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Former NFL star quarterback Ron Jaworski thinks Trent Edwards has what it takes to be the kind of winning quarterback the Buffalo Bills seek.
Jaworski, ESPN's Monday Night Football analyst, doesn't give Edwards an unconditional endorsement. But he's in the corner of the Bills' third-year signal caller and thinks the Bills are doing the right thing in putting the offense in Edwards' hands.
"I think he's going to be a tremendous NFL quarterback," Jaworski said Monday at the Jim Kelly Celebrity Classic golf tournament in Batavia. "I think he's got the skill set that projects very well for this league. It's a matter of being consistent. He's had some outstanding games, he's had some poor games. That happens with young quarterbacks. Everyone expects to see Joe Montana on the field in the second or third year, that's not going to happen."
"I think the experience that Trent has now gained is going to pay big dividends," Jaworski said.
Jaworski, the Lackawanna native who ranks 41st all-time in NFL passing yards, says Edwards has shown enough talent to be a quality starter.
"I think first of all he sees the field with great clarity," Jaworski said. "He understands reading coverages. He knows where to go with the football. He understands where his people are supposed to be. If receivers are where they're supposed to be, it makes a quarterback's job easier. The defense will dictate where you're going to throw the football."
"But most importantly is the accuracy," Jaworski said. "He's an accurate quarterback. I wouldn't say he has a big-time gun. But the anticipation is there, the accuracy is there and the understanding pocket movement is there. Mobility is not Michael Vick running around gaining first downs. Mobility is sliding, moving in the pocket, a la Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Dan Marino, those guys come to mind. Those are mobile quarterbacks in my opinion."
Edwards is 12-11 as a Bills starter. Last season he completed 65.5 percent of his passes with a passer rating of 85.4. Those totals ranked sixth and 17th, respectively, in the NFL.
"Consistency and confidence are key," Jaworski said. "I thought there were some situations last year, particularly our Monday night game here, I thought it was a game where he wasn't seeing the field clearly and he wasn't playing with confidence. But that's a learning curve you have to go through. ... You hate to say it, but you gain from those negative experiences. He came back and made plays in that game."
Overall, Jaworski says the development of the offensive line will be the big key to the Bills' season.
"I think it comes down to the offensive line," he said. "Until those five guys — and throw the tight end in as the sixth guy — until they play as one, they're going to be inconsistent, like they've been through the last three or four years. I think that's a question mark going into the season. If this offensive line can play well, the Bills can make a run for the AFC East."
Merril Hoge, Jaworski's partner on ESPN's "NFL Match-Up" show, also was at the Kelly event. He had a similar view of Edwards.
"I like him," Hoge said. "I think he's a very good quarterback. I think he plays better when they play out of the three-wide receiver set. I thought he made some big throws late in games that showed he can do it. Then he lost his confidence. You could tell on the Monday night game [against Cleveland], he couldn't throw a screen."
Jaworski, ESPN's Monday Night Football analyst, doesn't give Edwards an unconditional endorsement. But he's in the corner of the Bills' third-year signal caller and thinks the Bills are doing the right thing in putting the offense in Edwards' hands.
"I think he's going to be a tremendous NFL quarterback," Jaworski said Monday at the Jim Kelly Celebrity Classic golf tournament in Batavia. "I think he's got the skill set that projects very well for this league. It's a matter of being consistent. He's had some outstanding games, he's had some poor games. That happens with young quarterbacks. Everyone expects to see Joe Montana on the field in the second or third year, that's not going to happen."
"I think the experience that Trent has now gained is going to pay big dividends," Jaworski said.
Jaworski, the Lackawanna native who ranks 41st all-time in NFL passing yards, says Edwards has shown enough talent to be a quality starter.
"I think first of all he sees the field with great clarity," Jaworski said. "He understands reading coverages. He knows where to go with the football. He understands where his people are supposed to be. If receivers are where they're supposed to be, it makes a quarterback's job easier. The defense will dictate where you're going to throw the football."
"But most importantly is the accuracy," Jaworski said. "He's an accurate quarterback. I wouldn't say he has a big-time gun. But the anticipation is there, the accuracy is there and the understanding pocket movement is there. Mobility is not Michael Vick running around gaining first downs. Mobility is sliding, moving in the pocket, a la Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Dan Marino, those guys come to mind. Those are mobile quarterbacks in my opinion."
Edwards is 12-11 as a Bills starter. Last season he completed 65.5 percent of his passes with a passer rating of 85.4. Those totals ranked sixth and 17th, respectively, in the NFL.
"Consistency and confidence are key," Jaworski said. "I thought there were some situations last year, particularly our Monday night game here, I thought it was a game where he wasn't seeing the field clearly and he wasn't playing with confidence. But that's a learning curve you have to go through. ... You hate to say it, but you gain from those negative experiences. He came back and made plays in that game."
Overall, Jaworski says the development of the offensive line will be the big key to the Bills' season.
"I think it comes down to the offensive line," he said. "Until those five guys — and throw the tight end in as the sixth guy — until they play as one, they're going to be inconsistent, like they've been through the last three or four years. I think that's a question mark going into the season. If this offensive line can play well, the Bills can make a run for the AFC East."
Merril Hoge, Jaworski's partner on ESPN's "NFL Match-Up" show, also was at the Kelly event. He had a similar view of Edwards.
"I like him," Hoge said. "I think he's a very good quarterback. I think he plays better when they play out of the three-wide receiver set. I thought he made some big throws late in games that showed he can do it. Then he lost his confidence. You could tell on the Monday night game [against Cleveland], he couldn't throw a screen."
" ~ yordad
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