The quarterback position is analyzed ahead of Buffalo Bills training camp. Who’s a lock and who’s on the outside looking in?
It’s mid-July and training camp for the Buffalo Bills is just around the corner. It will be our first look at the 2017 Bills and their new acquisitions. Year after year, there is one position that captivates all Bills fans that make their way to St. John FIsher College and that is the quarterback.
Tyrod Taylor is the undisputed number one guy in Buffalo and has recently taken a pay cut to have a more team-friendly contract. Taylor’s position as the starter is about the surest thing we can expect for 2017.
Now he needs to take the next step to show the new management and coaches that he is the guy to build around for the future considering the two first round picks the Bills have in 2018. It’ll be fun to see Tyrod in a new system, but there is not much controversy over his role.
He’s the starter and barring injury that’s a guarantee.
Next is TJ Yates, the Buffalo Bills recent free agent backup signing. The 30-year-old veteran quarterback is getting paid less than a million dollars this year in what seems to be a shrewd signing for the Bills. Yates has only started seven games in his career, so there isn’t much to go off of to grade him, but he does have a playoff victory back in 2011 with the Texans.
Yates isn’t flashy, but he seems to be a serviceable backup at an extremely cheap price. The young quarterbacks that the Bills have don’t seem to be ready to step into the backup role, so Yates should also have that number two spot locked up already.
The most recent quarterback draftee for the Buffalo Bills is Nathan Peterman of the Pittsburgh Panthers. He transferred from Tennessee after two years and definitely improved after the move. In his two years at Pitt, he completed over 60% of his passes and tossed 47 touchdowns compared to just 15 interceptions.
Peterman was drafted with this new coaching staff in the building and they seem to believe in him despite being just the 171st draft pick. He will be battling for the third quarterback spot, but does have the potential to pass Yates’ position although that doesn’t seem likely at this time.
Lastly, there is Cardale Jones, who a few years ago won a CFB Playoff National Championship with Ohio State. He has certainly shown some brilliance in preseason appearances. His most impressive skill is his arm strength which inspires awe, but unfortunately he may be on the outside looking in on the depth chart after the managerial changes.
He will need to show a lot of progression in training camp and the preseason this year to surpass the veteran Yates and the new guy Peterman. He certainly has the talent and ability, now it’s time to show it.
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