The Buffalo Bills are desperate to finally find a quarterback that can make the team competitive. They have cycled through multiple quarterbacks throughout the last couple of years, most recently Ryan Fitzpatrick who was released at the start of the offseason in March. They have Tarvaris Jackson returning as a presumed backup and they have officially signed Kevin Kolb, eager to prove himself a starter again. However, just because they have Kolb, does not mean the team will stop searching. They are hosting Matt Barkley as a potential draft selection.
Kolb was brought in to be the presumed starter for the struggling team. He is eager for his third opportunity to prove himself as a starting quarterback. He was recently with the Arizona Cardinals where he never developed into the quarterback the team was hoping for. He has proven inconsistent, going 9-12 as a starter with 25 interceptions in 34 career games. Kolb is ready to compete for the starting position with the Bills, a team he was attracted to because of the West Coast style offense.
"For me, I know I can play at this level. I've done it here and there throughout my career two or three games at time. I plan on taking 100 percent care of that, and making sure I do my part to play at the highest level," Kolb said.
The Bills have high expectations for Kolb. General manager Buddy Nix said Kolb had the veteran experience the team wanted and will be a strong candidate for the starting position. Despite signing him to the two-year deal, head coach Doug Marrone is not ruling out the option of drafting a young quarterback in the draft to compete next to Kolb. He said the team is not altering their draft plans just because they signed a quarterback in free agency.
With that comes Barkley in for a visit with the team. The former-USC quarterback has seen his draft stock on the rise ever since a strong showing at his Pro Day. Multiple teams have shown interest in him as many think top pick Geno Smith will be gone after the first two teams draft.
Marrone is familiar with Barkley, having seen him during his time coaching in the college ranks. Marrone has previously said he was impressed with Barkley and would consider him a strong draft option. The Bills have already flown out to USC to put Barkley through a private workout and now they are bringing him in to see the facilities.
The Bills will draft at No. 8 overall. Barkley could easily fall into their lap at that time. The Cleveland Browns are also pursuing Barkley. Both teams could use to draft a quarterback right away and he is now being considered the second best option in this year's quarterback class.