Call it a hunch, but I don’t think this is J.P. Losman’s last year in Buffalo. Most of you know the story already, but let’s recap: Losman was drafted by former Bills GM Tom Donahoe.  He was the second of two first round draft picks that year, of which we traded up to get. Drew Bledsoe was the QB when we took JP. After watching Bledsoe age 20 years over night, JP was launched into the starting role. However, inconsistent play caused a split in time between himself and Kelly Holcomb. After a season of back and forth controversy, JP finally won the day… only to drop the ball, get injured, and be replaced by rookie Trent Edwards, who is currently the starting Quarterback. JP asked for a trade in the off-season, but for reasons we can only speculate on, he was not traded.

JP likes Buffalo… a lot. So much he has done the rare and unthinkable by owning a loft in downtown Buffalo. Most players live in the burbs: usually in East Aurora, Orchard Park, Amherst, Hamburg, and the like. He has made a lot of fiends in Buffalo, and he likes the people (when they aren’t giving him crap about losing his starting job). I know this because, after all, I’m in media and talk to people. He’s disappointed in what’s happened here, and that’s not just because he wants to be a starter and make lots of money.

So all that’s great but what does it have to do with the future? I pose this question to Bills fans: are you really convinced Trent Edwards is the guy? What did he do in his rookie season that really impressed you? He threw costly interceptions late in games. He played HORRIBLE in cold weather (which is a problem when you play in Western New York). Had had no chemistry with Lee Evans, a pro-bowl caliber receiver. He lacked the down field ability that you simply have to have. He basically was a slightly stronger Kelly Holcomb last year, playing it safe and sticking to the plan even if it didn’t get any real results. He played like a system QB, where you rarely improvise and never gamble: two things Jim Kelly had to do to get the Bills to 4 straight super bowls… 2 things every great QB has had to do.

Now I’m not writing off Trent… he’s got talent. While I site his flaws he also did a great job managing the games, keeping a cool head, shrugging off rookie mistakes and making smart plays most of the time… an area that JP needs to work on and all traits great QB’s have.  He’s bulked up this off season so that he can throw down field more effectively. He’s spent a lot of time in the film room. Let’s also not forget… he was a rookie. You get a break when you’re a rookie and play decent.

That being said, I think we will see JP again. By see JP, I don’t just mean Trent will get hurt and JP will step in… that is inevitable. Losman has looked great this off-season. If he came in and stole the show, then what? It’s easy to say Trent would step back in, no questions asked. What if he’d been struggling though, just like JP last year? What if Trent continues to be out of sync through the pre-season and Losman continues to shine? Don’t think the locker room won’t start to grumble, because it’s already happened with these two guys. The team could easily divide here unless Trent brings it together tonight, at least a little bit.

I like JP, I don’t know if he’s going to turn into a great QB, but he’s a quality back up at the very least based on his deep ball and mobility alone. If he managed to put together the basics you’d have a young Brett Favre. Again, he still hasn’t, and may never do it. If I’m Trent Edwards however, I’m not wasting time and making excuses tonight. He best be on his game against a good team like Pittsburgh and show the fans he is a playoff caliber QB, or else he’s looking at a QB controversy dead in the face.

Losman should not be forgot about here. There’s a reason the Bills held on to him, and it’s not because they couldn’t trade him. I think they still want to see him succeed, but sometimes you have to humble a guy to get the best out of him. The fact he is still here and still competing makes me believe JP isn’t dead yet.