As the 2015 NFL regular season came to a close, Buffalo Bills general manager Doug Whaley was expressing a wait-and-see approach to a new contract for starting quarterback Tyrod Taylor. Since then, Taylor has played in the Pro Bowl, and Whaley has softened his stance a bit on the topic.
Now, per Whaley, the Bills are going to reach out to Taylor's representatives to discuss a new contract. It's not exactly a complete 180 for the Bills, but there has been a noticeable position shift, culminating with this latest tidbit.
#Bills have reached out to Tyrod Taylor's agent on a new deal. "This is a week where we’ll delve more into it. We’ll see where it goes."
— Tyler Dunne (@TyDunne) February 25, 2016
Note that this does not mean that negotiations will take place, or even that the Bills are seriously considering offering Taylor a franchise-caliber contract; it could mean something much simpler, like the Bills wanting to gauge what Taylor's agent is currently thinking monetarily.
Taylor, who will turn 27 this August 3, threw for 3,035 yards, ran for 568, scored 24 total touchdowns, and turned the ball over just seven times in 14 games started in 2015. He's entering the final year of what turned out to be a two-year free agent deal he signed with Buffalo last spring.
Buffalo has much bigger fish to fry in free agency this offseason, but with only two quarterbacks on the roster, both of whom are entering the final year of their contract, it at least makes sense for the Bills to try to lock one of them up beyond 2016.