The Buffalo Bills took care of their immediate future at the quarterback position by signing Kevin Kolb to a deal as a free agent, but that doesn't mean they won't look the future in April's draft and someone like Geno Smith, Landry Jones or Matt Barkley could be an option for the long-term.
According to ESPN.com, the Bills held private workouts for a number of quarterbacks ahead of the draft, including Landry Jones, Matt Barkley, Geno Smith, as well as EJ Manuel and Tyler Bray from Tennessee. The team signed Kolb to a two-year, $13 million deal after spending time with him after his release from the Cardinals and he will be the likely starter following Ryan Fitzpatrick, who was released last month.
Both Fitzpatrick and Kolb signed six-year deals with their respective teams, but both disappointed and are now elsewhere. Fitzpatrick went just 20-33 over his time as the starter and previously signed a six-year extension in 2011. Kolb was injured for most of last season and played in eight games, while Fitzpatrick threw too many interceptions and was getting paid too much for Buffalo to keep him and he now is with the Titans. Kolb is likely a short term solution and gives way to the idea that the Bills will take a quarterback in the first round.
Kolb was solid during his time in Philadelphia, but he was awful in Arizona, throwing for 1,169 yards with eight touchdowns and three interceptions last season and combining with John Skelton and Ryan Lindley to have one of the worst offenses in the NFL. Kolb is a former second round pick and he joins Aaron Corp and Tavaris Jackson as the quarterbacks on the roster.
The Bills had workouts for some of the top prospects, including Matt Barkley, who threw for the first time since injuring his shoulder last November. He looked good at USC's workout and the team gave him a private look while also hosting Robert Woods, who was a teammate with the Trojans. Both players could be on the radar for the Bills, as the team would like some more firepower on offense with Steve Johnson at receiver. Although Barkley was hurt last season, his shoulder appears fully healthy and he leaves USC as the Pac-12 leader in passing yards and touchdowns.
Buffalo also worked out Landry Jones and EJ Manuel, two quarterbacks that could slip to them in one of the later rounds if they decide to use their eighth overall pick on a different position. The team also worked out Tyler Bray, but Jones is one of the most interesting prospects, as he played in a pro-style offense and put up big numbers while throwing for 4,000 yards in three straight years. Last season he had 4,267 yards, 30 touchdowns and 11 interceptions for the 10-3 Sooners and could be a steal in the draft.
Ryan Nassib is also an option for the team, as he was the quarterback for Doug Marrone at Syracuse last year and showed off a cannon of an arm and intelligent reading of defenses.
The Bills opened and closed the season against the Jets, but both games were basically opposites of each other. The Bills lost 48-28 in the opener, but posted 28 points in a 28-9 win to finish the season at home against the Jets. Both teams finished 6-10 and had issues on both sides of the ball. The Bills lost three straight games before Week 17 and the team had two three-game losing streaks on the season.
