OK, now before I get into this, I just want to make one thing perfectly clear: I DON’T think the Bills should draft a QB in the first round. My mindset all year round has been mainly about Fitzpatrick starting in 2011. I’ve also written that if he’s the starter and the Bills surround him with defensive talent, they can be a playoff team. Now, would I strangle the Bills hire-ups if they drafted a QB in the first round, only to have Fitzpatrick man the throne for a couple of years? Not really. Anyways, this article is about giving the reader options about why the Bills would want to select a QB in the first round.
4) Selling out
This is probably the weakest of the reasons, but I think it’s worth writing about. Don’t look now folks, but the Bills are a non-sellout away from having 4 of their home games blacked out for the year. The three home sellouts (Not including Toronto game), would mark the lowest number since 2001. That was the year the Bills went 3-13 under Gregg Williams and Rob Johnson. Now, what did the Bills do in the offseason? They brought in Drew Bledsoe and presto: Sellouts in 2002. Of course, you could go back to when Jim Kelly came to Buffalo in 1986 and what happened at the box office? The Bills sold out their home-opener for the first time in 3 years. Even goto 1997, the first year after Jim Kelly retired and the Bills QBs were pathetic (Todd Collins and Alex Van Pelt). As for the ticket sales? They weren’t so good, as the team sold out less than 50% of their home games. However, what happened next year? Doug Flutie came and the Bills ended up selling out their games once again and even struck up a 15-year lease extension with the county. All I’m saying is that as much as we love Ryan Fitzpatrick, and trust me, I do, but he’s just not selling out the games. Bringing in a franchise QB that is termed as being the future/savior of this team could do wonders at the box office and in jersey sales.
3) Fitzpatrick isn’t a franchise QB
Look, I like Ryan Fitzpatrick. I think the guy can easily start in the NFL. Surround him with talent and this team can be a playoff team. You could go back to how rookies like Joe Flacco, Mark Sanchez and Big Ben guided their teams to the conference title games, when it really wasn’t about their play, but how their o-lines and defenses carried the load. However, when you dive into the QBs who have Super Bowl rings, it’s not even close. Besides Trent Dilfer and Brad Johnson, it’s a whose who of franchise quarterbacks. To me, the definition of a franchise QB is someone who can play with anybody and make their wideouts look like game-breakers (See: Tom Brady this year). I just don’t see Fitzpatrick being that sort of player (Yet) and if the Bills are more interested in finding that sort of QB, it’s going to be by drafting one on day one.
Aaron Rodgers and Phillip Rivers. What do these two guys have in common? They were drafted in the first round and sat on the bench for two plus years, while watching Brett Favre and Drew Brees quarterback their teams. Of course, after the vets left, Rivers and Rodgers inherited the positions and they never looked back. Now, I know some people have said that if the Bills went about this route, it would create a Johnson vs Flutie type of dilemma. I don’t see it that way. For me, if Fitzpatrick keeps on trucking, you could eventually trade him for a high draft pick, as he’s still pretty young. On the other hand, if Fitzpatrick goes the route of Derek Anderson, then boom..you have an insurance policy.
1) Ralph Wilson
I’m sure Ralph Wilson’s opinion has changed…right? Oh, you probably don’t remember, but it was in late September that Wilson came out and told the AP that he wanted a QB for next year and that he was sending out Buddy Nix to look for the next Jim Kelly…again. Now, things have changed. Judging by Wilson’s remarks after the Miami game, he’s as happy as a 92-year old man could be if he was on a date with Betty White. However, this is Ralph Wilson. The same owner, that rumor has it, instructed Wade Phillips to bench Doug Flutie against the Titans. The same owner who didn’t want to hire Marty Schottenheimer. The same owner who fired Bill Polian and John Butler. All I’m saying is that Wilson can be a little unpredictable and he is the boss when it’s all said and done. If he wants a QB, the Bills are going to select one.
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