Buffalo Bills: Split Visions Coming From Front Office, Coaching Staff
By Erik Smeal
Tyrod Taylor
Did the Buffalo Bills back themselves into a corner with Tyrod Taylor‘s contract option? Or will it turn out to be a safeguard to prevent Taylor from commanding more on the free agent market and leaving Buffalo?
It has yet to be determined how much Taylor could receive as a free agent. It could end up being much more than the option the Bills offered. Quarterbacks are at a premium and there have been a few teams reported to be interested in Taylor.
The decision on Tyrod Taylor could have an impact on the future of the front office. The Bills have already taken a gamble on drafting E.J. Manuel in hopes he would be the franchise quarterback. There has been questions on who actually pulled the trigger. Was it former GM Buddy Nix or Doug Whaley who had final say in drafting EJ Manuel in the first round of a weak quarterback class?
That question may never be answered, but the moves made after that draft suggest Whaley played a part because he gave up two first round draft picks to move up in the 2014 draft to acquire Sammy Watkins, along with the trade for Lesean McCoy and Charles Clay. Whaley believed if he surrounded E.J. Manuel with talent that he would be able to lead the Bills forward as starting quarterback.
Tyrod Taylor was brought in as potential competition/backup for Manuel, but Taylor ended up winning the starting job.
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E.J. Manuel and Cardale Jones
In the final game of last season, Whaley made the decision to bench Tyrod Taylor and start EJ Manuel. The decision was viewed as a safeguard to prevent further injury to Taylor, but it was also decided to start E.J. Manuel over Cardale Jones in an attempt to see how Manuel would perform one last time before becoming a free agent. The reason for not starting Jones was that he wasn’t ready.
How could Jones be ready after sitting third on the depth chart and getting the bare minimum of reps? Haven’t the Bills seen enough of what Manuel had to offer at quarterback? Why not give Jones the full week of reps and a chance to start in a meaningless game instead of seeing more of the same struggles from E.J. Manuel?
As anticipated, Manuel failed to produce and Jones ended up replacing Manuel late in a game that was already out of hand.
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Why draft Jones if they were just going to bury him on the depth chart with little to no chance of development? Even though Jones was seen as a project, the Bills should have made more of an attempt to work with him. With the uncertainty of Tyrod Taylor’s future and the declining of the fifth year option on E.J. Manuel, the Bills could have put more into the development of Cardale Jones.
The more things change, the more they seem to stay the same. The Buffalo Bills have been treading water for 17 years and something needs to happen upstairs if they really want to build a contender. Terry and Kim Pegula need to look at the bigger picture and evaluate the future of the front office. They may have already started that process behind closed doors and there could be some changes in store eventually.
The Bills have lately been mentioned in national media circles for all the wrong reasons and it has reflected negatively on the perception of the organization. In the meantime, the Bills should go with the suggestions of the coaching staff and let them build the roster as they see fit. Give them the chance to change the culture on and off the field.
I would hate to lose another coaching staff at the expense of the mistakes from the front office. Especially since this coaching staff seems to be hard working, committed and focused.
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What do you think of the split views coming from the Buffalo Bills‘ front office and coaching staff? Leave your thoughts below!