T.J. Yates and Nathan Peterman, you're up. On Wednesday night, the Buffalo Bills dealt backup quarterback Cardale Jones to the Los Angeles Chargers for a conditional pick. He was expected to backup Tyrod Taylor this season, opening the job up for two contenders, each with radically different pedigrees in the NFL. With a new coaching staff and an uncertain future dogging Taylor, which of the two candidates should be given the opportunity to be his backup this season?
Making the case for T.J. Yates
Yates was signed by the Bills on April 10, several weeks before their plans for the NFL Draft came to fruition.
It was also while an old front office regime was technically in charge of the team. The journeyman is now making the fourth stop of his NFL career. His best year came with the Houston Texans back in 2011, when he made five starts. Last year, he played in just one snap for the entire season.
But he's still a veteran presence. He can come in and win a game or two if necessary, which is likely all he would be called on to do this season. He was signed to a one-year deal, which basically screams "BACKUP QUARTERBACK" from the highest mountain peaks. He has familiarity with offensive coordinator Rick Dennison from their shared days in Houston and was getting second-team reps in practice. Besides, if there are concerns about the Bills offense as a whole, they won't want Peterman to come in and struggle, potentially hindering his development or confidence.
Therefore, Yates should be the backup.
Making the case for Nathan Peterman
Peterman is the young guy with all the potential in the world. The Bills drafted him in the fifth round of the 2017 NFL Draft. He isn't actually that young - he's already 23 years old - but he has much more upside than Yates. The quarterback was particularly good at holding on to the ball in college, throwing 27 touchdowns to just seven interceptions during his senior year with the Pittsburgh Panthers.
Quarterback guru Jon Gruden had plenty of nice things to say about Peterman in the leadup to the draft. He played in a pro-style offense at Pittsburgh, setting him up for an easier transition to the NFL. He was also one of the best throwers on the run last season, throwing 19.3% of his passes on rollouts, according to Pro Football Focus; that could be valuable if the Bills' offensive line struggles. Yates is probably going to win the job, but Peterman has more to show for the future.
