ATHENS — Jake Fromm has a new number with the Buffalo Bills, and a new role.
Backup quarterback.
No ifs, ands or buts about it, Fromm’s lifetime streak of playing in every game that he dressed out for is destined to come to an end on the shores of Lake Erie.
Buffalo, however, represents more of a beginning to Fromm’s career than an end, according to Senior Bowl executive director Jim Nagy.
“If your hope is to see Jake on the field (in Buffalo), it’s probably at the detriment of Josh Allen,” Nagy said on The Ingles on The Beat Show.
(Fromm talk begins at 16:51 mark)
“But I will say this, Josh is a real good athlete and he does a ton with his legs, but he does play a little bit of a reckless style. He does put his body on the line. He’s the guy you’ll see diving for the chains and the pylons, so he does put himself in harms way.
“So who knows, maybe that gets Jake on the field, maybe he gets his opportunity because of an injury situation.
“But they love Josh up there, they’re not looking to replace Josh.”
Fromm made it clear in his opening interview he’s headed to Buffalo with a positive attitude, ready to do whatever it takes to improve the team.
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“All Jake needs to do is go in and do his thing and prove that he can play at that level, and you’ve seen it time and time again where guys play well in the preseason, and who knows maybe the Bills trade him away and flip him,” Nagy said.
“It’s like Jacoby Brissett going to the Patriots a few years ago, played well in the preseason a couple of years, and they trade him to the Colts for a third-round pick,” he said.
“If Jake goes in and does what he needs to do, who knows, maybe he’s in a different uniform in a couple of years.”
Nagy was among those who felt Fromm was worthy of a second round pick.
But like UGA coach Kirby Smart pointed out, the NFL draft often comes down to position needs and how coaches and general managers feel a player fits their system.
RELATED: Kirby Smart’s thoughts on Fromm, and cold, cold Buffalo
The knock on Fromm was his throwing performance at the NFL combine, but Nagy believes the former Georgia quarterback has adequate arm strength.
“I pulled a clip from the Florida game, and he threw an 18-yard out from the opposite hash and put it on a rope right to the sideline,” Nagy said. “If you can make that throw, you can make any throw you need to make in the NFL.
“I compare him to guys I’ve scouted, Case Keenum has won a lot of games in the league and taken teams to playoffs, and Andy Dalton was a guy that had some of the same concerns coming out, similar size guy to Jake, but really good from the neck up, and Andy Dalton has had a heck of a career.”
Nagy said he believes Fromm’s intangibles could ultimately lead him to a starting job.
“Jake is a guy that played 40-some straight games, he won 37 of them, three straight (SEC East) titles, and how much different would the narrative be if he wins that national championship game as a true freshman?” Nagy said.
“The quarterback position is about leadership, it’s about smarts, football intelligence, and he’s got all that stuff.”
Fromm’s draft slide, Nagy suggested, might not have happened had their been a “normal” NFL draft evaluation process. The COVID-19 pandemic limited teams’ interview opportunities, an area where Fromm’s leadership traits are readily apparent.
“It’s one thing to sit on a call, but it’s another when a guy walks into a room,” Nagy said. “Jake would walk out of most rooms in an NFL setting and everyone would be looking at each other, and everyone would be like, ‘Wow, that’s a dude right here. We want this guy as our quarterback.’ “
The Bills didn’t have the need at quarterback, but that was obviously their read, too, and now it’s up to Fromm to make the most of it.
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