ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — Don't expect
Buffalo Bills coach Chan Gailey to choose a starting quarterback anytime
soon.
Having evaluated the three
quarterbacks on his roster, Gailey said Tuesday he anticipates holding
an open competition to determine who will win the job. And Gailey didn't
rule out the team selecting a quarterback in the draft next month, or
the possibility of acquiring an established starter in a trade or in
free agency.
"We're trying to leave no stone
unturned," Gailey said during a brief availability with the media at the
team's headquarters. "Unless something different happens between now
and post-draft, to me it's an open competition for the job and we'll see
what happens. … We've got to see who can rise to the top."
Identifying a starter has been
Gailey's top priority since being hired as the Bills coach January. He
takes over a team that's coming off a 6-10 finish and missed the
playoffs for a 10th straight year.
Buffalo particularly remains unsettled
at the position after Trent Edwards lost his starting job to backup
Ryan Fitzpatrick. The competition at this point will be between Edwards,
Fitzpatrick and Brian Brohm, an untested third-stringer who struggled
in making his NFL debut in a 31-3 loss at Atlanta in Week 16.
Gailey was hired in part because of
his offensive background and reputation for grooming quarterbacks during
his 15-year NFL career.
Touching on several other topics,
Gailey dismissed speculation that safety Donte Whitner is on the trading
block after the fourth-year player responded to questions about his
status on his Twitter account earlier this month.
"Where this came from I don't know, to
be honest with you," said Gailey, who was made aware of the trade
speculation by members of the Bills media relations staff. "We feel like
we've got a strong secondary. Donte's a big part of that, and is going
to be a big part of that. To me, you would not weaken one of your
strengths."
Regarding the status of Aaron Schobel,
Gailey said no timetable has been issued for the veteran defensive end
to determine his future. Schobel, whose 78 sacks rank second on the
Bills career list, is still under contract but contemplating whether to
retire after nine NFL seasons.
"Obviously, we would like to have
Aaron back, and we hope that works out," Gailey said. "But we understand
his dilemma as well."
Gailey expressed concern about the
lack of depth at receiver after the team allowed Terrell Owens and Josh
Reed to become free agents. Their departures leave Buffalo with Roscoe
Parrish as the only proven player behind starter Lee Evans.
James Hardy missed most of his second
NFL season last year recovering from a knee injury, while Steve Johnson
has one start in 16 games over the past two seasons.
"It's not a lack of quality, I don't
think. I think it's unproven at this point," said Gailey, who added the
team will consider drafting a receiver.
Gailey defended the Bills cautious
approach to free agency, during which the team has signed one player —
offensive tackle Cornell Green.
"Because you're not making splashes
doesn't mean we're not taking every person that's out there seriously
and checking them out and finding if they fit our football team," he
said. "We're trying to be very smart and make good decisions about the
type of people we bring in."
The Bills met with two free agents on
Tuesday, linebacker Andra Davis and defensive lineman Dwan Edwards.
Davis is an eight-year NFL veteran,
who had 13 starts in 16 games with Denver last season. He previously was
a six-year starter with Cleveland.
Edwards played his six NFL seasons
with Baltimore, and is familiar with the 3-4 defense, which the Bills
are introducing this year. After missing the entire 2008 season with a
severe neck injury, he bounced back last year to register 47 tackles and
one sack in 16 games, including nine starts.