Buffalo Bills' 5 Best Free-Agent QB Options to Compete with EJ Manuel
Last Thursday, I wrote about how the Buffalo Bills appeared on the verge of signing quarterback Josh McCown to compete in training camp with EJ Manuel. The next day, the Cleveland Browns swooped in and signed McCown to a three-year deal.
The Bills, in their search for QB No. 2, were back to square one.
They have hardly been coy about the fact that they'd like to sign a veteran QB. They even tweeted as much on Monday:
"The hunt for a veteran QB is on. A look at all the quarterbacks on the free agent market: http://t.co/l4JVTAVznu pic.twitter.com/CFzkkzuamH
— Buffalo Bills (@buffalobills) March 2, 2015"
If you take their (Twitter account's) word for it, then the Bills plan to solve their under-center needs through free agency.
They could also theoretically attempt to land a quarterback via trade—Nick Foles, Jay Cutler and Kirk Cousins jump to mind—but for now the free-agency route seems likelier, especially given the way they pursued McCown.
There are plenty of guys available, some of whom the Bills shouldn't touch with a 100-yard pole but others who could push Manuel and slot in nicely in Greg Roman's offense.
Here are the five QBs the Bills should most strongly consider, selected based on a combination of skill, experience, upside and fit. That last one is key, as ESPN analyst and former Bills general manager Bill Polian explained to Vic Carucci of The Buffalo News:
"You do "ground and pound" for a reason, and that's because you don't want to turn the ball over and you want to give the defense an opportunity to catch its breath. So if you have a quarterback that has a propensity for turnovers, then it's going to be difficult to maintain that kind of approach.
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There's also the question of whether to seek a younger quarterback with some upside as opposed to a more experienced one who can fill a need for 2015 alone.
We'll grapple with that as we run down the top five QBs Buffalo should pursue once free agency begins on March 10.
No. 5: Jake Locker
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It feels like a lifetime ago that Jake Locker was selected eighth overall by the Tennessee Titans in the 2011 NFL draft.
That's probably because his career has been a barrage of disappointments since it started, in no small part due to injuries. Shoulder and foot ailments—and just about everything in between—have kept Locker sidelined for much of the past three seasons.
Still, there's no denying Locker's athleticism and arm strength, and his accuracy did improve during his four years with the Titans. He's only 26 and there's always the possibility that something finally clicks.
In the "upside" category, Locker ranks higher than most of the other free-agent QBs.
Realistically, though, Locker would serve as a decent backup to EJ Manuel, and you would cross your fingers that he could stay healthy if ever needed for multiple games in a row.
If the Bills really want someone who can give EJ a run for his money—or potentially step in for a full season—Locker is not their best best.
No. 4: Brian Hoyer
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With the Browns signing McCown, it's all but certain that Brian Hoyer will not be back in Cleveland for the 2015 season. Could the six-year NFL veteran make a positive impact in Buffalo?
His 56.5 percent career completion rate and one-to-one touchdown-to-interception ratio aren't exactly inspiring. But he just made it through his first full season as a starter and managed to throw for 3,326 yards with the Browns going 7-6 in games he played.
His 13 interceptions, though, are serious cause for concern.
Like Locker, Hoyer is a guy who could still improve but is probably best suited for a backup role.
“He’s a classic No. 2 who can get you through games," former NFL general manager Mark Dominik told Carucci. "He obviously played well at Cleveland, but I feel like he’s a player you can win with, but he’s not the reason you’re winning games.”
Hoyer is a slightly better option than Locker because he has more experience and could impart wisdom on younger teammates. However, the turnover issues make him a less than ideal choice.
No. 3: Shaun Hill
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With Shaun Hill, you pretty much know what you're gonna get. He's 35 years old and has been in the league 13 years. He's never started more than 10 games in a season, but he's started six or more four times.
Last year with the St. Louis Rams, he split starting duties with Austin Davis and saw respectable results: a 63.3 percent completion rate, eight touchdowns, seven interceptions and a 3-5 record.
Hill proved in 2014 that he can be a rock-solid No. 2, and if Manuel were to go down, he could at least keep the Bills above water.
Signing him to a one-year deal could be a smart move: It would give Manuel one more chance to prove himself, and if he fails, the Bills could look to replace him in the 2016 draft, which should be rife with QBs.
Rams coach Jeff Fisher has suggested he would like to re-sign both Hill and Davis, per ESPN.com's Nick Wagoner, but Buffalo should also take a close look.
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No. 2: Mark Sanchez
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Mark Sanchez is the most proven QB who will hit the free-agent market. And, yes, he and Rex Ryan have a history together with the New York Jets.
After sitting out all of 2013, Sanchez had a very impressive run in eight starts with the Philadelphia Eagles last year. His completion percentage was 64.1, more than seven percentage points higher than it had been in any other season.
A knee-jerk reaction would point to Sanchez as a fairly obvious choice.
But he's a turnover machine. In 2014, he threw 11 picks, including four two-interception efforts. For his career, Sanchez has thrown 80 interceptions in 71 games.
If the Bills sign him, they will certainly be tempted to hand him the starting role—especially given his history with Rex. If you believe EJ Manuel deserves another shot to start, Sanchez may jeopardize that. He probably wouldn't come to Buffalo unless he believed the starting job was his for the taking.
His propensity for throwing picks is troublesome in Greg Roman's possession offense.
With that said, the Bills have a legitimate chance to make the playoffs in 2015. Sanchez would challenge Manuel to step up big-time in his third season—or find himself on the bench.
No. 1: Matt Moore
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Of this free-agent QB bunch, Moore offers the best combination of experience and upside.
"[He's] always just been on the cusp, but never gotten that real shot to be the starter," Mark Dominik told Carucci. "But when you go back to [the HBO series] Hard Knocks, you saw that that guy had leadership ability and the team really respected him.
"He’s more mature. He’s seen a lot, done a lot. He’s just waiting for his opportunity."
Opportunities have been few and far between for Moore since he entered the league in 2007. The only time he spent the majority of a season under center was with the Miami Dolphins in 2011, when he started 12 games and handled the role nicely: He posted 2,497 passing yards, 16 touchdowns and nine interceptions for an 87.1 passer rating.
Then, in 2012, the Dolphins drafted Ryan Tannehill. Moore's starting days in Miami were finished.
Over the past three seasons, Moore has attempted only 29 NFL passes, including just 10 attempts since 2013. But he's just 30 and boasts a career quarterback rating of 79.2. For what it's worth, EJ Manuel's is 78.5.
Moore's $4 million salary last season, per Spotrac, seems a little steep for a backup, but if the Bills could nab him at a similar price with an opportunity to compete for the first-string job, he could provide just the right amount of pressure for Manuel.
If the Bills need someone to ride the bench, Moore has more than proven he can do that. If they need someone to take the reigns from Manuel for an entire season, Moore is at least capable of treading water and perhaps much more.
And if they need someone to hold down the QB1 slot for multiple years, Moore is as good a bet as any while the Bills wait for the future to arrive.
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