Bills sign Leinart, trade for QB Lewis, Injuries to Kevin Kolb and EJ Manuel have forced the Buffalo Bills to search for a healthy quarterback, and the Bills made two moves Sunday hoping to solve that problem.
First, they signed 2004 Heisman Trophy winner Matt Leinart, a former first-round draft pick. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Later Sunday, the Bills announced they traded linebacker Chris White to the Detroit Lions for quarterback Thaddeus Lewis.
Leinart was most recently a member of the Oakland Raiders. He has started 18 games since being drafted 10th overall by the Arizona Cardinals in 2006. The 6-foot-5 USC product has completed 366 of 641 passes for 4,065 yards with 15 touchdowns and 21 interceptions in his NFL career.
After four seasons in the desert, Leinart spent 2010-2011 as a backup with the Texans, before moving on to Oakland last season.
In April, Leinart lost out to Brady Quinn in a tryout for a backup job with the Seattle Seahawks.
Lewis spent the 2011-12 seasons on the Cleveland Browns practice squad and their 53-man roster.
He started the Browns' 2012 regular-season finale against Pittsburgh and was 22-for-32 for 204 yards with a touchdown and an interception. That game represents Lewis' only regular-season game experience.
Kolb left Saturday's 30-7 preseason loss to the Washington Redskins with concussion-like symptoms and Manuel is out for the remainder of the preseason with a knee injury. That leaves undrafted rookie Jeff Tuel as the Bills' only healthy quarterback.
Manuel's return is questionable for the Bills' regular-season opener on Sept. 8 against the New England Patriots and Kolb's status is unknown.
The Bills also had considered signing veteran John Beck, whose last NFL action came with the Washington Redskins in 2011. The former second-round draft pick has started seven games in the NFL. Four of those came as a rookie in 2007 with the Miami Dolphins.
First, they signed 2004 Heisman Trophy winner Matt Leinart, a former first-round draft pick. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Later Sunday, the Bills announced they traded linebacker Chris White to the Detroit Lions for quarterback Thaddeus Lewis.
Leinart was most recently a member of the Oakland Raiders. He has started 18 games since being drafted 10th overall by the Arizona Cardinals in 2006. The 6-foot-5 USC product has completed 366 of 641 passes for 4,065 yards with 15 touchdowns and 21 interceptions in his NFL career.
After four seasons in the desert, Leinart spent 2010-2011 as a backup with the Texans, before moving on to Oakland last season.
In April, Leinart lost out to Brady Quinn in a tryout for a backup job with the Seattle Seahawks.
Lewis spent the 2011-12 seasons on the Cleveland Browns practice squad and their 53-man roster.
He started the Browns' 2012 regular-season finale against Pittsburgh and was 22-for-32 for 204 yards with a touchdown and an interception. That game represents Lewis' only regular-season game experience.
Kolb left Saturday's 30-7 preseason loss to the Washington Redskins with concussion-like symptoms and Manuel is out for the remainder of the preseason with a knee injury. That leaves undrafted rookie Jeff Tuel as the Bills' only healthy quarterback.
Manuel's return is questionable for the Bills' regular-season opener on Sept. 8 against the New England Patriots and Kolb's status is unknown.
The Bills also had considered signing veteran John Beck, whose last NFL action came with the Washington Redskins in 2011. The former second-round draft pick has started seven games in the NFL. Four of those came as a rookie in 2007 with the Miami Dolphins.
Blogger Comment
Facebook Comment