Today, the Buffalo Bills officially shut the door on quarterback Tyrod Taylor. A starter with the team for three years, Taylor was shipped off to the Cleveland Browns for a third-round pick. Bills fans are tired of the quarterback controversy and an inefficient passing game. Not all of it was his fault, but for the duration of this article, the door is locked on extensive talk of where Buffalo and Taylor went wrong. It is time to look to the future. With only Joe Webb and Nathan Peterman on the roster, it seems as if a coach Sean McDermott and GM Brandon Beane are finally going all in on a franchise quarterback.
Will Bills fans finally get that shiny, new quarterback that has eluded them for so long? Here is a list of the most likely draft possibilities for the team.
Josh Rosen
Poker players may put all their chips on UCLA’s Josh Rosen. Rosen is that pure pocket passer that Buffalo has not had since Jim Kelly. The scrambling quarterbacks have not panned out well enough for the team. Think E.J. Manuel, J.P. Losman, and Taylor. With the NFL favoring the quick release passers, Rosen is a guy that the Bills may want. With over 9,000 passing yards and 59 touchdowns, he has shown the potential to be an NFL star, as stated by Pro Football Stats. Rosen also has the height of 6 ft. 4.
Skilled at reading defenses, Rosen’s comment that he wants to break Tom Brady records would be welcomed by a Bills’ team that is tired of being beaten by the G.O.A.T.
Rosen has 17 wins under his belt and the second biggest comeback in college history. In September 2017, he led UCLA from a 44-10 deficit to a 45-44 win over Texas A&M. A rally quarterback is something that Buffalo has been missing.
Baker Mayfield
Baker Mayfield’s past off-field issues of drunk driving and fleeing and resisting arrest probably do not set well with Bills’ coach Sean McDermott.
However, that was last year’s news, and Mayfield’s numbers speak for themselves. The Heisman Trophy winner has put up some amazing statistics. It is hard for a team to overlook 131 touchdowns and over 14,000 passing yards in four years, especially from a guy that had to prove himself as a walk-on. Sports Reference's 68.5 % completion rate is impressive.
It is easy to see Buffalo moving up in the draft for him, but also keeping Mayfield on a tight leash. With Buffalo bars open until 4 a.m., McDermott may be setting an 11 p.m. curfew.
Mason Rudolph
A bit of an underdog, Mason Rudolph may go to Buffalo. The Oklahoma State quarterback has a 500- yard game to his credit. All his numbers look solid. He is a quarterback who has thrown for over 8,000 yards in the last two seasons. Rudolph has a great deep ball, which is a good asset in the snow and wind of Buffalo. However, he sometimes struggles on shorter passes, and his footwork may need some adjusting. Rudolph may not be ready to start next season. The quarterback may need a year or two under another veteran.
The 2018 draft should be interesting for Buffalo Bills fans, especially if they trade for the first or fourth overall pick with the Cleveland Browns.
