INDIANAPOLIS — The fact the quarterback class for the 2010 NFL Draft is considered

poorer than average might turn out to be good timing for the Buffalo Bills.

They are likely to pass on a quarterback at the top of the draft.

One reason is they have a giant need at offensive tackle. Another is they are inclined to give

their incumbents a shot while they shore up the roster in the trenches.

Bills General Manager Buddy Nix acknowledged at the NFL Scouting Combine the team's preference

is to try to make it work this season with their incumbent quarterbacks — Trent Edwards,

Ryan Fitzpatrick and Brian Brohm. Nix cautioned that the coaches still are evaluating the

quarterbacks. Coach Chan Gailey said he's keeping his options open. But Nix said the

incumbents are the team's priority.

Even if the Bills wanted to take a quarterback with the ninth overall pick in the draft, there

is no guarantee they would get a shot at one. There only are two quarterbacks rated as strong

first-round candidates — Notre Dame's Jimmy Clausen and Oklahoma's Sam Bradford —

and both might be gone before No. 9.

Audio from the NFL Scouting Combine

Chan Gailey on the Bills' defensive personnel and Marshawn Lynch

Chan Gailey on the Bills' offensive line and AFC East

St. Louis has the No. 1 overall pick, and Rams executives say quarterback is one of the

options they're considering. Washington has a glaring need for a quarterback at No. 4 overall.

Seattle has a quarterback need at No. 6.

"If you think a franchise quarterback is available, that trumps all other needs, in my

opinion," said NFL Network analyst Mike Mayock.

Not all teams follow that thinking. Two years ago Miami drafted left tackle Jake Long No. 1

overall and focused their rebuilding on the trenches. Long starred from Day One, and Miami won

the AFC East that year. The Dolphins passed up quarterback Matt Ryan, who went third overall

to Atlanta.

The Bills do not seem ready to give up on Edwards, who went into last season with high

hopes after going 12-11 his first two years and completing 65.5 percent of his passes in 2008.

But Edwards suffered a concussion in the sixth game of last season that kept him out two

weeks, then lost his job to Fitzpatrick for five games, then missed the last two games with an

ankle injury.

Fitzpatrick went 5-5 for the Bills last season. Brohm was drafted in the second round by Green

Bay in 2008 but couldn't make the Packers' roster last season and was signed by the Bills in

November.

"There's three there that have got talent," Nix said when he took the GM job. "You've got to

have some protection. It's hard to throw from laying on your back."

Clausen could relate to that statement more than Bradford because he didn't benefit from ideal

protection. Clausen was sacked 80 times in 35 college games. Bradford was sacked 25 times in

31 games.

Clausen also showed toughness by playing the last 10 games of last season with torn ligaments

in his toe. He still managed to throw 28 touchdown passes and just four interceptions as a

senior. He played in a pro-style offense and has a strong enough arm to make tough throws.

"The offensive line struggled and his defense was terrible so he had to match points," said

ESPN draftnik Mel Kiper. "Players raved about Clausen's competitiveness and leadership. ...

He's going to be heavily in the discussion with Bradford. I'm leaning right now to Clausen

being the fourth pick."

Accuracy is a big strength for Bradford, who won the Heisman Trophy as a sophomore after

throwing for 50 TDs and eight INTs. He played just three games his junior year due to a

shoulder injury that required major surgery.

"Two years ago for the most part he stood in a pocket that was beautiful with nobody around

him and played pitch and catch and put up 60 points a game," Mayock said. "But in the two

games he lost [against Texas and Florida in 2007], he was under duress. I thought in the Texas

game, he struggled in the fourth quarter. But bottom line, I think he's a franchise

quarterback and a top-10 player."

"There's also a school of thought that says you better have a good offensive line first,"

Mayock said. "But I always go back to the franchise quarterback trumps everything."

Texas QB Colt McCoy is rated third in the draft. Many teams probably will have a second-round

grade on him. Florida's Tim Tebow, Central Michigan's Dan LeFevour and Cincinnati's Tony Pike

are in the next group, somewhere in the second to fourth rounds.

After that is a group of seven to 12 QBs, probably headed by West Virginia's Jarrett Brown and

including Mississippi's Jevan Snead, Oklahoma State's Zac Robinson and sleeper candidate John

Skelton of Fordham.