Is Matt Cassel the Best Starting QB Option for the Buffalo Bills in 2015?

Annually, the quarterback free-agent and trade markets make NFL general managers become discount bulk grocery shoppers. But just like a sweet sale on ketchup doesn’t mean you have to bring home 12 bottles, stockpiling multiple quarterbacks whose talent ranges from frightening to possibly passable doesn’t lead to a more comfortable situation.

But what other option is there? Maybe a dozen people on this planet can play quarterback at a high level in the NFL—a level far beyond adequate, and a level that provides the opportunity to win championships.

That’s followed by a vast ocean of quarterbacks who could make the leap, but then again maybe they won’t. No, they probably won’t, and this is where you insert the Jay Cutlers and Andy Daltons.

Then we have Matt Cassel, the Buffalo Bills and their marriage through a trade that’s given head coach Rex Ryan’s new team a whole lot of ketchup on its quarterback depth chart.

As Alex Marvez from Fox Sports first reported, a maze of pick shuffling with the Minnesota Vikings led to Cassel coming on board to be EJ Manuel’s backup:

Actually, that’s only partly true, or maybe temporarily true.

Cassel will have many titles, and backup is one of them. Among the others: He’ll be Manuel’s competition, his safety net, his mentor and eventually his replacement.

It’s conceivable Cassel won’t even have to replace Manuel. He could take on a different title immediately: starter.

That’s not meant to be an endorsement of Cassel. Instead, it says far more about Manuel. Or more broadly, the sorry state of the Bills’ quarterback depth chart that previously included only Manuel and Jeff Tuel. The former is plummeting toward first-round bust status after being benched in favor of Kyle Orton in 2014, and the latter has made only a single career start.

Manuel’s 14 starts have been filled with balls sprayed far from their intended destination. Every career number tied to Manuel—the 58.6 completion percentage, 6.4 yards per pass attempt average, 187.3 passing yards per game and 78.5 passer rating—reeks of mediocre and of a quarterback who will find himself out of the league soon.

Sifting through the rubble of stench-emitting quarterbacks in 2014 to find several who were comparable to Manuel was difficult. But I tried...

Quarterback	Comp %	Yds/game	Yds/attempt	TD:INT ratio	QB rating
EJ Manuel	58.0	167.6	6.4	5:5	80.3
Shaun Hill	63.3	184.1	7.2	8:7	83.9
Jake Locker	58.9	141.9	6.8	5:7	70.9
Josh McCown	56.3	200.5	6.7	11:14	70.5

During his rookie season, when Manuel started 10 games (far more than his four in 2014 before getting benched), there were hints of progress at times, though they were always overshadowed by failure. He particularly struggled connecting deep and completed only 34.1 percent of his throws that traveled at least 20 yards downfield, according to Pro Football Focus.

That was lowly enough for 31st among quarterbacks who took threw at least 25 percent of their team’s pass attempts. Then in 2014, what little deep arm Manuel had completely evaporated. He attempted 18 passes beyond 20 yards over his four starts, which resulted in only four completions (27.8 percent, again per PFF).

The concern for the Bills then is the same as it is now. They invested heavily in Sammy Watkins, trading first- and fourth-round picks in this spring’s draft to reach way up in 2014 and select a talent who is, in theory, a franchise-changing wide receiver. Alongside him is Robert Woods, a fine complementary No. 2 option whose services also required the price of a high draft pick (41st overall in 2013).

Both deep options were set to waste away and become irrelevant without a quarterback capable of matching their downfield speed by delivering a somewhat catchable ball.

Enter Cassel, whose main selling point on the roster is essentially that he's not Manuel.

Recognizing their need for a Kyle Orton imitator and someone who can sort of effectively play the role of “Not EJ Manuel,” the Bills pursued Josh McCown. They lost out when he signed with the Cleveland Browns instead.

Deciding who the better option is between McCown and Cassel is like choosing between eating brussels sprouts or anchovies.

The sour taste and vomit reflex is spread throughout the quarterbacks set to be available on the free-agent market, a haunted place where Mark Sanchez, Brian Hoyer, Matt Moore and Ryan Mallett currently sit at the top.

The Boston Globe’s Ben Volin stumped for Moore while asking an entirely reasonable question:

If we put Cassel among that group, he’s certainly not the most appealing option, which might not matter. Trading for Cassel is the result of a search for safety, not sizzle.

The flaws among those free-agent quarterbacks are numerous. Moore hasn’t started a game since 2011, while Sanchez’s rejuvenation may have largely been a product of Chip Kelly’s offensive mind (a reunion with Ryan was unlikely regardless). And following a solid start to 2014, Hoyer threw nine interceptions and only two touchdowns passes over his final five games.

Cassel, meanwhile, is mostly just a body, one with a warm temperature. Which could quickly be the best option for Buffalo at quarterback following the events of Tuesday night.

The Bills acquired LeSean McCoy in a blockbuster trade that sent linebacker Kiko Alonso to the Philadelphia Eagles, and they don’t have a first-round pick in a draft known to be weak at the quarterback position.

If Manuel’s spiral continues, another potential long-term solution isn’t on the roster and won’t be found in the draft. So the Bills need someone to manage a game.

They need new offensive coordinator Greg Roman’s next Alex Smith. They need Matt Cassel, sadly.

Cassel has thrown more interceptions than touchdowns in two of his last three seasons (20 touchdowns and 25 interceptions since 2012 over 21 game appearances). However, his one redeeming quality for the Bills is a more accurate deep arm, or at least one that far overshadows the pasta attached to Manuel’s body.

In 2013, Cassel started six games for the Vikings and completed 47.4 percent of his 20-plus yard pass attempts, per PFF, which means that when Manuel inevitably stumbles Watkins and Woods won’t suffer (too much).

Cassel is limited and makes poor decisions. That reality can’t be escaped even if/when balls fly deep with moderately better placement. He just might be the union leader of quarterback game managers, a cringe-worthy and overused title, but it’s never felt more appropriate than when associated with Cassel.

McCoy will be Buffalo’s offensive focus, with Roman implementing the exotic running formations and shifts that have become a staple of his play-calling arsenal. Roman's creativity led the San Francisco 49ers to three straight seasons with a top-five rushing offense.

His quarterback will be called upon for four basic jobs: handoff to McCoy, don’t totally waste a season from Watkins, make occasional throws when needed and generally minimize soul-crushing screw ups.

It’s not difficult to see a future where the Bills decide a veteran is better suited for those mundane tasks, just as they did in 2014 with Orton.