Bills GM Doug Whaley says he would “absolutely” consider drafting a quarterback early on, as Tyler Dunne of The Buffalo News writes. Tyrod Taylor exceeded all expectations in his first year as a starter, but the Bills won’t close the door in taking another promising signal caller, since there’s no guarantee Taylor will remain in Buffalo for years to come.
“We’ll do it because if you look at it, unfortunately we have two quarterbacks on the roster and both of them are entering the last year of their contract,” Whaley said, referring to Taylor and EJ Manuel. “If it presents itself, it makes sense and it’s a guy we like, and we believe in, absolutely.”
Taylor completed 63.7% of his passes last season for 3,035 yards, 20 touchdowns, and six interceptions. He also set a new record for Bills quarterbacks with 568 rushing yards on the season. On the other hand, the former Raven had a hard time staying healthy, and detractors have noted his reluctance to throw over the middle of the field.
Here’s more out of Buffalo:
- While he may consider drafting a quarterback this spring, Whaley isn’t convinced anyone in this year’s group is ready to step in and contribute immediately: “I think it’s a deep crop and I think it’s a crop that’s going to need some time. Now, it depends on their situation, who takes them and what they do. But I would say it’s not as top-heavy as last year where those top two guys would still be the top two guys. How quickly these guys can matriculate into the league, I think it’s going to take a little bit of time. Maybe a year, maybe a half of a year.”
- Jim Overdorf, the Bills’ cap specialist, is expected to reach out to the agents for potential free agents Cordy Glenn and Richie Incognito soon, Dunne writes in a piece for The Buffalo News. One in-the-know source at the Senior Bowl tells Dunne that the floor for a new deal for Glenn could be about $10MM per year, so the franchise tag will be a viable option for the Bills’ left tackle.
- Despite receiving a contract extension earlier this month, Whaley knows that there’s some urgency in Buffalo to make the Bills a contender in the near future. Still, as Dunne details in another column, the GM is confident that the club is headed in the right direction.
- Despite the problems the Bills had in defense in 2015, the team doesn’t think it needs three or four new starters on that side of the ball, tweets Dunne. “I don’t think we need a major overhaul like we did last year with the offense,” Whaley said.