Dear Buffalo Bills fans: Here are all the reasons why you’re going to love Georgia’s Fromm
Dear Buffalo Bills fans:
Congratulations. You may not know this yet, but you are in for a treat.
That is, if you love a winner with the leadership of Jim Kelly, the brains of Jack Kemp, the passion of Cornelius Bennett and the chip on his shoulder of Thurman Thomas.
If so, you’re going to absolutely love Jake Fromm.
It’s been a whole week now since Fromm set an unofficial record for most time wearing the label “Best Available” player in the NFL draft to finally — and mercifully — becoming a Buffalo Bill.
Many observers wondered how Fromm could have fallen so far down the draft board. But ESPN’s Adam Shefter offered the most plausible reason. He wasn’t deemed a franchise quarterback due to his questionable arm strength. (We’ll get back to that.) Teams looking for an immediate starter (Bengals, Dolphins, Chargers) or heir apparent (Packers) had their guy. The Eagles took Jalen Hurts of Alabama/Oklahoma apparently as an offensive specialist and maybe — maybe — eventual successor to or insurance policy for Carson Wentz.
The head-scratcher was when the New York Jets, who have their young franchise quarterback in Sam Darnold, took a flyer on Florida International QB James Morgan in the fourth round. It should be noted that that’s far from the first head-scratcher in Jets history.
When the fifth round rolled around and Fromm was still sitting there, the Bills saw an unexpected opportunity. You might say they called an audible. Fromm was simply too good to pass up.
Back to Fromm’s arm strength. It’s fair to question it. Just like it was fair to question Emmit Smith’s and Jerry Rice’s top end speed, or Derrick Brooks’s size, or Tom Brady’s athleticism.
By NFL standards, no, Fromm does not have a strong arm. But it may be strong enough to make all of the necessary throws.
If that’s the case, Bills fans, you have just landed your quarterback for the next 10-15 years.
“But,” some will say, “we already have Josh Allen.”
Here’s a little insight and history for you: Jake Fromm doesn’t care. Think about this. He originally verbally committed to Alabama — in the same recruiting class as Tua Tagovailoa. That’s because Kirby Smart, then one of Alabama’s top recruiters, believed in him more than did then Georgia coach Mark Richt. Soon after Georgia hired Smart, Fromm flipped his commitment to the Bulldogs (emotionally, his first choice all along) despite the fact that Jacob Eason was the returning starter and just one class ahead of Fromm.
Here’s what Fromm told The Atlanta Touchdown Club, as written by Andy Staples of Sports Illustrated, shortly after that verbal commitment before he had even taken a snap in spring practice:
“I love Georgia football, first and foremost. I’m a competitor. I love to compete. I want to go in there and make him better. I want to make myself better. And I want to make the University of Georgia better.”
Sound familiar? Here’s what Fromm said about the quarterback room in Buffalo.
“All I know is to stay humble and hungry and make that room better in any way that I can. Whether that is making Josh better, making Josh better is making the team better so for me I am just trying to compete and do the best that I can and make that room better and make the team better.”
There’s lots of stories of how smart and how competitive Fromm is, and what a natural leader he is. Two anecdotes come to mind.
The first was when Fromm was preparing for the U.S. Army All-American Game. Kevin Wallace, the East team’s offensive coordinator, had given the players the offensive play book the night before the first practice. At the first practice, there was confusion about a route and even Wallace made a mistake.
Wallace: “Jake goes ‘Coach, I’m sorry but that’s not right here’ and then said ‘You had it the other way’ and I was like ‘Oh my goodness you know what you are right’ and he was right to say that.”
Most high school seniors would have known. Certainly most high school seniors wouldn’t have openly, albeit respectfully, questioned their coach.
But as Georgia receiver Javon Wims would later say (again, courtesy of Sports Illustrated), “He’s no ordinary true freshman. He has the poise of a senior.”
The other moment came in the aftermath of Georgia’s overtime loss to Alabama in the national championship game. Fromm had played his heart out. Eason — the very man whom Fromm beat out for the starting job — walked alongside Fromm and put his arm around him, as if to say, “You did everything you could do.”
The Bills drafted Fromm because he was too good to pass up.
Don’t be surprised a year from now if he’s the Bills starter because he’s too good to not play. This much is certain. Fromm will say all of the right things because he’s a good teammate. But he’s not going to Buffalo with the intention of being Allen’s backup.