Tyrod Taylor

Bills, Taylor Making Progress On New Deal

August 10th, 2016 at 1:05pm CST by Zachary Links

The Bills continue to make headway on a new deal with quarterback Tyrod Taylor, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com tweets. However, there are still issues being worked out with regards to the backend of the deal.

As reported earlier this month, the two sides are discussing a “bridge” deal that would keep Taylor in Buffalo for two years beyond his current pact, which is set to expire at the end of the year. Right now, the Bills are discussing an extension that would tack $35MM to Taylor’s contract, keeping him in place through the 2018 season.

Because Taylor does not have a long history of success, these are unique negotiations and, fittingly, the terms being discussed are also unique. Taylor is a rare and valuable commodity as a qualified young starting quarterback, but the Bills are understandably wary of making a massive long-term commitment to him. After all, when Taylor arrived in Buffalo, he had only 35 regular season passes to his credit as Joe Flacco‘s understudy.

Starting for the first time in his career, Taylor proved himself to be a dynamic playmaker last year, throwing for 3,035 yards and 20 touchdowns in 14 games, completing 63.7% of his passes and tossing just six interceptions. He also provided plenty of value with his legs, rushing for 568 yards and four TDs.

If Taylor and the Bills are able to come to an agreement on a two-year extension, the Bills will keep their long-term options open while Taylor will get another crack at a massive payday while he is on the right side of 30. The quarterback celebrated his 27th birthday just last week.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Bills, Tyrod Taylor Discussing Two-Year Deal

August 4th, 2016 at 4:39pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Bills and contract-year quarterback Tyrod Taylor are currently discussing a two-year deal in the $30MM range, according to CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora (Twitter link). While that would represent a significant raise for Taylor, who inked a much more modest pact with the Bills last year in free agency and is slated to earn $3.1MM this season, he’d still be fairly low on the earnings pecking order at his position. At $15MM per year, Taylor would fall between the Jets’ Ryan Fitzpatrick ($12MM) and underpaid Bengals signal-caller Andy Dalton ($16MM).

Taylor, who entered the NFL as Baltimore’s sixth-rounder in 2011 and backed up Joe Flacco for four years, won the No. 1 job in Buffalo last summer and carried his success into the regular season. Although the Bills posted a mediocre 8-8 record last season, Taylor gave the franchise its best performance under center in several years. The 6-foot-1, 215-pounder emerged as a high-end dual threat during his 14 starts, finishing top seven among QBs in yards per attempt (7.99) and passer rating (99.4) in 2015. He also completed 63.7 of his throws and accounted for 24 touchdowns (20 passing, four rushing) against a paltry six interceptions. Further, Taylor led all QBs in yards per carry (5.5) and trailed only MVP Cam Newton in rushing yards (568).

While Taylor was clearly above average last season, the ex-Virginia Tech star’s lack of a track record has the Bills wary of committing major money to him over the long haul. A two-year bridge deal worth middle-of-the-pack cash would therefore seem to be a solid solution for them, and it would pad Taylor’s bank account and give him a chance to earn a bigger contract shortly. Still, it wouldn’t be ideal for Taylor, who the Buffalo News’ Vic Carucci wrote last week could be in line for an accord similar to the one the Texans awarded Brock Osweiler in free agency. Osweiler wasn’t as effective as Taylor last season despite playing for the Super Bowl-winning Broncos, but he nonetheless received a four-year, $72MM pact with $37MM in guarantees from the Texans.

Notably, Taylor turned down the Broncos in free agency before signing with Buffalo last winter. That proved to be a sound decision from a playing time standpoint in 2015, and Taylor could now parlay his first season as a starter into a much more respectable contract than the one he inked less than a year and a half ago.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Bills Rumors: Taylor, Gilmore, Bush

July 27th, 2016 at 8:23pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Bills and quarterback Tyrod Taylor‘s agent, Adisa Bakari, are talking “relatively frequently” about a long-term contract and could reach an agreement before the season, perhaps within the next month, reports Vic Carucci of the Buffalo News. It’s a “unique negotiation,” a source told Carucci, because Taylor doesn’t have a long track record of success.

Previously a backup with the Ravens, who chose him in the sixth round of the 2011 draft, Taylor joined the Bills last offseason on a cheap contract. He then proceeded to beat out EJ Manuel and Matt Cassel for the No. 1 job over the summer and post strong numbers as a passer and rusher in 14 regular-season games. Taylor (27 next week) ended up top seven among NFL QBs in yards per attempt (7.99) and passer rating (99.4) in 2015. He also completed 63.7 of his throws and accounted for 24 touchdowns (20 passing, four rushing) against a meager six interceptions. Further, Taylor paced all signal-callers in yards per carry (5.5) and trailed only MVP Cam Newton in rushing yards (568). Taylor could now be seeking Brock Osweiler-type money ($18MM per year), writes Carucci, which would be an enormous raise over the $3.1MM he’s scheduled to collect this season.

Elsewhere on the roster, Buffalo and contract-year cornerback Stephon Gilmore continue to make no progress toward an extension, according to Carucci. Gilmore, who’s due $11.082MM in his fifth-year option season, reportedly wanted a deal in the neighborhood of the Redskins’ Josh Norman (five years, $75MM) as of earlier this month. Norman is currently among the league’s top two corners in average annual value ($15MM, first), total guarantees ($50MM, first) and guaranteed money at signing ($36.5MM, second).

With the salary cap consistently on the rise, Gilmore has a case to approach Norman’s deal – especially given that he’s three years younger. And while the ex-South Carolina standout has missed 11 games since 2013, he has nonetheless been a stalwart for Buffalo. The 10th overall selection in his draft class, Gilmore has logged 53 appearances, 51 starts and nine interceptions since entering the NFL. Three of those INTs came last season in 12 games for Gilmore, whom Pro Football Focus (subscription required) ranked a tremendous ninth among 111 qualifying corners (Norman finished 11th).

If the Bills and Gilmore aren’t able to reach an agreement between now and next March, the franchise tag could be in play, notes Carucci, who doesn’t rule out an in-season extension. The tag would likely cost the Bills upward of $14MM to apply.

Taylor, Gilmore and the rest of the Bills could soon have a new teammate in running back Reggie Bush, whom the club has been in talks with as it seeks a replacement for suspended reserve Karlos Williams. While that dialogue has continued, Bush is mulling whether to jump on Buffalo’s offer or wait for another team’s backfield depth to take a hit this summer, per Carucci. Thanks to Williams’ four-game absence, not securing Bush would leave the Bills with 2015 success story Mike Gillislee and Dan Herron as their primary options behind star LeSean McCoy.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

East Notes: Tyrod, Cowboys, Jets, Redskins

July 4th, 2016 at 9:16am CST by Connor J. Byrne

Andrew Luck‘s record-setting contract extension won’t affect Bills quarterback Tyrod Taylor‘s next deal, writes Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Rather, the Luck pact will only impact signal-callers who could end up in position to become the highest-paid player in the NFL – as Luck is for the moment. Taylor – who’s set to make $3MM this season – doesn’t qualify, contends Florio, who expects the 6-foot-1, 215-pounder to either land an accord in the $15MM annual range between now and next offseason or get the franchise tag over the winter. That puts the soon-to-be 27-year-old in company with Kirk Cousins, not Luck.

More from the NFL’s two East divisions:

If Cowboys owner Jerry Jones doesn’t sign off on the release of suspended linebacker Rolando McClain, it will further demonstrate that seventh-year head coach Jason Garrett has no real authority, argues Mac Engel of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. McClain is just one of several players with off-field issues Jones’ Cowboys have employed during Garrett’s tenure, which undermines the coach’s statements about “character” and playing “the right way,” notes Engel. Prior to the NFL slapping him with a 10-game suspension Friday for a violation of its substance abuse policy, McClain angered the Cowboys’ coaches by skipping OTAs, according to Engel. And now the Garrett-led staff has a chance to send a message by giving McClain his walking papers, though Jones would have to OK it. Cutting McClain, who missed four games last season because of a suspension, would save Dallas $2.63MM against the cap and leave it with $750K in dead money.
After signing with the Jets in free agency, defensive tackle Steve McLendon has a difficult task ahead of him in replacing elite run-stuffer and offseason departure Damon Harrison, but the longtime Steeler doesn’t see it that way. “He went somewhere else. I came here. So it’s not like I’m taking over for anybody,” McLendon told Darryl Slater of NJ.com. The 30-year-old McLendon also explained to Slater how he and Harrison differ as players, saying, “He was like the traditional nose tackle, do it all. Big, strong, explosive. I’m not as big as him. My game is built off quickness and strength.” Indeed, the 350-pound Harrison has 40 pounds on McLendon, who regards himself as a D-tackle. The Jets did deploy McLendon at nose tackle during spring practices, though that was just one of a handful of D-line spots at which they used him, per Slater.
Rich Tandler of RealRedskins.com highlights three under-the-radar storylines the Redskins will deal with in training camp, pointing out that they face uncertainty along both lines and at cornerback.

QB Notes: Cousins, Taylor, Bortles

July 2nd, 2016 at 10:10am CST by Ben Levine

We’ve had several days to recover from Andrew Luck‘s record-breaking contract extension with the Colts. Of course, plenty of pundits are now analyzing how that deal might impact the league’s other quarterbacks.

Let’s take a look at some quarterback-centric notes, and we may get some clarity on who will get paid next…

Luck’s new contract will have little influence over Kirk Cousins‘ potential next contract with the Redskins, writes Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com. Rather, the quarterback will likely be operating under the franchise value, which ends up being around $78.36MM over three seasons.
Meanwhile, Vic Carucci of The Buffalo News believes Luck’s new deal “only mean[s] good fortune” for Bills quarterback Tyrod Taylor. The writer is convinced that the organization will spend on a franchise QB, although he’s uncertain how much they’ll actually be willing to pay Taylor.
While Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles surely won’t make Andrew Luck-money, Gene Frenette of Jacksonville.com believes the signal-caller could be in line for a contract exceeding $100MM.
Barring some unforeseen circumstances, no quarterback from the 2013 draft will be in line to command a huge payday. However, Florio notes that a handful of 2014 draft picks are in line to get paid, including Bortles, Derek Carr, and Teddy Bridgewater.
Former NFL agent Joel Corry (writing for CBSSports.com) surveys several other quarterbacks who could be impacted by the Luck deal, including Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees, and Matthew Stafford.

AFC East Notes: Jets, Harbor, Bills

June 19th, 2016 at 9:59am CST by Rory Parks

Jets GM Mike Maccagnan has frustrated and disappointed fans with his hard-line stance on the Ryan Fitzpatrick and Muhammad Wilkerson contract negotiations, but Rich Cimini of ESPN.com commends Maccagnan for at least being willing to take an unpopular position and hold his ground in a pragmatic way that suggests he has the club’s long-term interests at heart. Cimini adds that Maccagnan’s approach is a refreshing change of pace from that of predecessor Mike Tannenbaum, who often made decisions with an eye towards fan and media approval. Of course, now that Maccagnan has drawn a line in the sand, he cannot back down for fear of losing credibility in the agent community, but he also cannot afford to enter the season without Fitzpatrick and Wilkerson.

As we wait to see if Maccagnan can pull off this delicate balancing act, let’s check out a few more links from the AFC East:

In the same piece, Cimini says he would be surprised if Wilkerson reported to Jets training camp–after all, he’s not under contract, so he cannot be fined for missing camp–but he would also be surprised if the Pro Bowl defensive end missed any regular season games. Perhaps the two sides can work out a deal wherein Wilkerson agrees to play out the 2016 season for the amount of the franchise tender ($15.7MM), and the team agrees to not use the tag on him again in 2017.
In a separate article, Cimini reports that the mother of Jets rookie linebacker Darron Lee, Candice Lee, has quit her job as a reporter and weekend anchor for WCMH-TV in Columbus, Ohio, and will serve as Darron’s manager. She will devote her time to handling her son’s off-the-field affairs, including endorsements and marketing (of course, there is not yet any money to manage, as Lee is one of four 2016 first-round draft picks who have yet to sign their rookie contracts).
Now that Patriots No. 3 tight end Michael Williams suffered a season-ending ACL tear, free agent acquisition Clay Harbor becomes the favorite to assume that role, as Mike Reiss of ESPN.com writes. However, Reiss cautions that even though Harbor received a $400K signing bonus–which is significant for a player for Harbor’s caliber–he will still have to earn his spot on the field (after all, the team handed out a $450K signing bonus to Reggie Wayne last year, and Wayne’s tenure as a Patriot lasted all of two weeks).
Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com takes a look at the best and worst contracts on the Bills, and he concludes that the best contract is Tyrod Taylor‘s fairly modest pact, while the worst is Marcell Dareus‘ mega-deal that he signed last year. Fitzgerald goes into detail on both contracts, and the whole piece is well worth a read.

AFC East Rumors: Dolphins, Jones, Tunsil, Bills

May 3rd, 2016 at 6:42pm CST by Zachary Links

As the Dolphins welcome their newest draft class this week, they are also saying goodbye to a recent third-round pick. Damontre Moore, who was taken with the No. 81 overall pick in 2013 by the Giants, was waived by Miami on Tuesday. While Moore has 45 NFL games to his credit, he’s perhaps best known by fans for his fight with former teammate Cullen Jenkins over a pair of free Beats by Dre headphones. That skirmish ultimately brought Moore to Miami where he racked up four tackles and one sack in three games.

Here’s more from the AFC East:

The Dolphins have kept in close contact with defensive end Jason Jones and a potential deal remains on the radar, Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald tweets. Jones met with Miami twice this offseason – once in early March and once in mid-April. The former second-rounder spent the past three seasons with Detroit, where he started each of his 34 games. In 2014 and 2015, Jones totaled 53 tackles, 9.5 sacks, four passes defended, and three forced fumbles through his two healthy seasons. In 2013, the soon-to-be 30-year-old was hampered with injuries.
It was previously reported that Dolphins first-round pick Laremy Tunsil would avoid instant enrollment in the league’s substance abuse program, but nothing has been determined yet one way or another, as Tom Pelissero of USA Today writes. “Any incoming player with behavior or conduct involving a substance of abuse will be evaluated by the program’s advisors. Those clinical professionals – not the club, league or union – will determine whether based on that evaluation the player should be entered into the program. Neither the club nor the league has a role in that process, and are not notified of their decision,” NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy wrote in an email. Players in “Stage 1” of the program are subject to a treatment plan as well as drug tests which can vary in frequency depending on each case. Tunsil maintains that the infamous video of him from draft night was filmed more than two years ago. If that is proven to be true, then the offensive lineman will likely avoid increased monitoring for recreational drugs.
Now that the draft is out of the way, Bills GM Doug Whaley says that he’ll shift his focus to getting extensions done with the team’s key players in contract years. “Negotiations took a hiatus for draft weekend,” he told WGR 550 (audio link; transcript via BuffaloBills.com). “We’ll regroup this week and set a game plan through to the minicamp. I’ll sit down with Jim Overdorf and reach out and see if we can just keep the lines of communication open.” Earlier tonight, of course, Whaley reached agreement on a massive new deal with left tackle Cordy Glenn. Tyrod Taylor and Stephon Gilmore are also slated to hit the open market after the 2016 season and Whaley says he’s “supremely confident” that he can fit all three players on extensions under their salary cap heading into 2017.

Bills Rumors: Draft, Taylor, Whaley

April 20th, 2016 at 8:55pm CST by Zachary Links

Before today’s big trade went down between the Eagles and the Browns for the No. 2 pick, Cleveland ostensibly fielded calls from several clubs with interest in moving up. Only the Browns know the full list of suitors, but we can rule out one team. Geoff Mosher of 97.5 The Fanatic (Twitter link) asked a Bills source if the team was ever in talks with the Browns for the No. 2 pick, to which the team source succinctly replied, “Hell no.”

Here’s latest out of Buffalo:

The Bills have yet to call other teams about possible draft trades, GM Doug Whaley says (Twitter link via Vic Carucci of The Buffalo News). Whaley added that calls will be made next week.
Whaley says trading down would be “more intriguing” than trading up, as Mike Rodak of ESPN.com writes. The Bills currently hold the No. 19 pick in the first round.
The Bills GM says there’s a “very, very good” chance that the team will be taking a quarterback at some point in the draft, as Joe Buscaglia of WKBW tweets.
For what it’s worth, it sounds like Whaley did not take the public comments made by Tyrod Taylor‘s agent to heart, as Carucci tweets. “He’s doing what he’s getting paid to do. If he was my agent, I’d hope he’d do the same,” Whaley said. Whaley added that he has yet to receive trade interest in Taylor (link).
When asked if a first-round selection at QB would compete for the starting job, Whaley said no and reaffirmed that Taylor is the unquestioned starter (via Rodak).
TCU wide receiver Kolby Listenbee made his final pre-draft visit today with the Bills, Adam Caplan of ESPN.com tweets.

East Notes: Eagles, Bills, Glenn, Gilmore, Fins

April 20th, 2016 at 8:58am CST by Luke Adams

In the wake of Alex Marvez’s report about what the parameters of an Eagles trade for the No. 2 overall pick would look like, Charles Robinson of Yahoo! Sports explains why Philadelphia may be willing to part with several picks to move up and land a quarterback.

While the Eagles haven’t made any decisions yet, the team doesn’t want to miss out on an opportunity to secure a franchise QB. Even with Sam Bradford and Chase Daniel under contract, Philadelphia is in position to make a move for Carson Wentz or Jared Goff, since Bradford could be cut after one year with limited financial repercussions, and Daniel is essentially earning elite-backup money.

As we wait to see just how serious Howie Roseman and his front office are about trading up, let’s round up a few more notes from out of the NFL’s East divisions…

The Bills have been mentioned once or twice as possible candidates to trade up to No. 2 in the draft, and general manager Doug Whaley didn’t rule out the possibility today, telling WGR 550AM that Buffalo is “open to do anything” (Twitter link via Vic Carucci of the Buffalo News). However, the Bills have the 19th overall pick, which makes a move into the top five a long shot. And after sacrificing a 2015 first-rounder to trade up in 2014, it seems improbable that Whaley would make the same sort of deal again this year.
In his conversation with WGR 550AM, Whaley also said it’s possible that the Bills can get long-term deals done with left tckle Cordy Glenn, cornerback Stephon Gilmore, and quarterback Tyrod Taylor. In fact, the Bills GM suggested he’s “more optimistic than pessimistic” about locking up Glenn and Gilmore (Twitter links via Carucci).
The Dolphins will take a running back in this year’s draft, prompting Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald to explore the team’s options, beginning with Ohio State’s Ezekiel Elliott. Jackson also breaks down a bevy of second- and third-day possibilities for the club.

AFC Notes: Taylor, Bolts, Browns, Jags, Steelers

April 8th, 2016 at 8:49pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Agent Adisa Bakari, frustrated that the Bills haven’t extended one of his clients – quarterback Tyrod Taylor – propped up the signal-caller Thursday and took shots at other facets of the club (Twitter link). Bakari told SiriusXM NFL Radio that the Bills missed the playoffs last season because of a poor showing by their defense and a lack of discipline, not Taylor – whose performance Bakari referred to as “exceptional.” Bakari isn’t wrong – the Bills had a below-average defense and led the league in penalties in 2015, and Taylor was terrific statistically during his 14-game debut as a starter – but Buffalo doesn’t seem convinced he’s its long-term solution. Taylor is entering a contract year and the Bills have explored several QB prospects as the draft nears, so his chances of staying in their uniform for the long haul don’t look great at the moment.