We’re still a few months away from the start of battles on the NFL gridiron, but there’s no offseason when it comes to debate amongst fans. This week, we’ve launched a new series here at PFR that will be known as the Community Tailgate. What’s the Community Tailgate all about? Well, it’s pretty simple. Every weekday, we’ll highlight one of the top stories going on in the NFL. Then, in the comment section below, we want you to weigh in and let us know what you think.
Of course, while the debate may get spirited, we ask that it all stays respectful. If you need a reminder of our rules, please check out our commenting policy. Basically, we ask that you refrain from inappropriate language, personal insults, and attacks. Speaking of commenting: we’ve made it much easier to leave a comment here at Pro Football Rumors. You are no longer required to be a registered user – simply put in your name, email address, and comment and submit.
Today, we’ll take a closer look at Buffalo, where a starting quarterback has yet to be formally named. new head coach Rex Ryan admitted earlier this month that his team doesn’t have a LeBron James-type player at QB, which might be the understatement of the year. But if the Bills can get even average production of the position, the team should contend for a playoff spot, given the talent elsewhere on the roster.
The quarterbacks currently on the Bills’ roster are former first-round pick E.J. Manuel, offseason trade acquisition Matt Cassel, free agent signee Tyrod Taylor, and former Jet Matt Simms. Of the four, Cassel easily has the most starting experience, but Mike Rodak of ESPN.com writes that the former Viking was unimpressive in this week’s minicamp, and may be on the roster bubble heading into training camp.
Rodak’s report on Cassel is somewhat similar to what we heard last month about Manuel — the two signal-callers appeared to be the frontrunners to start for Buffalo coming out of the draft, but reports since then have suggested that neither player is a lock to make the team’s roster if he doesn’t win that starting job.
With neither Manuel nor Cassel stepping up to claim the starting job, Taylor is lurking as a dark horse. According to Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk, Bills coaches have given the former Raven every opportunity to prove his worth so far this offseason, giving him equal reps to Manuel and Cassel. Albert Breer of NFL Network also writes that Taylor shouldn’t be ruled out of the conversation, noting that Ryan tried to acquire him when he was coaching in New York.
We want to hear from you: Who do you think will – or should – win the Bills’ quarterback competition? If you’re a fan of a rival team, do any of these quarterbacks scare you at all? Or will the Bills struggle to score points no matter who’s under center? Jump into the comment section below to place your bets and voice your thoughts and opinions. We look forward to hearing what you have to say.
EJ will earn the spot and I feel he will be able to do enough to give the Bills a chance to win games.
Yeah, one thing I didn’t mention in the post is that the coaching changes could be a good thing for EJ. He wasn’t making significant progress under the last regime, but he’s a former first-rounder, so Rex Ryan and co. will want to see what they have.
I don’t think a lot of folks know how stubborn Doug Marrone was, he liked his guys and if you fell out of favor you were done in his book. It will be nice to see EJ get a real chance to prove himself with an offense suited to him.