Can Cardale Jones Be A Franchise QB For The Bills?

Positive: Big Frame

At 6’5″, and 253 pounds according to NFL.com, Cardale Jones has ideal size for an NFL quarterback. Being tall helps quarterbacks see the field well. Carrying a lot of weight can help them remain upright when a defensive end or tackle only gets one hand on them and is trying to drag them down. Jones can scramble and has that in his skill set so being big and strong will help him extend a few plays in the NFL.

Negative: Similar To E.J.

When you think of quarterbacks with large frames, big arms and huge potential two names immediately come to my mind and those are JaMarcus Russell and E.J. Manuel. Neither one of these two quarterbacks had much success in the NFL. They both struggled with accuracy and decision-making issues and were never able to take advantage of their arm strength because they could not compete at the NFL level mentally. The last thing a Bills fan wants to hear about a quarterback they just drafted is that they are similar to E.J. Manuel but fans need to understand that’s not a bad thing. E.J. doesn’t lack talent and neither does Cardale. What they both currently lack is anticipation and the ability to read the field. That will come with time and while E.J. has thus far proven that he can’t develop that area of his game, Cardale still needs to be given a chance.

Positive: Has Time To Develop

Unlike E.J. Manuel who started his rookie season, Cardale Jones will be given time to learn and develop on the bench. It was very important that Jones went to a team that could give him time to learn. He is considered a raw prospect and will need time to sit and learn. Hopefully, Tyrod Taylor and E.J. Manuel will be able to teach him enough and Jones will develop the mental side of his game which is really the major thing holding him back.

Negative: Needs Time To Develop

The reason that Jones dropped to the end of the fourth round is that he needs time to develop. He is not ready for the NFL right now and the Bills should keep him as a third stringer until he proves otherwise. According to Pro Football Talk, even his own coach at Ohio State Urban Meyer admits as much when talking about his chance of success in the NFL. “It’s going to be dictated by the team that takes him, the amount of patience and the relationship he develops with the quarterback coach.” The beauty of this is the Bills were able to wait until the last pick of the fourth round because of this obvious developmental need. Meanwhile, last time they picked a quarterback with a similar skillset but who also had a developmental need, they used their first round pick on E.J. Manuel. They got much better value for a similar risk this year.

Next: What's The Conclusion?