As the Buffalo Bills roll into the 2018 season, the biggest question mark is going to revolve around who is going to be under center as many do not expect Tyrod Taylor to return in 2018.
Despite currently being under contract, Taylor seemed to fall out of favor in 2017 with Sean McDermott and the Buffalo Bills’ coaching staff, having been benched at one point in favor of Nate Peterman. Although Taylor did regain his starting spot and lead the Bills into the playoffs for the first time in 17 years, his lackluster showing against Jacksonville reaffirmed that he might not be the best option to lead this squad in 2018.
If the Bills do indeed decide to move on from Taylor, they will have plenty of options when it comes to finding a new QB. Should they decide to look to free agency, there is going to be a handful of viable options out there. This article is going to take a look at five QB’s that will be available on the free agent market should the Bills decide to take that route when it comes to finding a new starting QB for the 2018 season.
Keep in mind that these are the five best options that will be available through free agency. Once you finish the list, be sure to comment below and let us know which of the five you would like to see calling plays for the Bills in 2018.
No. 5 – Drew Brees
Drew Brees isn’t higher on this list simply because the chances of him actually hitting the open market are most likely slim. Brees is indeed scheduled to become a free agent this offseason and although he is going to be 40, he would easily be the ideal target for the Bills.
In a perfect scenario, the Bills would sign Brees to a short-term deal, draft a QB (to develop) and then be set to go. The rookie QB would then have time to sit back and develop and learn from someone the quality of Brees. The team would not take an immediate step backwards just because they inserted a rookie QB and everything in Buffalo would continue to move forward.
The veteran leadership of a guy like Brees on the Buffalo offense would do wonders for the receiving core. Pairing Brees with LeSean McMcoy might even kick his gear into overdrive as well. However, this all would hang on Brees actually hitting the market, which still seems unlikely. It is worth noting though that before Brees signed his last contract with the Saints, he was not a fan of how the team handled him or the negotiations.
That doesn’t mean that is going to happen again but he is going on 40 and the NFL is a business, so I would suppose that anything is possible.
No. 4 – Jay Cutler
I know, I know, I know… You are asking yourself right now, what the heck Jay Cutler is doing on this list? And that’s okay. Cutler is coming off of a season in Miami where things didn’t go quite as planned. However, that doesn’t take away from the fact that he is going to be one of the most experienced and battle-tested guys available on the market.
In 14 games with Miami in 2017, Cutler completed 62 percent of his passes while throwing for 2,666 yards. He amassed 19 touchdowns and 14 interceptions and a QB rating of just over 80.
Despite all of that, Cutler would be an improvement over Tyrod Taylor. At times in Miami Cutler looked amazing (Monday night against New England and Week 4 against Atlanta) while at other times he looked like, Jay Cutler. With Cutler comes the bad with the good. The guy has a cannon for an arm, he can make all of the throws, he isn’t afraid of the moment, but he is also prone to some of the most ridiculous mistakes that anyone has ever seen.
Cutler would be last on this list of Brees was for certain going to be on the market but that doesn’t mean he isn’t still a viable option. One year of Cutler, while grooming the QB of the future would be better than another year of Taylor.
No. 3 – Sam Bradford
Sam Bradford is set to become a free agent after only playing two games in 2017 with the Minnesota Vikings before going down with an injury. Despite only playing 17 games in two full seasons with the Vikings, Bradford showed that he is still a viable starting QB in this league, assuming that he can stay healthy.
In 17 games with the Vikings he completed more than 72 percent of his passes while throwing for over 4,200 yards. Bradford also threw for 23 touchdowns in those 17 games while only being intercepted 5 times. Those numbers right there are more than enough for a team to give him a look. A QB that completes nearly 75 percent of this throws, makes smart decision and doesn’t turn over the ball, that is worth having a conversation about.
Of course, with Bradford comes the question of health. If Buffalo were to ever go with Bradford, they would need to draft a QB (or sign a quality backup) as well. At this point in his career, with his history, it’s nearly impossible to trust that Bradford is going to be able to play a full 16-game season. The question of health is absolutely a valid one when it comes to Bradford, but when it comes to Buffalo, they shouldn’t let that be the deciding factor if they think Bradford could get them back to the playoffs in 2018.
No. 2 – Kirk Cousins
Unlike the first three guys on this list, Kirk Cousins is the first option that could be considered a true game-changer. This is of course because Cousins could easily be seen as a franchise QB. If the Bills were to sign Cousins in the offseason there would be no reason to use one of their high draft picks on obtaining a QB in the upcoming draft.
In three full seasons as a starter in Washington, Cousins has never had a season in which he passed for less than 4,000 yards. Moreover, Cousins has also never had a season in which he threw for less than 25 touchdowns or more than 13 interceptions. Granted, the number of interceptions could come down a little, but let’s not forget that he has been playing in Washington.
Cousins has also developed a bit of a running game over the last couple of years. In each of the last three seasons he has had at least four rushing touchdowns. In 2017 he ran for nearly 200 yards (a career high) while getting to pay dirt four times.
Signing Cousins would would immediately take Buffalo to the next level as they would have their first legitimate QB in quite some time. Cousins is not a top-tier QB in the NFL but he would instantly become the second-best QB in the AFC East behind Tom Brady. It’s also worth noting that 2017 has proven you don’t need a Brady-type QB to make it far in the playoffs. Let’s not forget that the likes of Bortles, Foles and Keenum have all managed to take their teams to Conference Championship games.
No. 1 – Teddy Bridgewater
When it comes to the free-agent options, the best one that is going to be out there is Teddy Bridgewater. Sure, Kirk Cousins might seem more appealing since he doesn’t come with the injury questions that Bridgewater is going to being with him, but the ceiling is higher for Bridgewater than it is for Cousins.
If Bridgewater is fully healed from his injuries and set to go (which everyone seems to think he is after he played a bit at the end of the 2017 season) Buffalo could be looking at one of the next stars in the league at the QB position. In Minnesota, Bridgewater was developing into a star QB until his injuries derailed him a bit. In Buffalo, Bridgewater could easily get back on track and pick up where he left off before the injuries came into play.
Bridgewater doesn’t have the gaudy numbers that Cousins has but that is because he has not been in an offense that has required him to throw the ball as much as Cousins has. This isn’t to say that Bridgewater can’t do it, he just has always had a solid running game behind him. Oh, and in Buffalo, he is going to have a solid running game behind him. Since the hiring of Brian Daboll as OC, there have been rumblings among fans that we might see more of a run-heavy offense in 2018. Should that be the case, it fits even more into what Bridgewater brings to the table, him being a running threat himself.
Next: Five Reasons Why Brian Daboll Is A Good Hire
I don’t place Bridgewater a million miles ahead of Cousins, but I would lean his way if Buffalo decided to take one of the two.