Tyrod Taylor - Pro Football Rumors

Bills Split On Tyrod Taylor Decision

March 3rd, 2017 at 3:24pm CST by Zachary Links

The sense at the scouting combine is that the Bills are “leaning against” keeping Tyrod Taylor, Vic Carucci of the Buffalo News tells WGRZ (video link). The Bills would be willing to keep Taylor if the option were not for such a high price, he adds.

Meanwhile, the front office and the coaching staff are at odds about how to handle Taylor, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com hears. Top decision makers like GM Doug Whaley, senior VP of football administration Jim Overdorf, and team president Russ Brandon have decided that they don’t want to continue with Taylor and would prefer veteran options like Tony Romo and Brian Hoyer. However, new head coach Sean McDermott isn’t sure the team can find a better QB than Taylor and wouldn’t mind paying him $17MM/year.

If Taylor hits the open market, the Browns, 49ers, and Jets will be among the teams with interest.

Jets, 49ers Interested In QB Tyrod Taylor

March 2nd, 2017 at 11:23am CST by Zachary Links

At least three teams are known to have an interest in signing Tyrod Taylor if the Bills release him: the Browns, 49ers, and Jets, Vic Carucci of The Buffalo News writes. Of course, there could be more teams in on him if he is cut loose.

The Browns’ interest in Taylor came to light earlier this week, but this is the first we’re hearing of interest from the 49ers and Jets. Gang Green has watched Taylor blossom into a solid starter and they would like to be on the better end of the stick when Taylor breaks off his electrifying runs. The Jets tried their hand at having a mobile QB in the past with an over-the-hill Michael Vick and Tim Tebow, but this would be their first time with a legitimate athletic signal caller.

The 49ers were said to have interest in acquiring Jimmy Garoppolo via trade from the Patriots or signing Kirk Cousins as a free agent. Now that Garoppolo has been pulled from the trade block and Cousins has been hit with the exclusive franchise tag, the Niners are being forced to look at other options further down their list. Taylor would be a solid consolation prize, even if he wasn’t their Plan A or B. There has also been talk of SF going for a purely transitional option such as Matt Schaub. As of this writing, they do not have any quarterbacks under contract for 2017.

Latest On Browns’ QB Possibilities

March 1st, 2017 at 4:47pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Colin Kaepernick has informed all 32 NFL teams he’s going to opt out of his contract with the 49ers and become a free agent. When that happens, one team that definitely won’t pursue Kaepernick is the quarterback-needy Browns, a league source told Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com.

Browns head coach Hue Jackson has demonstrated an affinity for Kaepernick in the past, so it’s conceivable the 29-year-old could have been on their radar. Jackson had interest last offseason in Kaepernick, who was then coming off an injury-plagued, statistically subpar campaign. But Kaepernick bounced back to a degree in 2016, as he tossed 16 touchdown passes against four interceptions, averaged 7.2 yards per attempt (up from 6.2 in 2015) and finished second among QBs in rushing yards (468, on a lofty 6.8 per carry) as part of a two-win team.

The only signal-caller who outrushed Kaepernick last year, the Bills’ Tyrod Taylor, will be on the Browns’ list if Buffalo releases him, reiterates Cabot. So could Buccaneers backup and soon-to-be free agent Mike Glennon, and the Browns also aren’t going to give up on acquiring either Patriots No. 2 Jimmy Garoppolo or Bengals reserve A.J. McCarron via trade, according to Cabot. The Patriots are reportedly unlikely to deal Garoppolo, though, while the Bengals will place a high price tag on McCarron – a former Jackson pupil – if anyone inquires about his availability.

Should the Browns fail to reel in a palatable long-term option via trades or free agency, the draft – in which they’re set to pick first and 12th overall – could be the avenue they take. Cabot notes they’ll “strongly consider” selecting a potential franchise passer then.

For now, their most established option under center is Robert Griffin III, who’s due a $750K roster bonus March 11. It’s possible Griffin will stay on the roster beyond that date, though, head of football operations Sashi Brown said Wednesday (via Cabot).

“That’s not going to be a major decision for us one way or the other in terms of a lever for making that decision,” he revealed. “We’re going to evaluate Robert, not his contract. And we’ve had some discussions there.”

Robert Woods Open To Re-Signing With Bills

February 25th, 2017 at 8:49am CST by Ben Levine

Impending free agent wide receiver Robert Woods is open to re-signing with the Bills this offseason. However, the four-year veteran acknowledged that he wants some clarity on the team’s quarterback position before he makes a final decision.

“I think there’s always hope,” Woods told Bruce Murray and A.J. Hawk on SiriusXM. “I finished out well with them. I had a good talk with (general manager) Doug Whaley upstairs. It’s a whole new coaching staff coming in, so could be different plans. I’ve got to speak with them and see their plans, as well as see what happens with the quarterback decision there.”

After receiving medical clearance following last month’s groin surgery, the Bills could now easily move on from quarterback Tyrod Taylor and his $27.5MM option. Backup EJ Manuel is set to hit free agency, meaning the team could be left with former Ohio State standout Cardale Jones or 24-year-old rookie Josh Woodrum. Considering all of the question marks at the position, it’s logical why Woods would prefer to see how it all plays out.

“Everything factors in,” Woods said on SiriusXM. “It has to be the right amount as well as quarterback decision. Yes, they don’t have a quarterback right now. Tyrod is a pending free agent. EJ Manuel is coming up as a free agent and there also are many quarterbacks on the market as well. Who knows what the decision is going on upstairs, but in a few weeks, we’ll all find out.”

For what it’s worth, the 24-year-old acknowledged that he thinks Taylor is staying put.

A knee injury forced Woods to miss three games this season, but the wideout still finished with a team-leading 613 receiving yards, 51 receptions, and one touchdown. Since entering the league as a second-round pick in 2013, Woods hasn’t surpassed 700 receiving yards in a single season. If he does re-sign with the Bills, Woods figures to be the second wideout behind Sammy Watkins.

Extra Points: Bills, Redskins, Bengals, 49ers

February 24th, 2017 at 9:02pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Bills general manager Doug Whaley might be content to go into 2017 with Cardale Jones at quarterback, but the team is only going to release Tyrod Taylor if rookie head coach Sean McDermott signs off on it, according to Vic Carucci of the Buffalo News. Whaley and McDermott have equal say in how the Bills assemble their roster, per Carucci, who notes the coach hired an offensive coordinator, Rick Dennison, who might be able to get more out of Taylor. Dennison is a Taylor fan, having previously coached him in Baltimore, and Albert Breer of The MMQB senses that the coordinator would like for Buffalo to continue with Taylor under center.

AFC Notes: Jags, Broncos, Chiefs, Browns

February 24th, 2017 at 7:35pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Jaguars vice president of football operations Tom Coughlin said Friday he “doesn’t see any reason” why the team’s trades with the Dolphins involving tight end Julius Thomas and left tackle Branden Albert would fall through before they become official March 9. That indicates Albert has passed a physical with the Jags, notes Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union (Thomas has also passed his with Miami). As for free agency, with upward of $70MM in cap space, Coughlin expects the Jaguars “to be very competitive” in bidding for outside help.

Here’s more from the AFC:

Before defensive tackle Earl Mitchell agreed to a deal with the 49ers on Friday, the Broncos offered him a three-year contract featuring a $4.5MM salary in 2017, reports Mike Klis of 9News (Twitter link). He ended up with a four-year, $16MM pact that includes $5.5MM next season.
Kansas City could pursue soon-to-be former Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo in the coming weeks, but it would be unwise to regard the Chiefs as one of the favorites for his services, argues Adam Teichner of ESPN.com. If the Chiefs were to fail in an attempt to reel in Romo, they’d risk causing irreparable damage to their relationship with Smith, opines Teichner. Considering that, the Chiefs might only get involved in the Romo sweepstakes if they’re sure they’re going to come out on top.
The Browns could turn to quarterback Tyrod Taylor in free agency if the Bills release him, and after studying tape of the dual threat, Dan Labbe of cleveland.com contends that he’s “no less intriguing” than much-ballyhooed New England backup Jimmy Garoppolo. By opting for Taylor, the Browns would save the premium in draft picks they’d have to pay for Garoppolo – whom they’d nonetheless prefer to acquire – and would still have the option of selecting a QB to develop behind Taylor, Labbe writes.
Tight end Rob Gronkowski doesn’t expect the back injury that kept him out of the Patriots’ lineup from late November onward, including for their Super Bowl-winning playoff run, to limit him in 2017. Gronkowski told ESPN on Friday that there’s “no doubt” he’ll be ready for Week 1. Longer term, the 27-year-old said earlier this month he’d like to play at least six more years, though he wasn’t willing on Friday to put a number on how much longer he’ll last. “I mean, I still love playing the game, and as of right now, I want to play as long as I possibly could play,” Gronkowski said. “My mindset is to keep on going” (via Ryan Hannable of WEEI).

Bills’ Tyrod Taylor Gets Medical Clearance

February 22nd, 2017 at 8:52am CST by Zachary Links

Bills quarterback Tyrod Taylor has been medically cleared from last month’s groin surgery, a team source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Taylor has a $27.5MM option bonus due on March 11th. Now that he has been given the greenlight from doctors, the Bills are now free to release him without having to worry about triggering an injury guarantee.

It has long been speculated that the Bills would move on from Taylor this offseason. When coach Rex Ryan and the Bills parted ways, Taylor lost his No. 1 advocate in Buffalo and that was underscored by his benching in Week 17. Now, it seems that GM Doug Whaley may push for rising sophomore Cardale Jones to take over as the starter in 2017. The 2016 fourth-round pick may or may not be elevated to the starting role, but it almost certainly won’t be Taylor under center.

When Taylor hits the open market, he’ll stand as one of the top quarterbacks available. The Browns have been connected to the mobile QB – particularly since hiring his former quarterbacks coach David Lee – though they are probably prioritizing a Jimmy Garoppolo trade. The Jets and 49ers also face major uncertainty at QB, though we haven’t heard much about those two particular teams making a run at him.

North Notes: Peterson, T. Taylor, Steelers

February 19th, 2017 at 12:29pm CST by Rory Parks

We learned yesterday that at least a few GMs are concerned about how much Vikings running back Adrian Peterson has left and whether or not he’d be willing to accept a contract commensurate with a running back on the downside of his career. The Giants are one team that Peterson has indicated he would like to play for if he does not remain in Minnesota, but as Paul Schwartz of the New York Post writes, Big Blue has expressed no interest in acquiring the former league MVP (although the Giants have not indicated that they are uninterested either, Peterson just does not appear to fit from a schematic standpoint). Of course, the more teams that drop out of the Peterson race, or decline to enter the race at all, the more likely it is that he will stay with the Vikings on a lesser salary.

Now for more notes from the league’s north divisions:

Speaking of Peterson, Jim Souhan of the Star Tribune lays out a list of teams that the long-time Vikings star is most likely to play for next season, and the Buccaneers are at the top of the list.
The Lions signed tight end Cole Wick as a UDFA last offseason, and he managed to stick on the team’s 53-man roster, catching two passes in sporadic playing time over six regular-season games before spending the final two months on IR. But as Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press writes, Wick could find himself with a more significant role in 2017, as he and Eric Ebron are the only tight ends under contract who played a down for Detroit last year.
The Bears are expected to hire Derius Swinton as the club’s assistant special teams coach, as Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune tweets. Swinton previously served in that capacity with Chicago in 2015 but became the 49ers’ special teams coordinator last season.
Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer writes that the chances of the Browns‘ acquiring Tyrod Taylor increased when the club hired his former Bills quarterbacks coach, David Lee, two weeks ago. However, Cabot believes Cleveland would still prefer to swing a trade for Patriots backup signal-caller Jimmy Garoppolo. If they cannot land Garoppolo, the Browns will look to Taylor, Mike Glennon, etc., but even if they acquire one of those players, Cabot believes the team should still draft UNC’s Mitch Trubisky with the No. 1 overall selection.
The Steelers have a lot of question marks at the wide receiver position beyond Antonio Brown, as Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette writes. Indeed, Martavis Bryant needs to be reinstated by the league following his season-long suspension, Markus Wheaton will probably be let go in free agency, and Sammie Coates was dogged by injuries to his finger and groin and could be facing knee surgery. As such, Dulac believes the team could spend at least one early-round selection on a wideout. John Ross and JuJu Smith-Schuster are two prospects who could be available when the Steelers are on the clock for the first time.

AFC Notes: Smith, Tyrod, Cutler, Steelers

February 14th, 2017 at 7:39pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Already under police investigation for an alleged domestic violence incident that took place last Saturday, Raiders pass rusher Aldon Smith is now on the NFL’s radar, writes Jerry McDonald of the Bay Area News Group. “We are looking in to the matter,” NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy told McDonald in an email Tuesday. Smith has been serving a substance abuse suspension since November 2015 and has a chance to gain reinstatement in March, but the league could push back its decision or even hand him an indefinite ban as a result of his latest off-field issue, per McDonald.

Elsewhere in the AFC…

If the Bills move on from quarterback Tyrod Taylor, they should sign soon-to-be released Bears signal-caller Jay Cutler to replace him, opines Bill Barnwell of ESPN.com in a piece focusing on potential offseason moves in the AFC East. Tony Romo or Jimmy Garoppolo are more appealing choices, Barnwell acknowledges, but he doesn’t expect the former to sign in Buffalo (if the Cowboys cut him) or the Patriots to trade the latter within the division. If those two are unattainable, the draft could be an option, though Barnwell argues that the Bills shouldn’t reach for a QB with the 10th overall pick. That would leave Cutler as the most logical solution. Not only would he come on a short-term deal, but he’d reunite with new Bills offensive coordinator Rick Dennison. Cutler played under Dennison in Denver and has spoken highly of him in the past.
Speaking of Taylor, the Browns’ hiring of his former quarterbacks coach, David Lee, increased the passer’s odds of ending up in Cleveland, contends Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com. Taylor, who’s on the Browns’ “radar,” played under Lee in Buffalo the past two seasons and fared respectably in his first 29 games as a starter. The former Baltimore backup would replace Robert Griffin III, whom Cabot expects the Browns to release before his roster bonus is due March 11.
The Steelers’ contract talks with wide receiver Antonio Brown and linebacker Lawrence Timmons don’t figure to move quickly, tweets CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora, who expects running back Le’Veon Bell to be their biggest priority. Unlike Brown, who has another year on his deal, both Timmons and Bell could become free agents next month. Bell is clearly the more valuable of the two, of course, and the Steelers will place the franchise tag on the runner if they’re unable to re-sign him.

Bills GM Wants QB Cardale Jones To Start?

February 10th, 2017 at 8:50pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Bills are still working through the idea of retaining quarterback Tyrod Taylor, but general manager Doug Whaley is thought to be in favor of starting 2016 fourth-round pick Cardale Jones next season, according to Vic Carucci of the Buffalo News.

Buffalo’s front office has been smitten with Jones for some time, as reports before last year’s draft indicated the club was “enamored” with the then-Ohio State quarterback, while Whaley & Co. were reportedly pushing for Jones to play at the tail end of last season. Jones eventually did see some action during Week 17, completing six of 11 passes for 96 yards and an interception, but the most notable thing he did during his rookie campaign was knock a phone out of a reporter’s hand during training camp with a pass that was overthrown by 20 yards.

But unless the Bills come to an agreement with Taylor, Jones may be their only option under center. The club could pursue a veteran in free agency, but most of the signal-callers on the open market are less than inspiring. One recent report claimed Buffalo has “significant” interest in Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo, but Carucci shoots down that notion, observing that Romo likely will target a team with a clearer path to contention.

Meanwhile, while Taylor is not open to accepting a paycut in order to remain with the Bills, a “very real possibility” exists that Taylor would be amenable to some sort of contract restructure that lowers his 2017 cap charge but doesn’t amount to a pay reduction, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. Of course, a restructure that doesn’t involve a paycut is essentially a cosmetic change that often allows a player to receive money even earlier, so theoretically any player should be receptive to such a move.