With a selection that came as a surprise to many, the Buffalo Bills took quarterback Jake Fromm with pick No. 167 in the fifth round of the 2020 NFL Draft.
Adding a relatively known QB to the Bills roster with Josh Allen and recently extended backup Matt Barkley raises some questions. There were several other positions that could have used depth.
But Buffalo general manager Brandon Beane didn’t bounce around the question, Fromm was the best player available on the Bills’ draft board when they were on the clock.
“Simple as the [draft] board,” Beane said. “I wouldn’t have told you going into the day that (Fromm) was on our radar. But we had him in a spot that you just can’t ignore.”
“He’s a winner at the highest level of college. He’s got all the intangibles,” Beane added.
But that doesn’t answer the question everyone is wondering. What will happen with Fromm? Well, he’s going to be treated the same as Allen, Barkley, and everyone else.
“He’ll have to earn a spot,” Beane said. “I don’t know if he could knock Matt Barkley.”
The biggest knock on Fromm during the pre-draft process was likely some of his work at the combine. His hands measured in under the traditionally wanted nine inches and his arm is not the strongest you’ll find. With that in mind, Fromm is kind of the oppose of Allen. His arm isn’t big and he’s not the mobile type.
Only time will tell as to how the Bills will approach this situation. Beane didn’t rule out the possibility of using three roster spots on quarterbacks for the upcoming season. The last time the Bills did so, it Joe Webb, a special teamer, was the third guy. Davis Webb is also on Buffalo’s practice squad.
However the Bills approach it, they have a prospective starter in the backup roll. It’s unlikely that there will be a QB controversy, but, in the case that Josh Allen can not succeed with the plethora of talent around him, Fromm could eventually find himself in a much larger role within the Bills offense. We’ll cross that road when we get there.
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