not more than 50%). So when there's 60% (or even 50%) that the QB doesn't have a part in (and realize that a QB's success depends largely on his O-line and surrounding cast), how can anyone say that "JP didn't win any big games?" I'd say that the Bills' offense, namely those AROUND JP, didn't win any big games.

[Yasgur's Farm]

Re: My Final Statement About the QB Position

Cut or trade Holcomb.
Nall is 2nd.
7th rounder for 3rd.

[Goobylal]

Re: My Final Statement About the QB Position

Cut or trade Holcomb.
Nall is 2nd.
7th rounder for 3rd.

Yep. They didn't cut Holcomb last year because it would have cost them money against the cap. He's gone for sure.

Nall will be #2, unless the Bills find a trade partner and/or Nall start complaining since JP has been named the starter for next year.

And hopefully they go a little earlier than the 7th for a QB.

[Typ0]

Re: My Final Statement About the QB Position

Typ0- one question: If not JP, then who can we get that's definitely better than JP?

There is no obvious alternative. This team has a lot of other holes- it seems to me that the best thing to do at this point would be to fix the other holes this off-season and hope QB fixes itself. Regardless of who the QB is, we're not going to win too many games when we're 28th in run D.

This isn't about JP and I'm not advocating throwing JP to the wolves for some alternative. What I'm saying is we need better dept at that position. We need two viable QBs here in case JP is injured. Along the way, it would be nice to have a guy that is capable of playing enough that there would be healthy competition going on at that position.

The QB position is not going to fix itself if JP Losman breaks a leg in training camp and we dont' have another capable player on the roster. Or do you disagree with that? It's a sad fact that players get injured. Or maybe we are in the depths of playoff hunt and he's knocked out for four games. Who knows what's going to happen. Let's be prepared instead of pussyfooting around because "JP is the guy and we don't need anyone else".