Matt Cassel Cut by Bills: Latest Comments and Reaction

The Buffalo Bills released quarterback Matt Cassel on Saturday after previously deciding to move forward with Tyrod Taylor as their starter.

Field Yates of ESPN confirmed the team's decision.

Cassel entered training camp as the favorite to secure the starting job almost by default. Taylor was unproven after extremely limited action with the Baltimore Ravens over the last four years, and EJ Manuel failed to take advantage of his opportunities during the last two seasons.

Alas, the door opened for Taylor after Cassel, the 33-year-old veteran, struggled during organized team activities and performed on a merely mediocre level during camp practice.

Taylor, a Virginia Tech product, capitalized by shining during the preseason. He posted a 98.3 passer rating while completing 77.4 percent of his throws and, even more impressively, rushed for 108 yards on 11 carries to showcase the added element his legs bring to the equation.

Once Taylor was named the starter, Cassel's place on the roster became perilous. His cap hit for the 2015 season ranked third among backup quarterbacks, per Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk, and cutting him saves more than $4 million in cap space, via Spotrac.

Before he was cut, Cassel addressed his limited playing time this preseason, per ESPN's Mike Rodak: "It's neither here nor there. You know what? We went through the entire offseason, we competed and at the end of the day, I did the best I could with the reps that I got. And they made a decision to go in a different direction."

Cassel enjoyed his best season with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2010, when he tossed 27 touchdown passes and just seven interceptions while leading the team to a 10-6 record. His numbers have dropped off sharply since then, however, and his 80.1 career passer rating is subpar.

Letting him go does represent a minor risk for the Bills, though.

Cassel was viewed as the stable option alongside two relative unknowns in Taylor and Manuel. Without him on the roster, Buffalo is betting either Taylor can build on his strong preseason or Manuel can fill the void if he doesn't. Those are far from guarantees for a team with an otherwise playoff-caliber roster.

As for Cassel, he should land elsewhere. If he doesn't right away, then he'll be among the top options when a team suffers an injury at quarterback and is looking for veteran depth.