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Bills ready to march on without Bledsoe
Bills ready to march on without Bledsoe
Veteran unlikely to back up Losman
By MARK GAUGHAN
News Sports Reporter
2/13/2005
The Buffalo Bills are likely to part ways with quarterback Drew Bledsoe by the end of the month.
It's a move that has been creeping toward reality since the team's season ended Jan. 2.
The Bills think they need to give first-round draft choice J.P. Losman a full shot to win the starting quarterback job, according to several league sources.
That appears certain to spell the end of Bledsoe's tenure in Buffalo because there is no way he is going to be interested in being the Bills' backup, according to two sources close to the veteran quarterback.
Bledsoe, contacted at his Oregon home, declined to comment on the situation. He said he would respond at the appropriate time.
Bledsoe, who turns 33 on Monday, ranks 10th in passing yards in NFL history. He believes he has plenty of good football left.
But the Bills are not in a position to designate him the No. 1 quarterback entering the offseason because of their investment in Losman. The Bills took Losman with the 22nd overall pick in last April's draft. They gave up first-, second- and fifth-round picks in order to acquire Dallas' first-round pick to make the selection. Bledsoe would have to accept the fact that Losman will get more significant practice time and would be likely to win the job if he progresses as the team hopes.
Those close to Bledsoe cannot see him sliding into a clipboard holding role.
Losman already is in Buffalo for the offseason. He was the first player to report for offseason workouts Monday. (Organized offseason workouts don't begin for NFL teams until late March.)
The release of Bledsoe would come before March 2, when the NFL's salary cap for 2005 takes effect. Bledsoe is scheduled to make $3.3 million base salary this year. He's also scheduled to get a $1.05 million bonus if he's on the roster in March. His total salary cap charge is $6.5 million.
So the Bills would save $2.2 million in salary cap space by releasing Bledsoe. Bledsoe still would take up $4.3 million in space, which is the amount of amortized bonus money left on the Bills' books as a result of a bonus he got in May.
Eric Moulds' contract renegotiation, coupled with Bledsoe's release, would put the Bills roughly $14 million under the projected salary cap for 2005, according to News estimates.
The Bills would have to sign a veteran quarterback for insurance at the position. It's likely they would go after a moderately priced journeyman with experience. A high-profile starter would want a three- or four-year commitment from the Bills, and they're committed to Losman as their quarterback of the future.
The Bills' failure to make the playoffs under Bledsoe last year, despite an improved 9-7 record, no doubt has increased their desire to speed Losman's development. Bledsoe finished the season with a passer rating of 76.6, even with his 12-year career average. That ranked 25th in the NFL. Bledsoe's 2,932 passing yards ranked 18th in the league.
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