The BEAST: Buffalo's Best Fiend

Bledsoe's future in question

by Ronnie Roscoe

Hello again my faithful followers; it is I, the amazing Roscoe, here again to give you the best sports insight available in the free world. This week my disciples I have the information you have been waiting for since the Bills season ended. Everyone wants to know who will be the quarterback next season. Will the Bills keep Drew Bledsoe or is it time to turn the page and let young gun J.P. Losman take over? Well, as you might have guessed, only the master knows the true answer to this, and if you read on you will know too.

The NFL season is now over and once again New England has proven to be the best team and franchise in the league. Obviously this does not bode well for Buffalo, as New England appears ready to dominate the division for years to come. The Bills understand they need to improve dramatically not only to compete for the Super Bowl but also inside their own division to attempt to qualify for the playoffs. With this in mind, Roscoe has learned that the Bills have given Losman the starting quarterback position in 2005.

It has been widely speculated that Losman and current starting quarterback Drew Bledsoe would have a "battle" during training camp to decide who will be quarterback next season, but a source close to Losman states the young signal caller has gotten the word that the job is his, and barring any injury or off season problems, Losman is eager to take over the offensive reins. Losman understands the offense and is telling people he is the starter and he is ready to go. Of course the idea that Losman is taking over is not a shock, but what is somewhat surprising is that the Bills have decided not to have an open competition during camp. The Bills have decided in fact to hand over the position and not give Bledsoe the chance to compete and keep his starting position. Losman will be #1 when camp opens. The Bills have yet to decide if Bledsoe would still be around in a back up capacity and/or if Bledsoe would accept such a role-this will work itself out within the next few weeks as Bledsoe has a bonus that is due on March 1. Therefore an action on Bledsoe will take place, but the bottom line is the decision has been made to move on and Losman is the candidate the Bills have chosen.

If the Bills and Bledsoe chose to part, the veteran will have very few options. Besides the gig as Losman's understudy there are very few situations where Bledsoe would have an opportunity to play. The obvious thought is Dallas with Bill Parcells and one never knows how Parcells thinks, but it would seem to be a long shot. There is possible interest in Arizona, Oakland and also Seattle, where Seahawk quarterback Matt Hassleback may be let go. Bledsoe of course is a native of Walla Walla, Washington and attended Washington State. These are all places that might have some interest in his services, but none would pay as much or be easier to move into as just staying with the Bills.

Of course it will all depend on money. The Bills, in particular Tom Donahoe, were able to delay this decision last year by re-negotiating Bledsoe's contract. They could have cut Bledsoe last year and taken a very mild salary cap hit, but the Bills did not have a better option than Bledsoe so despite the fact they wanted to sever ties last season, they had to keep him around as the starter. With young Losman ready to handle the duties that is no longer the case and the Bills have the upper hand in the negotiations with Bledsoe. The Bills would still lose 4 million in cap space if they let him go, so he will either accept their offer at a much lower rate, or he can attempt to find employment elsewhere.

If Bledsoe is let go it will be a sad ending to his career with the Bills. Donahoe made a huge splash when he "stole" Bledsoe from the Pats on draft day 2002 and did not have to give up a pick until the following draft. It was thought to be the perfect match as Bledsoe was whisked into town and an impromptu parade at One Bills Drive culminated with Bledsoe speaking to a roaring crowd. Bills fans were excited and the feeling was similar to 1986 when Jim Kelly finally arrived as Bills quarterback. Bledsoe quickly paid dividends, leading the Bills to five victories in his first eight games as a Bill. The offense was as potent as there was in football for those eight games, but the last 2.5 years were difficult for Bledsoe and despite some success last season, the coaching staff and management understand the time has come to move on.

It remains to be seen if Losman is good enough to be a starting quarterback in the NFL. The jury is out and likely will be for a year or two, but the decision to make him a starter is the correct one. At this point, the Bills can't guarantee Losman to be a top of the line QB, but they can be sure Bledsoe is not. The top teams all have established stars at quarterback or up and coming talented performers. Sure, on occasion a Trent Dilfer can win a Super Bowl, but nine times out of 10 the top teams have top quarterbacks, and Bledsoe will never again be a top quarterback. Just look at the playoff teams: Brady, McNabb, Manning, Vick, Rothlesberger, and Culpepper-if the Bills want to compete, Losman will need to be thought of in the same category.