The Buffalo Bills released Ryan Fitzpatrick on Tuesday just after the free agent signing period began and the move may have been revealed in a prank call that was released earlier in the day, but now that the team is without a starter they may trade for Tim Tebow or Matt Flynn.
The Bills had a rough season in 2012 and after another disappointing year from Fitzpatrick, they felt it was time to move on. He signed a large extension two years ago, but coach Doug Marrone may want to move in another direction after bringing back Tavaris Jackson for another season.
Fitzpatrick was the leading passer on the team with 3,400 yards and 24 touchdowns, but he also had 16 interceptions while the team ranked 25th in passing offense that was not explosive. The team has a number of solid offensive players in CJ Spiller and Stevie Johnson, but now they need a quarterback to lead them.
The Bills have needs all over the place and were 31st on defense in rushing yards per game, meaning they will want to address that in free agency. The team has some salary cap space to work with, which is one reason why they could pull off a trade.
Tebow is not the most attractive quarterback in the league, but after years of finishing in the bottom of the AFC East, he could be the key to giving the Bills a spark. He was underused last season with the Jets, but when he was on the field he performed well and could do what he did in Denver if he makes it to Buffalo.
Tebow has shown he is a winner and he has had a 300-yard passing day in his career, meaning he is not as inept as everyone makes him out to be. The Bills went just 6-10 last season and have a new coach and a new outlook heading into the future. Tebow is a polarizing figure, but he showed he can lead a team in Denver and the Bills have not been to the playoffs in years and clearly need a new plan after Fitzpatrick
Flynn could also be an option, as the Seahawks will want to get back some draft picks after trading for Percy Harvin on Monday. The team could flip him for some draft picks just to get back some of the value they lost, as Flynn is only a backup behind Russell Wilson now anyway.
In Green Bay Flynn proved himself with a 6 touchdown, 480 yard passing game, but he never got his chance in Seattle after signing a three-year deal with the team before last season. The Bills need a fresh start, as do these two quarterbacks, which is one reason why a deal could be worked out.