Edwards bulks up to survive
QB arrives in camp heavier, stronger
PITTSFORD — The word thick rarely has been associated with Trent Edwards.
The Buffalo Bills’ quarterback graduated with a political science degree from Stanford University and has distinguished himself on the football field with his quick mind.
Edwards, however, has added a good kind of thickness at Bills training camp this summer.
He has bulked up his chest and shoulders and now weighs 225 pounds, about 15 to 18 more than last season.
“You could tell as soon as he walked in he came back bigger,” said Bills quarterbacks coach Alex Van Pelt. “He looks great.”
Edwards’ conditioning mission this offseason was to try to improve his durability.
“I think it will allow me to stay healthy for the entire season,” Edwards said. “My biggest issue was I had some dings and bumps and bruises at the end of last year that I know I could have prevented had I come into camp with a little more weight, in a little better shape.
“I made a conscious effort this offseason to stick around Buffalo and make sure I’m where I needed to be come camp,” Edwards said. “Hopefully by the end of the season I won’t have those injuries I had last year.”
Edwards lost his spot in the starting lineup for four weeks in the middle of last year due to a wrist injury. But it was nicks later in the season, which he did not talk about at the time, that he is aiming to avoid.
He thinks his improved strength will make him better able to withstand blows.
“The problem I have a lot of times is I’ve been dinged up a little bit with my shoulders,” he said. “When a big D-lineman lands on you, those are the first things to hit the ground. That’s pretty painful, and you obviously need that to throw the football.
“I did a lot of swimming this offseason to try to build up my shoulder strength on both sides. I did a lot of weight exercises and dumbbell lifts to try to keep my shoulders in shape.”
Edwards missed two games his sophomore year at Stanford with a shoulder injury. He missed four his senior year due to a broken bone in his ankle. The Bills’ scouts never held those injuries against Edwards due to Stanford’s sieve-like offensive line play. In fact, the first time assistant coach Turk Schonert met Edwards, he shook his hand and congratulated him for staying on the field as long as he did.
Still, Edwards struggled to keep his weight up his rookie year. Edwards won’t say how low his weight got by the end of the year but acknowledges it was under 210, well below his current weight.
“Last year during the season I was losing a lot of weight, just putting in a lot of hours, having not been through a professional year before and not knowing how to manage my time, my eating and my lifestyle while keeping my weight up,” Edwards said. “It was a little bit difficult and by the end season. I lost a lot of weight.”
“I think that’s the biggest adjustment for young guys coming into the league — the demands of the season,” Van Pelt said. “It’s a long season, a lot longer obviously than college. I think it caught up with him later in the year.”
A change in diet was just as important in the weightlifting to Edwards’ weight gain.
“I’ve learned over the years what my body needs,” he said. “I ate a pretty high protein diet with a lot of calories. That helps build muscle, and you have to stay away from carbohydrates late at night. Eat the fish and meats. The protein helps a lot.”
Edwards is a pocket passer. Scrambling is not a big part of his game. But he is confident he has not lost any mobility with the weight gain. In fact, coach Dick Jauron said he thinks Edwards looks a bit more mobile this summer.
“I feel more comfortable, and that goes back to understanding the offense a little better,” Edwards said. “It’s just knowing where the receivers are going. I’m not thinking about what the receiver’s split [alignment] is, what his route is versus a different coverage. I already know that going into the play. Now I can think about other things and let my athletic ability take over.”
