QB is All About the Head, Not the Arm

I guess it's not a revelation, but Trent Edwards success the first two weeks, and his continued development, has caused me to reaffirm a belief I've long held about NFL quarterbacks.
Simply put--the most important characteristic for success at the position is intelligence, not arm strength. I know it's only been two games, but is there any doubt that Trent Edwards has only built on the limited experience he had last season, in nine starts with the Bills? He's much more poised and confident this year, and his demeanor as displayed to us in the media demonstrates he's got the right stuff to lead a team.
The Bills sense it also. Dick Jauron talked this week about Edwards' early season success and never mentioned his physical characteristics (arm strength, mobility, etc.). All he talked about was his mental state:
"He takes experience and he grows from it. He can process information from Turk (Schonert-offensive coordinator) through Alex Van Pelt (QB Coach) into the helmet and into the huddle. That's critical, not getting confused doing it, not confusing his team."
Edwards has added some bulk this year, and he seems to be throwing the ball with a little more zip than a year ago. But most of his development has been his mental approach to the game and his maturity.
Let's remember this lesson the next time the Bills (or any other NFL team) looks at a quarterback in the draft. Find a college QB with baseline measurables (size, arm strength, acceptable mobility) and outstanding intangibles. Find a QB who is smart, and mature, and has natural leadership capabilities. You can always tailor an offense around a QB's physical limitations--you can almost never put together a succesful offense around a QB who lacks the smarts.

What do you think of Edwards performance so far? Where do you see his greatest improvement?
Let us know.

Lying Down on the Job

Did you catch Bills RB Fred Jackson face down on the turf at Jacksonville this past Sunday. The CBS cameras did. Jackson was back near the goal line, alongside Terrence McGee, on the Bills kickoff return team. While waiting for the kick, he suddenly went down on the grass for a moment or two, a move I had never seen before on the football field.
We asked Jackson today about the move. "We were just trying to get any advantage we could. I was lying down to see if I could distract some of the Jaguar players when they were coming down and ge them to focus on me, instead of T (Terrence McGee). I think it worked for the most part," he said, "I think I got two or three guys watching me, instead of paying attention to T."
Leave it to Bills Special Teams Coach Bobby April to come up with this gem. By having Jackson (or anyone else) lie down while waiting for the kick, he may be able to disguise the fact that the Bills have two return men waiting for the kick. Teams trying to keep the ball away from McGee (or McKelvin for that matter) may find themselves kicking right at Fred Jackson.

What do you think of the maneuver? Any problems with its' legality as far as NFL rules are concerned? Can you think of any other situations where this type of move might benefit a team? Let us know.

Hail Mary Highlights

Around the U.B. campus, its already being called "The Catch." Naaman Roosevelt's hail mary touchdown is already taking its place as the most memorable play in team history. Three days later, some details are coming out about how the Bulls made it happen.

*QB Drew Willy says quarterbacks coach Danny Barrett warned him about throwing the ball too hard and out of the end zone. The play started on the 35 yard line. The Bulls usually practice the play from the 50.

*Yes, the Bulls practice the Hail Mary. Every Thursday, when they work on desperation plays. Asked how often it works in practice, Willy admitted 2 or 3 times out of 50.

*Roosevelt credits his time as a basketball player at St. Joes from giving him the skills to box out, post-up and jump. Those skills put him in position to make the play.

*A Temple defender (linebacker John Haley) actually flew in before the ball arrived. He knocked UB receiver Brett Hamlin to the ground (interference?) but also bumped an Owls defensive back out of position. That player might have been able to jump with Roosevelt and get a hand in the way.

*UB Head Coach Turner Gill revealed that Roosevelt was his top priority after taking the job. On the day he arrived in Buffalo, the first thing Gill did was rent a car and drive to Roosevelt's house to secure his commitment. As Gills says, "the rest is history."

Gill, Willy and Roosevelt say they've been overwhelmed by phone calls, text messages, greetings and well-wishes from all of the country.