The big focus for the Bills this offseason, naturally, is what to do at quarterback.
As of press time, there were no obvious changes regarding the status of Tyrod Taylor — which means that Taylor’s future is firmly up in the air heading into the heart of the offseason.
No matter what the Bills do with Taylor, finding and selecting their next potential franchise quarterback in this year’s draft remains of the utmost importance. If there’s a priority list for the Bills this spring, drafting a top quarterback should be numbers one, two and three.
It’s not expected that the Bills will be in the race for Kirk Cousins and that seems like a wise move without digging too deep. Cousins would certainly be a short-term upgrade over Taylor, but at what cost? There’s a good chance that whoever signs Cousins will need to hand over the richest contract in NFL history to do so. It’s not that Cousins is Tom Brady, Drew Brees or Aaron Rodgers —- it’s that teams are desperate for competency at the quarterback position, which has gotten harder and harder to find.
Cousins is a good quarterback, but I don’t know if he’s a great one. And I don’t think it would be wise for the Bills to spend an absolute fortune on a guy if you’re not exactly sure of his worth.
There will be some other intriguing names available at the league’s most important position, but I’m not sure if any of them would be significant upgrades over Taylor — especially for the price they may command. Case Keenum and A.J. McCarron are better pocket passers than Taylor and probably better quarterbacks overall. But given the marketplace, they could be in store for a ton of cash — which, again, wouldn’t be the wisest move right now for the Bills.
This story is from the April 2018; Vol. 15, No. 1 edition of Bills Digest.
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This story is from the April 2018; Vol. 15, No. 1 edition of Bills Digest.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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TRACKING TRAINING CAMP
Bills Digest was there for all the big moments at training camp. Here are some observations …
‘We're constantly trying to evolve'
For more on what’s happening within Buffalo’s offense, here are some highlights from offensive coordinator Brian Daboll’s recent press conferences.
‘On the field you must flip that switch'
Here are some highlights from head coach Sean McDermott’s recent press conferences.
ALLEN GETS HISTORIC DEAL
Bills QB now under contract through 2028
Right back in the swing of things
It’s fair to say that this year’s Bills training camp looks wildly different from those of the past.
1st & Ten with STEFON DIGGS
Stefon Diggs had one of the best seasons ever by a Bills receiver in 2020, and he’s looking for an encore. Diggs was clearly amped up and ready to go as the Bills began their preparations for the new season, leading the huddle and supporting his teammates as they kicked off training camp in Orchard Park. Diggs recently touched on his goals for the upcoming season for both himself and the team in an informative discussion with members of the media. Here are the highlights from that discussion.
RUNNING BACKS: TOP AVAILABLE FREE AGENTS
Aaron Jones, Packers 5-9 • 208 pounds • 27 years old A fifth-round steal in the 2017 draft out of UTEP, Jones is equally proficient in the running and passing games. He rushed for more than 1,000 yards the last two years, and caught 49 and 47 passes, respectively. He’s also a touchdown machine with 30 TDs the last two years (25 rushing and 5 receiving). The son of two career Army officers, he’s a tough, driven player and the kind of guy players want on their team.
THE RIGHT STUFF?
Keeping two important starters is a priority as the right side of the O-line hits free agency
QUARTERBACKS: TOP AVAILABLE FREE AGENTS
Dak Prescott, Cowboys 6-2 • 235 pounds • 27 years old A solid starter who has a nice TD-INT ratio over his first five seasons (104-40), Prescott is an accurate thrower and very mobile. However, he’s coming off a compound fracture and dislocation of his right ankle, so it remains to be seen if this will impact his game moving forward.
TIGHT ENDS: TOP AVAILABLE FREE AGENTS
Hunter Henry, Chargers 6-5 • 250 pounds • 29 years old A very talented player, Henry has had issues staying healthy, unable to complete an NFL season, including missing the entire 2018 season with a torn ACL. But when healthy, he’s a terrific all-around tight end who really connected with Justin Herbert in 2020 with 60 catches. Henry is very good at finding holes in zone coverage.
