Thursday, November 19, 2009

Brian Brohm to Buffalo: This is the Right Move

Note: Forgive me for turning this blog into the Quarterback Club lately. There has just been a lot of interesting QB news lately.

Yesterday I made a post exploring the future of the Buffalo Bills quarterback position.

Today, the Buffalo Bills figured out for themselves what they'd like to do with the future of their Quarterback position when they signed Brian Brohm off of the Packers practice squad.

If you rewind to 2006, Brohm was the best quarterback in college football. At Louisville, Brohm broke all sorts of records, and made Louisville perennial contenders for both the Big East championship, and the National Championship.

A lot of scouts projected that Brohm would be the first quarterback selected in the 2007 draft, but Brohm decided to stay an extra season where he still performed exceptionally well. The 2007 season would see Matt Ryan supplant Brohm as the top QB prospect, yet Brohm was still looked at as top three. When DI-AA QB Joe Flacco entered the mix, Brohm fell to the third QB in the NFL draft, drafted in the second round by the Green Bay Packers, after Flacco, and before Chad Henne.

Brohm's pro career has thus far followed in fellow Louisville alum Dave Ragones footsteps, in other words, Brohm has yet to translate any of his college success into pro success. In the seventh round of the NFL draft in 2008, the Packers drafted LSU national champion QB Matt Flynn, who beat Brohm out for the second string job in Green Bay. Since then, Brohm has been relegated to third quarterback duties in Green Bay.

But the Bills are making the right move brining in Brohm now. It'll give Brohm time to learn the system before the 2010 season. Brohm should easily pick up the Bills offense, both now and when they bring in a new head coach; he was always considered one of the smartest QB's, and it also gives the Bills the opportunity to focus on other needs in the NFL draft this upcoming Spring.

Do I think that Brohm is more of sure thing than Jason Campbell? Absolutely not! Do I think that Brohm is a better option than Kellen Clemens or Brodie Croyle? Yes. Do I think that Brohm has potential to be much better than Jason Campbell? Definitely.

Entering the 2008 draft, I felt as though Brian Brohm should have been a first round pick to a team that needed a quarterback. Now, Buffalo get him at a great price. Though an AFC East title is probably a few years out of the Bills immediately plans, Brian Brohm gives the Bills their best quarterback prospect since 1983. That's right, better than Losman and Rob Johnson in my opinion.

So we'll see, maybe we'll read this article in a year and laugh, or maybe we'll read this article and shrug. Either way, I'm glad the Bills were proactive, it proves that they do care about winning.

2 comments:

  1. This is a complete flyer pick up. Roll of the dice, shot in the dark etc.

    If I where Buffalo, I would consider him a back pocket QB but it would by no means stop me from drafting a Bradford/Snead (is Locker really considered a high pick? Or is that just you?) or any real high prospect in the upcoming draft. In fact, if I were Buffalo, I'd draft and sign a veteran QB.

    It's not an accident that Green Bay had him on the PRACTICE SQUAD.. that means they cut him, and no one claimed him.

    Brohm earned every day he spent on the practice squad, he has been terrible, and they actually publicly expressed doubt that he could handle the offense mentally. McCarthy's west coast scheme, might be too heavy on verbiage, perhaps he needs a more down the field system, but even in watching him in preseason he has been HORRENDOUS.

    This is like when the Cowboys signed Drew Henson... and said "great we are set!" It's worth kicking his tires, but I wouldn't expect anything from him.

    Also... Chris Redman.

    - Sebastian

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  2. Good points.

    As for QB Draft Rankings... since the start of the season Snead has plummeted (he'll probably stay an extra season). Locker is looked at as no worse than #3 (Clausen, Bradford).

    I like the analogies to Redman, Henson.

    Buffalo made the right move and it means the end for Edwards. Brohm will probably compete with Fitzpatrick for the chance to compete for starter next year (with either a vet or rookie).

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