The NFL offseason is a time for lists and grades that are often entirely subjective. Sometimes, these lists border on the ridiculous, others they have some great analysis and truth, and more often than not, they fall somewhere right in between.
Patrick Daugherty of Rotoworld ranked each NFL team’s quarterback situation, and he placed the Buffalo Bills squarely in the bottom-third of the league, listing them at 26th overall. For reference, that slots them directly behind the Houston Texans (and presumed new starter Deshaun Watson) and the Arizona Cardinals (with 37-year old Carson Palmer as the starter, barring another injury).
Daugherty’s write-up of Bills incumbent starter Tyrod Taylor is largely positive, as he notes that only 10 players have a higher QB rating than Taylor over the last two seasons, and his 12 interceptions are good for the third-fewest in that span among quarterbacks with at least 17 starts. The Bills have averaged 389 points per season since Taylor was named starter in 2015, as opposed to averaging only 341 points per season in the two seasons prior to Taylor’s acquisition.
So, why the low ranking?
Taylor’s inconsistencies are well-known to Bills fans, and Daugherty notes them as being the main cause for dropping Taylor and the Bills in this list. He notes that Taylor “is inconsistent bordering on erratic, flat out missing too many throws. He disappears for halves at a time.” While he notes that Taylor’s strengths, the deep ball and his mobility, are certainly positives with which any team can work, he also mentions that Taylor will “never be a well-oiled machine.”
Daugherty even mentions Buffalo’s “will they or won’t they” handling of Taylor’s contract situation as proof that people should not have too much faith in the six-year veteran.
While I think that calling Taylor “erratic” feels a bit harsh, it is hard to argue that Taylor disappears for large stretches of games. Ranking the Bills at 26 is something that hurts my pride as a Bills fan, as well, but when examining the list, it’s really hard to argue with the placement in the bottom-tier of the league.
Aside from the Minnesota Vikings (Sam Bradford/Teddy Bridgewater), the Chicago Bears (Mitch Trubisky/Mike Glennon), the Jaguars (Blake Bortles), and the Texans, it’s hard to say that Taylor and the Bills’ quarterbacks as a group are definitively better on paper than any of the groups ranked ahead of them.
What do you think, Bills fans—is 26 too low, just right...or is it too high?