Buffalo Bills: Breaking Down How Vince Young Will Impact the Bills Next Season

The Buffalo Bills have been one of the most aggressive teams in the National Football League this offseason, making several big moves in an attempt to put the team in a position to contend in the AFC East in 2012.

The Bills kept busy on Friday, inking free-agent quarterback and 2006 NFL offensive rookie of the year Vince Young to a two-year, $2 million contract.

Here's an early look at the potential impact that Buffalo's newest signal-caller could have on the Bills in 2012.

Could a Quarterback Controversy Be Looming?

Make no mistake, regardless of any talk about a "competition," Ryan Fitzpatrick is the starting quarterback for the Buffalo Bills. The team made that abundantly clear when they signed the seventh-year pro to a six-year, $59 million contract extension last year.

However, Ryan Fitzpatrick also isn't going to be confused with Tom Brady any time soon. Fitzpatrick's play tailed off badly late last season, as he posted a quarterback rating of over 80 in only two games after week eight and threw 16 interceptions versus only 10 touchdowns over that stretch.

If Fitzpatrick and the Bills struggle out of the gate this year, antsy Bills fans and the media may ignore Vince Young's lousy numbers from last season, focusing on his glory days in Tennessee and creating the always-lovely quarterback controversy in Buffalo.

Personally, I think Fitzpatrick might have a better shot at playing well if he pulled that hedgehog off his face.

Depth at Quarterback

The most obvious impact that Vince Young will have on the Buffalo Bills is probably as the new backup to starter Ryan Fitzpatrick under center, assuming that Fitzpatrick retains his job and doesn't face plant early in the season.

Fitzpatrick has been fairly durable since taking over as the Bills' starter. However, as the Houston Texans clearly showed last season, you can never have too much depth at the quarterback position, and Young presents a significant upgrade over Tyler Thigpen as Fitzpatrick's backup.

Wildcat Wonderboy

Even though it's effectiveness seems to decrease with each NFL season since the Miami Dolphins unleashed it in 2008, teams across the league continue to employ the Wildcat formation, at times possibly to show how smart and innovative they are.

The Wildcat formation is basically a variation of the Wing-T, which has been around for decades.

The Bills already have wide receiver Brad Smith in the fold. Smith played quarterback in college and has fairly extensive experience as a Wildcat quarterback.

However, it could be that the Bills view the Wildcat as an opportunity to get Vince Young on the field, as Buffalo general manager Buddy Nix said that Young "brings with him some unique physical abilities that most are aware of."

Keeping the Buffalo Media Busy

Even if a quarterback controversy fails to develop in Buffalo, sportswriters covering the Bills will have no shortage of things to talk about as far as Vince Young is concerned. Throughout his professional career, Young has been a lightning rod that has kept scribes busy typing away.

Whether it's the 2010 meltdown that paved the way for his departure from Tennessee or Young's ill-advised "dream team" proclamation last year in Philadelphia, Young's words and actions have kept him relevant in the press even if he wasn't on the football field.

There's little reason to think that this year will be any different. Remember, this is a guy who told Esquire Magazine, "I don't know when I'll start again. But I will be the next black quarterback to win a Super Bowl. And I will be in the Hall of Fame."

Nope, no chance for distractions here. None whatsoever.