Farewell Trent Edwards

by Steve

Here is the complete retrospective of Trent Edwards and his short painful strange 3+ seasons as a Buffalo Bill:

The first mention of Trent Edwards on this blog came on July 20th 2007 as I wrote:
"On to back up back up Trent Edwards. Green isn't even the color to describe T-Eds. What we do know: he's smart, he went to Stanford, the Stanford Cardinals football team sucked, and Edwards took a beating and got hurt a lot. Look for him to sit on the bench for 2 seasons, get bit parts in 2009 and hopefully traded, great move Marv and Co."

Here is the preview for Trent Edward's first start against the Jets week 4 in 2007.
Steve Fairchild was talking about scaling back the offense for young Trent and I responded: "Seriously, if this offense can be scaled back more I might pluck my eye balls out and buy a Tom Brady jersey. The mere thought makes me sicker than back to back to back tequila shots with hot sauce."

After Trent wins his debut here was my take:
"Trent looked good, but lets tape down the boners so no one can see them just yet. It was the 28th ranked defense at home. But the quick reads, check downs, and gutsiness helped quell some fears at the position at least for a week."

Anyone remember when Coast fired off an email to Jerry Sullivan complaining about people picking Trent over Losman? And his response?

Trent was named the start for the remainder of the 2007 season on 11/26/2007 :
Trent Edwards is the starting quarterback for the Buffalo Bills for the rest of the 2007 season. He will also be the only quarterback currently on the roster that will be brought back for the 2008 season. Hopefully as the starter, and as a baller, and as a playoff performing quarterback he will take over the reigns of this embarrassingly playoffless team for many years to come.

Trent Edwards incredible TD pass against WASH in '07. Coast:
Did we see the birth of a franchise quarterback today? The jury is still out but Trent Edwards took a stride today that JP Losman took 3 years to make. Edwards was mediocre all game. He was inaccurate on some throws. The Bills offense sputtered when they got inside scoring territory. But, when the game was on the line, Trent made perhaps the best throw I have seen a Bills quarterback make in that type of situation in my entire life as a Bills fan.

The following week Trent did outplay John Beck: Either way who would take Beck over Trent right now?

Coast started questioning Trent Edwards the following week after a blanking by the Browns but later gives him the nod to start in 2008:
Edwards was 13-33 and is 24-56 in the past 2 games in sub par weather. He is supposed to be Mr. Accurate. Can he handle the Buffalo weather? I am not ready to say no, but it doesn't look good.

2008

The year had very little about Trent starting out. This was obviously the year of Trent's life starting 4-0 and 5-1. Short quote from Coast about Lynch and Trent after week 1 "We have a 2nd year QB and a 2nd year RB who will do nothing but improve."

And me after going 4-0 "Trent continues to mature, although he did have a bad int, but no one is perfect."

Then... the game that may have ended Trent Edward's career. "At this point WNY Watercooler is cautiously optimistic Edwards will be ready for the SD game. Then again concussions can linger and conditions change from day today so we'll see. Also unfortunately Jauron busted out the ol' Mularkey line but with more intelligents saying, "I am not a physician"

Then shockingly, Trent Edwards hits his pinnacle, playing the greatest game of his career by far. And this quote by Coast:
"How many Qbs in this league would you rather have on your team right now than Trent Edwards? I can’t really think of any. Yeah Cutler, Manning and Rivers are all young, good players and Cutler and Rivers can probably be mentioned in the same breath as Trent right now."
WWOOWWW, read that whole post, it is filled with shocking comment after shocking comment. "don’t forget that Trent is this good already and is only 23 years old…hasn’t even started a full seasons worth of games…I don’t know if I would want to trade him for anyone in the entire league."

What happen to Trent Edwards? No one may ever know, but he was never EVER the same again.

The Bills then went into Miami and dropped a stink bomb big time to go to 5-2. Coast weighs in:
"Trent didn't have his best day today but that doesn't make me think any differently" about how good of a player he is." I was a bit less forgiving "That was a long dream. About 7 weeks long. The Bills were actually good for nearly two months. Dick Jauron, Trent Edwards, Perry Fewell and the defense... they all had us bamboozled... He took sacks. He was Trent JP Losman Edwards. TJPLE killed his team single handily.. period."

Then everyone started jumping off the bandwagon, even Coast after the Jets debacle:
"Ever since I anointed Trent Edwards the MVP and top 5 QB in the NFL, he has looked exactly like JP Losman. I gave him a free pass last week in the 4th quarter but no free pass this week. He was awful." My most prophetic post came next "we are going 7-9" " Trent Edwards has not and will not, this year, recover from a concussion."

Coast loves hyperbole (after a dreadful L to the Pats we attended) " As soon as he exploded onto the national media scene after the 5-1 start, he has been probably one of the 5 worst quarterbacks in the NFL. He didn't do himself any favors on Sunday admitting he was confused by the Patriots defense"

Then, if not the absolute worst game of Trent's career, easily top 3 v the Browns "
The quarterback has degressed faster than anyone I have ever seen. How bad was he tonight? On the post game show, it was being said that he had wide receivers wide open and didn't even look. He was shell shocked. He was scared. He was nervous."

Don't forget the blip on the radar screen that was the KC game where Trent didn't look awful " That bomb to Evans was a dart...I didn't think I would ever see the likes of it again. I think we might have gotten our quarterback back, but I will not know for sure until I see him string a few good games together."

The 49ers game was the nail in the coffin for coast, maybe? "The Bills don't have a quarterback. My theory is that Trent's groin was fine but the coaches know he is too much of a pussy head case to pull him because of poor play. He has been absolutely pathetic for 16 of the last 19 quarters he has played. He has never had a good quarter in inclement weather. Losman came in and did his thing. He sucked...but he wasn't worse than Edwards. Is Trent Edwards the quarterback of the future? I am having serious doubts."

2009

No one had much confidence coming into the 2009 campaign especially after Trent threw the ball into the ground in toronto.

We did finally get rid of JP Losman and coast slurped him.
Also I hated Fitz.

Trentative and Captain Checkdown take hold but I was still hopeful "He is still young and has the tools to get the job done. A lucky bounce here or there could cause a complete reversal in his lack of confidence."

As the season progressed Trent regressed "Record: 13-13
Yards Per Completion: 10.98
Pass attempts per passing touchdown: 33.04
Pass attempts per interception: 33.04"

Schrum then chimed in with a look to future quarterbacks.

Why did we think the no huddle would help Trent? " Trent's QB rating being the second worst for a full time starter or the 3 points put up against the lowly Browns, whatever it was thank god."

Another in a long line of Trent Edwards injury updates. And we finally are realizing Fitz might not be a downgrade "Trent would have been terrified to make a mistake, audibled to a run even if a pass was called, and gotten off the field in three plays. Fitzpatrick isn't that accurate of a passer, makes bad throws and bad decisions a little too much, but he at least has balls." Although I was unconvinced. "Could Trent's blind love for his former coach really effect his performance on the field? Maybe so, and if that is the case and Perry saw that then it was the right call."

Six of one, half dozen of the other. Ugh the Bills were pathetic in 2009 "I hate Trent but I hate Fitz more. This is an outrage. I'm still not 100% done with Trent Edwards I don't understand how anyone else could be either. The injuries nearly push me to 100% but still not there yet."

2010

I actively was requesting Vick over any bum in the 2010 draft. "Michael Vick
He has question marks big time, but he is available and has been a winner in the National Football League. A second would be a lot to give up." There were even rumors of getting him for a 6th round pick!

Coast wanted anyone but Trent even requesting getting Bradford "Anyone who thinks the Bills number one need is anything but quarterback is completely lost." I had QB as our second biggest need.

Coast wanted us to trade up to get a QB or get one @9. " That brings us to the draft. Sam Bradford will definitely be gone by the time we draft, although it is possible Jimmy Clausen will be on the board. If he is, we HAVE to draft him, period, no questions asked."

After the draft Coast weighed in "Levi Brown should start opening day in Orchard Park vs. Miami in 2010-F 2011. Win now baby and Levi Brown is the man to get it done."


We all know how the rest panned out. No open competition, no one but Trent Edwards given a chance at the starting position. Although I still had a little hope, there wasn't much to go around after week 1. "Trent Edwards doesn't have to be worse than last year."

Oh well. Peace out Trent. We won't miss you. The only question remaining, WTF was going on with this mutton chops at the end?