The Buffalo Bills have Tyrod Taylor, Matt Cassel and EJ Manuel on the depth chart at quarterback and they are competing to start for Rex Ryan in training camp this summer and Taylor could have the edge after some solid performances in minicamp, although Cassel is likely going to get a long look after the Bills traded for him this offseason.
The Bills brought in Ryan this offseason and he has already started shaking things up and the main concern in camp this year is finding a quarterback. The Bills are expected to have a strong defense again and they have as good of personnel on offense as anyone with LeSean McCoy, Fred Jackson, Percy Harvin, Sammy Watkins and Robert Woods, but the main issue is who will get them the ball.
The Bills brought in Cassel in a trade this offseason and signed Taylor to a deal and now those players will compete along with EJ Manuel to start. The team also signed Chris Simms, but he is not expected to be a realistic option to start. Manuel reportedly risked release during the offseason, so he has a lot to prove in the competition, while Taylor is starting to get some real attention as an option at quarterback.
According to the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle, some people "within the organization" of the Bills "believe" that Taylor could end up as the starter this season. Taylor has been getting some nice praise for his work ethic and athleticism from Ryan and he reportedly split reps with Cassel and Manuel at OTA workouts. The team signed Taylor to a guaranteed deal over $1 million and if he shows some talent and explosiveness in camp, he could vault ahead of Cassel in the competition.
The Buffalo News reports that it's "really possible" that Taylor could be the starter this season and Mike Rodak at ESPN reports that Cassel could even be on "the roster bubble" coming out of camp. Rodak writes that the play of Cassel has not been great and that he has been "noticeably worse" that Manuel in offseason workouts. If Cassel is let go, Taylor could end up being the starter and Manuel could come in as the backup. Manuel was a first round pick of the previously coaching regime and has not been consistent over the first few years of his career.
Rodak writes that the team could look at getting rid of Cassel if he doesn't improve, as that would open up $4.15 million in camp space for the Bills. Cassel needs to have a good performance in training camp this year, or he could be the odd man out of the QB situation. Taylor can make plays with his legs and players with the Ravens raved about his arm to Rodak this offseason. The QB battle should be the most intriguing part of the Bills training camp this year.
