By Ralph Mancini, NFL Draft Bible Senior Writer
Going into the 2007 NFL Draft, Stanford quarterback Trent Edwards was quite the enigma in that his collegiate production was unremarkable both on an individual and team level. His exceptional physical skills belied his team’s embarrassing 1-11 record along with a rather ordinary 36-33 touchdown-to-interception ratio.
The Buffalo Bills were one team willing to take a chance on the 6’ 4” 231-pound signal caller as much-needed insurance for their 2006 starter J.P. Losman whose erratic and mistake-prone ways had Buffalo’s front office and coaching staff very concerned about the direction of their squad.
The rookie project grew up in a hurry when called on to step in for an injured Losman during the second quarter of a 38-7 drubbing at the hands of the mighty New England Patriots in week three.
Although Edwards showed signs of being an accurate passer in the preseason, it was a pleasant surprise to watch Edwards efficiently move the offense downfield versus the division-rival Jets the following week.
The 24-year-old exuded the poise and confidence of a 10-year veteran as he went on to complete nine straight passes during one stretch. Edwards capped off his amazing debut with a game-winning touchdown pass to tight end Michael Gaines on fourth down.
The Los Gatos, California native completed 22 of 28 throws for 234 yards, but what was most telling about the neophyte was his natural ability to process what was happening around him and hit his check-down receivers when there was nothing open downfield.
His calmness in the pocket was certainly eye-opening for head coach Dick Jauron who was immediately on the fence regarding whether to reinsert Losman as the starter upon his return from injury.
“I’ve always said nobody’s job is secure,” said the coach in assessing his rookie’s unexpected performance. “From week to week, we play whoever we think is the best guy. So we’ll see where it goes.”
This couldn’t have been music to Losman’s ears who probably began seeing the proverbial writing on the wall. Despite his four years as a professional, the Tulane product is still prone to forcing long passes into coverage even when there are safer options in the offing.
Ranked fourth overall among quarterbacks by the NFL Draft Bible prior to draft day, Edwards was lauded for his quick decisions and exemplary intangibles, but as we’ve witnessed with many highly-touted prospects in recent years (see Smith, Alex), intelligence and overall mental makeup can only take you so far if a player’s pure physical skills aren’t up to snuff.
The damning effect of being part of a losing program with an 11-20 record as a starter at Stanford caused many to overlook Edwards’s overall raw strength, as well as his potent arm allowing him to both toss it deep and put some real zip in his short-to-intermediate throws.
His mobility and speed, on the other hand, are also top shelf among his peers at the quarterback position. The young athlete posted a 4.76 in the 40 prior to being drafted, which becomes even more impressive when factoring in Edwards’s size.
His one glaring red flag (questionable durability) reared its ugly head during Buffalo’s week eight rematch with Gang Green when Edwards was forced to exit the game in the third quarter with a sprained right wrist.
Although tests on the ailing wrist came back negative, it was time once again for Losman to reclaim the reins to the Buffalo Bills attack, but with the exception of one promising game versus Cincinnati, the veteran triggerman’s streaky ways once again boiled to the surface.
His inability to consistently get a good read on defenses led to interceptions and fumbles in back-to-back losing efforts versus the Patriots and Jaguars.
With a playoff spot hanging in the balance, Jauron had no choice but to turn to his prized rookie and entrust him with the task of restoring order to an offense spiraling out of control.
The unflappable field general picked up right where he left off in a late-season 17-15 overtime thriller victory over the Washington Redskins.
In this emotional game fresh off the untimely death of Sean Taylor, Edwards masterfully led the troops on a game-winning drive with no timeouts left and 56 seconds to go. The precocious quarterback set up the deciding field goal with a clutch 31-yard completion to receiver Josh Reed in front of a passionate crowd on the road. The third-round pick wasn’t finished there.
This first-year revelation went on to make quick work of the hapless Miami Dolphins a week later by initially attacking Miami’s safeties on two touchdown passes to tight end Robert Royal. It became evident in this game that offensive coordinator Steve Fairchild began opening up the playbook for Edwards who punctuated his breakthrough four-touchdown performance with a fourth quarter 70-yard strike to speedster Lee Evans.
While it’s certainly too early to anoint Edwards as the second coming of Jim Kelly, the youngster has proven to possess the mental and physical ingredients necessary to achieve long-term success.
Edwards will be looking to add to his 1,212 yards and five touchdowns in this Sunday’s pivotal showdown with the Cleveland Browns as both teams can ill-afford to lose any of their remaining games with the postseason on the line.
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