If Trent Edwards' future as the Buffalo Bills' long-term option at quarterback wasn't over

before, it might be now.

The Bills lifted second-year quarterback Brian Brohm off the Green Bay Packers' practice

squad and signed him to a two-year contract. To make room for Brohm, the Bills released third-

string quarterback Gibran Hamdan.

Brohm is the second player the Bills have taken off the Packers' practice squad. The first

was rookie tackle Jamon Meredith early in the season.

"A lot of guys had a lot of high grades on him here in our college evaluation of him," said

Bills offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt. "Obviously this organization is moving forward in a

lot of different areas, and [quarterback] was one of the areas that they felt we could get

better in the future with."

The Packers offered Brohm, a 2008 second-round draft pick out of Louisville, the same two-

year deal the Bills put on the table. But with Aaron Rodgers firmly established as the

quarterback in Green Bay, Brohm saw the Bills as the better option.

"I just wanted a fresh start, a new start, and I think Buffalo gives me that," Brohm said

Thursday after practice. "I learned a lot when I was at Green Bay for that year and a half

behind Aaron Rodgers. I feel like I've grown as a player and really developed and hopefully

can come out here and show the coaches and the scouts here that I have gotten better and show

them what I can do and hopefully they like me."

Signing Brohm is yet another signal that the Bills are prepared to move forward without

Edwards, who declined to comment Thursday.

Once considered a potential franchise quarterback, Edwards' fall from grace has been

dramatic. He was benched by then-head coach Dick Jauron after throwing three straight bad

passes — the last was intercepted and returned for a touchdown — in the final

minutes of last Sunday's 41-17 road loss to the Tennessee Titans. On Wednesday, interim head

coach Perry Fewell announced that Ryan Fitzpatrick would start at Jacksonville on Sunday.

"Trent is just going through the struggles of being an NFL quarterback," Van Pelt said.

"Year Three, we've asked him to do a lot. Probably a little bit of it is our fault for asking

him to do the things we have. But the bottom line in this game is you've got to find ways to

make the plays, and sometimes it's a fine line between forcing the football in there and

making the smart decision. With our guys right now we felt like we needed to get some of those

balls thrown that weren't thrown."

Brian Brohm college highlights

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Brohm didn't do much in his first practice, but he shouldn't have trouble picking up the

offense. He is a smart guy who scored 32 out of 50 on the Wonderlic test, tying Matt Ryan for

the highest score among quarterbacks at the 2008 NFL scouting combine.

The 6-foot-3, 223-pound Brohm has a good, but not great, arm, but accuracy (65.8 career

completion percentage in college), touch and decision-making were strengths coming out of

college.

He comes from a football family. His father, Oscar, and brother, Jeff, also played

quarterback at Louisville. Another brother, Greg, was a wide receiver for the Cardinals. Jeff

Brohm played for six teams in his seven-year NFL career and spent the first of three years as

Louisville's offensive coordinator during Brian's senior season.

Brian Brohm threw for 71 touchdowns and 24 interceptions in 44 games and was 24-9 as a

starter at Louisville (his hometown school), where he played with Bills guard Eric Wood.

"Brian's a hardcore competitor, and that's one of my favorite things about him," Wood said.

"I played him in high school and he kicked our butts. When I heard he was going to Louisville

I said I'm following that guy because he's going to win a lot of ballgames. He's a really

talented quarterback and can throw the ball anywhere, makes all the throws, instinctive guy,

tough, competitive guy."

Some NFL analysts thought Brohm would have been a high pick, if not first overall, in the

2007 draft had he left Louisville after a strong junior year. Despite putting up big numbers

as a senior (4,034 yards, 30 touchdowns and 12 interceptions), he was the third quarterback

taken in the 2008 draft behind Ryan (third overall by the Atlanta Falcons) and Joe Flacco

(18th by the Baltimore Ravens).

The Packers made Brohm the 56th selection. The Miami Dolphins chose quarterback Chad Henne

one pick later.

Brohm wasn't very impressive during his time in Green Bay. He was beaten out for the No. 2

quarterback spot by seventh-round pick Matt Flynn and spent his rookie year as the third QB

for all 16 games. Brohm's struggles continued in training camp and the preseason this year and

he was one of the Packers' final cuts. He was signed to the practice squad a few days later.

"I got off to a bad start," Brohm said. "There were some issues kind of in my head, a

little confidence-wise maybe, where I got off to a bad start and really never got things

rolling. I kind of put a bad first impression out there but that's not me, I think I played

better this preseason. This season I've gotten better the entire time. I feel very confident

in my abilities right now."

It is uncertain where Brohm fits in the Bills' long-range plans because they don't know who

their next head coach is going to be. But as a young passer with potential, he would be an

intriguing option for the new coach.

"I don't know if he'll have a chance to help us this year," Van Pelt said, "but down the

road he'll be a young guy with talent and an ability to develop."