Buffalo Bills: How to Dump Ryan Fitzpatrick's Contract and Who to Replace Him

With a 4-2 record and a surprising win over the New England Patriots to start the season, the Buffalo Bills looked at their hot start and rewarded starting quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick with a new six-year, $59 million contract. 

That was on October 28. Since the signing, Fitzpatrick and the Bills are 1-7.

The bottom has fallen out, leaving many to wonder if the new deal was premature and if Fitzpatrick is still the franchise passer the Bills thought he was two months ago.

Let's look first at Fitzpatrick's contract.

The Bills have options that the casual fan may not recognize. As part of the original deal signed in October, the Bills can decide by the seventh day of the league year (March 19) whether they want to keep him or not.

Keeping Fitz will cost $5 million. Letting him go costs nothing, but he immediately becomes a free agent. And just like that, the Bills are free to go after a quarterback this summer.

Fitzpatrick isn't a terrible quarterback, but he's also not a player the Bills can win a Super Bowl with. That much should be evident now more than ever.

With that in mind, who can get the Bills over the hump and back to their Jim Kelly glory days?

Luckily for Buffalo, the 2012 NFL draft is loaded with talented quarterbacks.

Unfortunately, if the season ended today, Buffalo would select No. 10 overall. That's out of the range to pick up Andrew Luck, Robert Griffin III or Matt Barkley—the three can't-miss quarterbacks in this class.

Who are players the Bills can realistically target at the quarterback position?

Round 1—Landry Jones, Oklahoma

Jones fell from grace this season, but he has the makeup of an NFL quarterback.

Jones is big with a live arm and has played in a pass-heavy system that has him ready to make every NFL throw.

What concerns most with Jones is his inability to handle pressure in the pocket. When the pass-rush is on, he folds. 

Round 2—Nick Foles, Arizona

Foles is a true sleeper in the 2012 draft class. He's big with a great arm, and he has the accuracy and zip to be a threat attacking the deep levels of the field.

Foles can do it all, but he's penalized for playing in a "system" at Arizona that inflated his numbers. From a purely fundamental standpoint, Foles is a late first-round talent. 

Round 2—Ryan Tannehill, Texas A&M

Some like Tannehill a lot more than I do, but having watched Tannehill closely this season, I saw him fall apart in the second half of games.

You also want a quarterback with more than a year-and-a-half of experience if you expect him to play immediately. 

Round 3—Kirk Cousins, Michigan State

Another sleeper, Cousins has NFL-level talent, but his decision-making is questionable. Much like a Ricky Stanzi in the 2011 draft, Cousins will be graded well on his arm and athleticism, but his decision-making and field vision will knock him down the board.

I see Cousins as a player who could start early in his career. 

Round 3—Brandon Weeden, Oklahoma State

Weeden's name gets mentioned often due to his insane production this season.

The key to Weeden is his age. He turns 29 before next season, limiting the length of his pro career.

Unlike other quarterbacks in this class, Weeden has no ceiling or potential left to reach. What you see is what you get, and you would only have him for four or five years before he starts to regress—in a best-case scenario. 

Free agency will be an option for the Bills, but Buffalo has never been a hot-bed of free-agent activity. Getting a quarterback to sign in Buffalo as opposed to Miami or Jacksonville requires a lot of money and generally a player who has been passed over by other teams.

Building through the draft is always the best option, and with a deep class of quarterbacks available this year, Buffalo should select their next franchise quarterback as early as possible.