The Buffalo Bills have a new head coach in Rex Ryan and now the team is looking at the quarterback position as a main concern moving forward, as EJ Manuel has not developed and that means names like Mark Sanchez or Brian Hoyer could be options in free agency and this comes as running back CJ Spiller is hitting the free agent market.
Ryan was brought in after getting fired by the Jets and now he takes over a Bills team that finished over .500 for the first time in a while. Ryan signed a five year deal with the team and he is in a similar situation that he was in when he coached the Jets, as he has a limited quarterback and a strong defense. The Bills return one of the best defensive units in the league and Ryan will try and push things on that side of the ball, while Greg Roman comes in to take over as offensive coordinator.
Ryan will see what he has in Manuel, but it's very likely the team picks up a veteran, whether it be Mark Sanchez, Brian Hoyer or someone else on the free agent market. Kyle Orton took over last season for Doug Marrone with Manuel playing inconsistently and he ended up retiring, leaving the Bills with questions at the position. Marrone decided to opt out of his contract after the change in ownership for the Bills and now Ryan takes over and he has already brought his usual swagger and attitude.
Phil Sheridan at ESPN.com writes that a reunion between Mark Sanchez and Rex Ryan in Buffalo is unlikely, as the Eagles are interested in bringing Sanchez back. Ryan was asked about the quarterback position and the possibility of Sanchez being an option and the new coach said that he will be under consideration like other players in free agency. Ryan gave no hard commitments about the position and that could mean Manuel remains in the mix.
Hoyer will be one of the prime targets on the free agent market after his season the Browns and while he slumped at the end of the year, he is one of the top names at the position. Hoyer started the season 7-4 with the Browns and he reportedly will be a target for the Tennessee Titans and Houston Texans in free agency according to Pro Football Talk.
Sanchez was signed by the Eagles to be the backup for Nick Foles and he ended up as the starting quarterback when Foles went down in the middle of the season. Sanchez said he enjoyed playing in Chip Kelly's offense and would be open to returning. Sanchez is 28 years old and with Manuel still developing, he could be a solid short term option, as Manuel has started just 14 games in his career, putting up 19 touchdowns and 15 turnovers.
Adding to the intrigue is the power structure in Buffalo, as Mike Rodak reports that Ryan will report directly to owner Terry Pegula and not general manager Doug Whaley. The Bills are giving Whaley control of the 53-man roster, but Ryan will report directly to the owner. The situation may end up being totally fine and a non-issue, but Ryan is coming off of a dysfunctional arrangement in New York with John Idzik and he is hoping for a bit of normalcy moving forward.
