The Bills QB Situation is a Disaster

by Steve

Not exactly the most original thought in the world but the Buffalo Bills quarterback situation is a disaster. Who in their right mind could pick this team to win more than 9 wins with the likes of Matt Cassel, EJ Manuel, Tyrod Taylor and Matt Simms as the starting QB options?  All four of these players are horrible. The horribleness that is TJ Mansselrod keeps me up at night.

In the last three seasons here are these clowns stats:

Cassel - 17 starts 20 TDs 25 INTs 58.9 completion percentage
Manuel - 14 starts 16 TDs 12 INTs 58.6 completion percentage
Taylor - 0 starts 0 TDs 2 INTs 54.3 completion percentage
Simms - 0 starts 1 TD 1 INT 48.7 completion percentage

Holy shit!  Whats worse, based on just about every tweet and report from training camp no player has looked even decent let alone separated themselves from the pack to control the QB battle.  This shit is depressing!  It is seriously bringing down my enthusiasm for the season. What team will ever win with these horrid dudes trying and failing to sling the rock?

Doug "I'm a loser" Whaley said the Bills are in quarterback purgatory, "Franchise quarterbacks hit the free-agent market? Name one. Unless they have an injury. So it's going to be an onus on our scouting staff to find a guy in the lower first round, second or third round. We accept that challenge. It's where we are, and it's been good that we have enough talent around that we're in that situation, but it's not an easy answer. There isn't [one]."

This guy is a loser, he has no clue what the hell he is doing.  How many quarterbacks have the Bills drafted in the last five years (since Whaley was hired)? Ya know the last five years that have had starting quarterbacks like Fitzpatrick, Manuel, Tuel, Orton and Lewis. THE BUFFALO BILLS HAVE DRAFTED ONE QUARTERBACK TOTAL IN THE LAST FIVE DRAFTS. ONE!!!!!!!!!!!!  And the Bills loved EJ Manuel so much they moved back in the draft, not move up, moved back to eventually be stuck taking Manuel in 2013.  Talk about certainty!

Perhaps some of the reason the Bills are in so called purgatory is because of the lousy drafting err lack of drafting quarterbacks that Whaley and co have done.  Not every good/great QB is a top 5 draft pick.  Some are later in the first round (ya know where a team might take a QB if they didn't hypothetically trade away their future first for the 3rd best wide receiver of his class) or the 3rd round or 6th round etc.

What would I have done? Well for one I would have drafted AT LEAST one quarterback in each season just because.  You want specifics?  How about players like Zach Mettenberger, Nick Foles, Ryan Mallett, Russell Wilson just to name a few.

Zach Mettenberger was a favorite of mine at LSU and fell in the draft after having a bad injury late in his final season.  Mettenberger went 178th in the 6th round.  The Bills had selections 149 AND 153 in the 5th round.  They traded 149 and took fringe guard Cyril Richardson at 153.

Nick Foles and Russell Wilson were both drafted in 2012. I was big on Foles coming out of Arizona and was mindful of Wilson.  Of course, I had no clue Wilson would be amazing but Foles I knew was worth a 2nd or 3rd would pick.  Who did the Bills take ahead of BOTH in the third round? Yeah TJ Graham. FMLLLLLL.

Granted, Mallett isn't the best but wouldn't it be a bit more interesting if he was waiting in the wings?  The Bills took Kelvin Sheppard 6 spots higher than Mallet in the 2011 draft.  And yes the Bills were able to trade Sheppard for Jerry Hughes (kudos Whaley [rare]) but, looking back between Sheppard a LB and Mallett?  I'll take the QB every day, especially when your starter is Ryan Fitz-noodlearm-fitz-patrick.

Those are just a few obvious players I would much rather have on the roster than any of TJ Mansselrod and the Bills eeeeeeasily could have had any of them.

Alright, umm how about 2014?  GREAT! Sammy Watkins! The Bills use two first round picks to move up four spots to select a player that is 100% dependent on a QUARTERBACK throwing him the ball.  How about instead the Bills move back.  Where?  How about 30 in 2014.  Teddy Bridgewater AND Derek Carr were available.  Anyone interested in either of them?

The bottom line is this.  The Bills are in QB purgatory because their general manager has no idea how to build a football team from quarterback on down.  Ya know, the most important position?  Instead, cobble weapons together with defensive players, highly priced FAs mix it together, throw in a journeyman and some "athletic type" quarterbacks and what will Doug Whaley get? 8 or 9 wins at most.  Don't blame the draft position Doug, blame yourself.

FML