Bills’ Edwards can and may throw longer

By Anthony Bialy  |   Monday, July 06, 2009  |  Comments( 45 )

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Buffalo Bills quarterback Trent Edwards may never muster enough power to throw a pass that covers 70 yards while he’s scrambling. For one, he’d need to be able to scramble first. But he could still be capable of tossing occasional long balls. Most importantly, Edwards now has more than one reason to prove he can throw deeply.

He was mediocre at connecting on such heaves last season. Edwards threw 35 passes that went for 20 or more yards over 12 full games and parts of two more. That tied him for 18th in the NFL with the managerially successful Ben Roethlisberger. Of those, Edwards completed five for at least 40 yards, tied with a handful of passers for 19th.

By comparison, Buffalo’s quarterback was successful on 21 of his 20-plus yard attempts the year before. Of course, he only made nine starts and 10 overall appearances in 2007, not to mention that Edwards was a rookie starter for a marginal offense. His total last season wasn’t that big of a jump, especially by the standards of those who think he’s only capable of being a mid-range passer.

Plus, it’s important to note that the statistical category also includes short throws taken for long gains. When, say, Fred Jackson receives a screen pass and heads on a 65-yard jaunt, Edwards of course gets credit for those yards, too. That doesn’t take anything away from the quarterback; after all, someone had to deliver the pass to set up the extensive run after the pass. But it demonstrates how long aerial pickups aren’t the same as long throws.

He’s done what he’s can to convert his arm into a weapon. The California native is currently listed at 231 pounds, up from the 220 Stanford claimed he weighed. He spent much of the previous offseason adding useful bulk in the weight room. Edwards has put on pounds without Häagen-Dazs’ help, which may have given him the ability to heave a football over half the field’s length.

Edwards has coped with concerns over his physical limitations. The question is whether he’s has even had chances to throw long. Such arcing passes are useless without targets who can make their way far away enough to receive them.

The passer has had access to a deep threat, singular: During Edwards' first two seasons, he had Lee Evans and no one else. There has been no other wideout capable of covering ample vertical territory on a pass route, much less skilled enough to get open upon doing so.

Consider the other options. Josh Reed’s career average of 11.6 yards per catch only looks high compared to Roscoe Parrish’s 10.8. James Hardy is more of a tall asset than a long one, and he only contributed nine receptions that covered 9.7 yards each as a rookie. Even Peerless Price only gained 8.4 yards per grab during his limited return engagement in Buffalo.

Personnel has more than anything else hampered Edwards’ bomb-tossing efforts. So, enter Terrell Owens, who’s managed 213 of those 20-yards-or-better receptions over his career; 56 of those have covered over 40 yards. More importantly, he offers Edwards something new: an alternative to Evans.

It’s not just that Owens himself provides a target; he’s of course expected to hog the attention of secondaries along with the spotlight. The egomaniacal Owens may not like it, but one of his primary tasks is to create situations conducive to Evans getting open dozens of yards downfield.

In doing so, Owens can not only justify the turmoil he’s absolutely going to provoke, but he can also present opportunities for long-distance receptions as one of two deep threats. Edwards will finally get to show if he can throw long. For better or worse, he’ll no longer be able to use a dearth of competent players to throw to as an excuse.
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