With the NFL Draft quickly approaching, we will be examining the quarterback position and players the Buffalo Bills should be considering.
With our second-to-last NFL Draft preview for the Buffalo Bills, we are taking a look at the quarterback position. Obviously this is the revolving door in Buffalo — and the most important position in football.
In the Bills’ total existence, you will find more fingers on your hand than true franchise quarterbacks drafted. That isn’t good.
Before we try to figure out who the Buffalo Bills‘ draft targets will be, let’s look at who is on the roster for the 2017 season.
Tyrod Taylor (27 years old, 4 years remaining)
Cardale Jones (24 years old, 3 years remaining)
Need For Improvement: TBD March 11th
March 11th is the key for all mocks and predictions for the Bills. I think it’s great we are predicted as one of the breakthrough teams for 2017, but if the Bills don’t have a quarterback I find that hard to envision.
Tyrod Taylor, come March 11, has an option the team either will pick up, or release him. The reason to release Taylor is strictly a financial decision at this point. By picking up his option, the Bills will guarantee him $30 million in salary. He won’t be a $30 million cap hit next year, rather just north of $15 million.
That would make him about the 20th highest paid QB in the NFL.
If you review the rankings of QB salaries, Tyrod is only making more than Andy Dalton and all the starters who are still on their rookie deals. In other words, he is cheaper than Sam Bradford, Alex Smith, Tony Romo, Brock Osweiler, etc.
There was a Patriots starting QB making less than Taylor on that list, too. However, before we all use him as a reason to cut Taylor, there other ways that he is making money, such as his rehab facility being the place Patriots are assigned to go to.
The Buffalo Bills have limited cap space and a wide array of depth issues which could force their hand to release Taylor. If they do that, the need to find a new QB will be at the highest of levels.
The Bills by releasing Taylor, aren’t throwing away the season necessarily, but it would mean they need a new potential franchise QB. If everyone believes it’s Cardale Jones, they can add multiple veterans to keep him safe from seeing the field too early. If Jones is questionable, then the NFL draft will call for 1 or 2 new Bills’ quarterbacks.
By cutting Taylor, the 10th pick could be for QB. Let’s see who that will be.