I've had some more time to think more about the Tyrod Taylor contract over the weekend. Last year in training camp as the Bills were figuring out who their QB was between a then-relative unknown Tyrod , E.J. Manuel, and Matt Cassel. Doug Whaley mentioned how the Bills were in "Quarterback Purgatory."
I think we are kind of still in QB Purgatory as Tyrod is not yet great or really bad somewhere in between. He's still has not a ton of experience where he might be able to grow and maybe could drop off. Chances are that at 27 years old, he is who he is which is not yet great but not terrible. I think that's somewhere between 15-20 which is not great but not terrible somewhere in the middle.
This is where QB Purgatory reigns guys like Alex Smith, Ryan Tannehill, Jay Cutler, Kirk Cousins, and well I suppose Ryan Fitzpatrick as these mediocre QBs are getting paid a ridiculous amount.I think of Fitz as a backup QB but he has his moments as the Jets, and even the Bills, bought into Fitz's good games to give him a decent chunk of change and not seriously looking at drafting his replacement.
It's easy to get excited over this contract because of the outs and it's not like he's getting all $92 million guaranteed regardless of what the national media is telling you. For this contract to truly be worth it is either Tyrod is really good if not great to keep exercising the options or is really bad where they can get out of it.
Wouldn't it be better to give $27.5 million over five years to a first round pick QB than $27.5 million to a middle of the road QB for one year? I would rather draft the QB always and when I get my guy then I'll be set and then I'll pay him top dollar.
The Sabres would always do this where they gave relatively big contracts to middle of the road players like Derek Roy, Tim Connolly, Jason Pominville, Drew Stafford, Tyler Myers among others and Darcy Regier would always say wait until the back half of the contract then they'd be undervalued. How many times did that happen? The answer is zero and by the end of the contract we were ready to dump them, Get the guy and don't be afraid to pay him top dollar.
The worst thing is if Tyrod is middle of the road QB where he is neither really good or really bad and the Bills will keep extending him and giving a middle of the road QB big time money which is never good. They'll be just good enough to miss the playoffs and good enough to keep costing them a shot at a top QB in the draft and good enough to prevent the Bills from drafting a QB in the first two rounds. That's the worst thing that could happen with this contract.
By really good I'm saying around top-10-12 QBs in the league. The bottom 10-12 QBs are Eli Manning, Carson Palmer, Matt Ryan, and Andy Dalton depending on who you think. These are really good QBs but not quite elite as they need talent but they can and have won in this league. That could and should be Tyrod. Of course if he was higher that's even better.
It's hard to rank young QBs Derek Carr, Teddy Bridgewater, Jameis Winston, Marcus Mariota, and Blake Bortles even all of these young QBs show great potential and star ability and eventually could make their way into the top-10-14 spots in the league.
They are still so young so they can't officially be put in the rankings yet although I'd take any one of these over Tyrod because of being so young and starting right away from day 1 or close to day 1. Right now, even though they have so much more room to grow and are generally high draft picks first round and to early second round (Carr).
By really bad it's pretty self explanatory by basically saying this guy can't start in the NFL and he's nothing more than a backup. That's Blaine Gabbert, Nick Foles, Matt Cassel, Colin Kaepernick, E.J., Mark Sanchez, Geno Smith, Josh McCown, and perhaps RG3 and so on.
The worst thing is that he is say Tannehill, Cutler, or Smith and that's usually finishing 7-9, 8-8 every year missing the playoffs (Tannehill) or being lucky and not very good and safe and lucking into the playoffs but never winning (Smith).
The Bills are usually Tannehill and the Dolphins or Cutler and the Bears where they win enough games to miss the playoffs but win enough to not have a high draft pick and usually draft a franchise QB. Tannehill is a decent QB, better than what the Bills have had before Tyrod, but not good enough and they do nothing to upgrade the position except add a receiver or fix the line or change the coaches etc. That's QB Purgatory my friends.
The Bills have lived it for the last 20 years. The reason I believe if they Tyrod is just middle and pretty good they'd keep extending his option is because I've seen worse QBs do less and get the benefit of the doubt from this franchise and assurance that they won't go draft his replacement until the bottom completely fell out and they absolutely had to draft one.
I know the Bills don't make the playoffs so I'm sure some of you would like to be Alex Smith and KC and make the playoffs but lose. They will never do anything to change or upgrade the QB position because they are comfortable with making the playoffs and don't want to miss the playoffs. The Chiefs have no chance at winning a Super Bowl with Alex Smith and the way they are built in my opinion.
I want to win and make the playoffs I really do, but I don't want to just make the playoffs and lose and have really no shot at winning the Super Bowl. My goal and the team's goal should be to win the Super Bowl not to just end the playoff drought.
Correct me if I am wrong but wouldn't being a Super Bowl contender year in and year out more than end the playoff drought? They would be in the playoffs just about every year and every year they would be one of the 3-5 favorites to win the Super Bowl.
We say the same about the Sabres. They decided not to just make the playoffs and instead try to be a Stanley Cup contender and win the Cup if not multiple Cups. Their goal is not to just finish in 8th and instead be one of the best teams and they had a plan and followed through with it. The plan is easier to execute as you can finish at the bottom and get high draft picks to build from. The NFL is go get a franchise QB but it's not easy to get.
The Bills during this playoff drought with the exception of a couple of years usually try everything to just end the drought. The only years they didn't and figured they were really bad and rebuilding and finished at the bottom of the league in 2001 and 2010 and those were the only years they'd draft in the top-5 despite being bad for 16 years.
The other years they'd finish middle or middle-bottom of the league and never really close to the playoffs and never close to the top pick of the draft. The rest of the time, they'd change coaches, change GMs, give weapons to help their QB, change QBs, sign big free agents, etc. They went in to just about every single off season trying to end the playoff drought.
The one thing they never did and should do is draft QB every single year until they find their guy and I still want them to do so, but this potential contract could definitely prohibit them from thinking it. They never did this and I want them to start yesterday but now for sure.
I do like the Tyrod contract because of the outs. It's only great if he's either really good or great or he's really bad. In between, they'll overpay him to be their QB and won't do anything to upgrade the position.
Showing posts with label Alex Smith. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Alex Smith. Show all posts
Monday, August 15, 2016
Monday, July 27, 2015
The 49ers Should Look into Trading Colin Kaepernick; There is still a big Market for Him
It's no secret that Colin Kaepernick has fallen over the last year since he replaced Alex Smith three years ago and took the team to the Super Bowl his first year and the NFC Championship Game his second before falling to 8-8 with a down year. He's tied for 18th in this Mike Sando QB rankings article (http://abcnews.go.com/Sports/2015-nfl-qb-tier-rankings/story?id=32652348). Kaepernick has shown flashes of brilliance as a playmaker, but has also shown inaccuaracy and immaturity. His quarterback rating and QBR has fallen steadily each of his three seasons and dropped from 14th in the rankings the previous year to tied for 18th this year in this article. He'll never be an elite or even a "franchise QB."
That does not mean however that there is not a place for Kaepernick in the NFL and there are some teams who could use Kaepernick and his mobility and strong arm more than the current starting QB(s) that they have. Cleveland definitely would and should get him over their bums in Josh McCown and Johnny Manziel. Houston definitely as well with that talented roster, he's much better than Brian Hoyer and Ryan Mallett.
Washington could because they need to move on from RGIII, I think Kaepernick is better. But Washington will be terrible and will likely be challenging for the first pick of the draft and will draft their next QB. The New York Jets are another team Kaepernick would a very good option for with that defense and bringing in Brandon Marshall. He is definitely much better than either Geno Smith or Ryan Fitzpatrick. Plus I wanted to see what Kaepernick could have done in Chan Gailey's offense when Gailey was here as I wanted them to draft Kaepernick.
I'm not advocating the Bills trade for Kaepernick (http://buffalosportsbeat.blogspot.com/2015/07/which-qb-would-you-trade-dareus-for.html) but I would definitely bring him in here for the right price. He's definitely better than E.J. Manuel, Matt Cassel, and Tyrod Taylor that's for sure. With this defense, he could hopefully do things like he did in San Francisco and take this team to the playoffs. I doubt they would bring him in and who knows how he and Greg Roman's relationship is after Roman got fired because Kaepernick regressed last season.
I do think the 49ers should trade him and get whatever they can while they can fetch a pretty good price. I know he's declining but there is always a market for a QB who's taken his team to the Super Bowl and NFC Championship Game back-to-back seasons who's still better than 40% of the starting QBs in the NFL. Why should the 49ers trade him if he's still a pretty decent QB? Kaepernick is decent but not an elite QB and they should try to look to get better at the game's most important position. You can do worse, but you can try and do a lot better as well. Plus Kaepernick makes a ton of money thanks to last year's contract.
Another reason why they should trade him is I believe the 49ers will be one of the worst teams in the NFL and will be challenging for the top pick in the draft. That's even with Kaepernick as starting QB. Why not move on from him while he still has value and completely bottom out for one of the top QBs in this year's draft such as Connor Cook, Christian Hackenberg, and Cardale Jones? If Kaepernick is still there and they go 4-12, his market value is all but shot. Now you can probably get a 3rd, maybe even a 2nd round pick for Kaepernick.
The 49ers are a mess with many of the players from their Super Bowl team in 2012 either leaving in free agency, traded, or flat out retired along with a QB that has regressed when he was the talk of the town after replacing an injured Alex Smith. The talent level might now be one of the worst in the league (certainly a lot worse than the team across the Golden Gate Bridge the Oakland Raiders) so they're in line for one of the top picks in the draft. They need to start over and should look for the franchise QB that can take this team to the Super Bowl. I think it's best to start over and give Kaepernick a change of scenery. If this team was built to win now then of course keep Kaepernick. But it's not and try something else.
Of course there's this thing where Jim Harbaugh was fired because of an idiot GM in Trent Baalke that can't work with him. Harbaugh is an ass and a weirdo but he's won. Deal with it. He might be hard to work with and can wear people out but remember how terrible you guys were for a decade before he came here. They replaced a great coach with this guy Jim Tomsula.
In case you don't know who he is watch these two videos (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1MQJ0JKIxQ) (http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nfl-shutdown-corner/new-49ers-head-coach-gets-a-little-grunty-in-his-first-interview-231453338.html?pt=tAD4SCT8P72012-08-02.html/). Doesn't this guy inspire you? Baalke should have been fired for thinking he should have fired Harbaugh especially knowing you are hiring this guy to replace him. What a difference between his and Rex Ryan's press conferences.
Apparently he doesn't want to "play the name game." Why? The name game is fun! Also his thing where he says he doesn't (or doesn't he say doesn't) want to say names out of "respect to those people." What are these people dead? What the heck does he mean by that? You don't say out of respect for (fill in name) unless it's a tragedy and coaching changes aren't a tragedy. It's not like he can't say a certain name because that guy is under contract. The interviewer was asking about Marc Trestman, who was fired by the Bears right after the season and wasn't under contract so he could mention him.
More bad PR as the 49ers continue to fail in this department when owner Jed York somewhat compared Tomsula to Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr (http://jimrome.com/2015/07/22/the-next-steve-kerr/). He did make it a point to point out how the fellow NBA Bay Area team fired a good coach in it's own right in Mark Jackson,who helped bring the Warriors back to the promised land if you will by taking a team that was a joke for over two decades to making the playoffs in back to back years, to replace him with a coach who wasn't a head coach ever.
Fans must have been furious firing a head coach who's taken their team to places they haven't been in 25 years or so, but management to their credit felt they could have done better. I guess winning a league-high 67 games and winning the first NBA title for the team in 40 years is a little better. I guess Harbaugh is being compared to Jackson and Tomsula is being compared to Kerr. That's wrong in so many ways and I don't have to explain them, you know them. Harbaugh did turn around the 49ers quickly like Jackson did with the Warriors, but Harbaugh did more and went further in the postseason than Jackson did.
Kerr won numerous NBA championships as a player, playing and learning from the best coach in NBA history in Phil Jackson. Tomsula was coaching in no name colleges and NFL Europe. Kerr was a GM for three years with the Phoenix Suns as well as spent numerous years as a TV analyst for NBA games. Tomsula could barely analyze a Burger King menu and he never did anything but be a defensive line coach, not a coordinator not an assistant head coach.
Oh I am sorry, he was an interim head coach for the 49ers for the last game of the 2010 season when he replaced the fired Mike Singletary (remember how terrible he was?) and then was kept on as defensive line coach by Harbaugh. Kerr also has the two best shooters in the NBA while Tomsula lost a ton of talent. Close York but no cigar!
I don't know why but I would bet money that Tomsula is punt on 4th down, play field position coach. Call me crazy it's just a silly hunch. Enjoy San Francisco, this is who you have leading your team right now. I bet you miss Harbaugh badly and the season hasn't even started.
That does not mean however that there is not a place for Kaepernick in the NFL and there are some teams who could use Kaepernick and his mobility and strong arm more than the current starting QB(s) that they have. Cleveland definitely would and should get him over their bums in Josh McCown and Johnny Manziel. Houston definitely as well with that talented roster, he's much better than Brian Hoyer and Ryan Mallett.
Washington could because they need to move on from RGIII, I think Kaepernick is better. But Washington will be terrible and will likely be challenging for the first pick of the draft and will draft their next QB. The New York Jets are another team Kaepernick would a very good option for with that defense and bringing in Brandon Marshall. He is definitely much better than either Geno Smith or Ryan Fitzpatrick. Plus I wanted to see what Kaepernick could have done in Chan Gailey's offense when Gailey was here as I wanted them to draft Kaepernick.
I'm not advocating the Bills trade for Kaepernick (http://buffalosportsbeat.blogspot.com/2015/07/which-qb-would-you-trade-dareus-for.html) but I would definitely bring him in here for the right price. He's definitely better than E.J. Manuel, Matt Cassel, and Tyrod Taylor that's for sure. With this defense, he could hopefully do things like he did in San Francisco and take this team to the playoffs. I doubt they would bring him in and who knows how he and Greg Roman's relationship is after Roman got fired because Kaepernick regressed last season.
I do think the 49ers should trade him and get whatever they can while they can fetch a pretty good price. I know he's declining but there is always a market for a QB who's taken his team to the Super Bowl and NFC Championship Game back-to-back seasons who's still better than 40% of the starting QBs in the NFL. Why should the 49ers trade him if he's still a pretty decent QB? Kaepernick is decent but not an elite QB and they should try to look to get better at the game's most important position. You can do worse, but you can try and do a lot better as well. Plus Kaepernick makes a ton of money thanks to last year's contract.
Another reason why they should trade him is I believe the 49ers will be one of the worst teams in the NFL and will be challenging for the top pick in the draft. That's even with Kaepernick as starting QB. Why not move on from him while he still has value and completely bottom out for one of the top QBs in this year's draft such as Connor Cook, Christian Hackenberg, and Cardale Jones? If Kaepernick is still there and they go 4-12, his market value is all but shot. Now you can probably get a 3rd, maybe even a 2nd round pick for Kaepernick.
The 49ers are a mess with many of the players from their Super Bowl team in 2012 either leaving in free agency, traded, or flat out retired along with a QB that has regressed when he was the talk of the town after replacing an injured Alex Smith. The talent level might now be one of the worst in the league (certainly a lot worse than the team across the Golden Gate Bridge the Oakland Raiders) so they're in line for one of the top picks in the draft. They need to start over and should look for the franchise QB that can take this team to the Super Bowl. I think it's best to start over and give Kaepernick a change of scenery. If this team was built to win now then of course keep Kaepernick. But it's not and try something else.
Of course there's this thing where Jim Harbaugh was fired because of an idiot GM in Trent Baalke that can't work with him. Harbaugh is an ass and a weirdo but he's won. Deal with it. He might be hard to work with and can wear people out but remember how terrible you guys were for a decade before he came here. They replaced a great coach with this guy Jim Tomsula.
In case you don't know who he is watch these two videos (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1MQJ0JKIxQ) (http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nfl-shutdown-corner/new-49ers-head-coach-gets-a-little-grunty-in-his-first-interview-231453338.html?pt=tAD4SCT8P72012-08-02.html/). Doesn't this guy inspire you? Baalke should have been fired for thinking he should have fired Harbaugh especially knowing you are hiring this guy to replace him. What a difference between his and Rex Ryan's press conferences.
Apparently he doesn't want to "play the name game." Why? The name game is fun! Also his thing where he says he doesn't (or doesn't he say doesn't) want to say names out of "respect to those people." What are these people dead? What the heck does he mean by that? You don't say out of respect for (fill in name) unless it's a tragedy and coaching changes aren't a tragedy. It's not like he can't say a certain name because that guy is under contract. The interviewer was asking about Marc Trestman, who was fired by the Bears right after the season and wasn't under contract so he could mention him.
More bad PR as the 49ers continue to fail in this department when owner Jed York somewhat compared Tomsula to Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr (http://jimrome.com/2015/07/22/the-next-steve-kerr/). He did make it a point to point out how the fellow NBA Bay Area team fired a good coach in it's own right in Mark Jackson,who helped bring the Warriors back to the promised land if you will by taking a team that was a joke for over two decades to making the playoffs in back to back years, to replace him with a coach who wasn't a head coach ever.
Fans must have been furious firing a head coach who's taken their team to places they haven't been in 25 years or so, but management to their credit felt they could have done better. I guess winning a league-high 67 games and winning the first NBA title for the team in 40 years is a little better. I guess Harbaugh is being compared to Jackson and Tomsula is being compared to Kerr. That's wrong in so many ways and I don't have to explain them, you know them. Harbaugh did turn around the 49ers quickly like Jackson did with the Warriors, but Harbaugh did more and went further in the postseason than Jackson did.
Kerr won numerous NBA championships as a player, playing and learning from the best coach in NBA history in Phil Jackson. Tomsula was coaching in no name colleges and NFL Europe. Kerr was a GM for three years with the Phoenix Suns as well as spent numerous years as a TV analyst for NBA games. Tomsula could barely analyze a Burger King menu and he never did anything but be a defensive line coach, not a coordinator not an assistant head coach.
Oh I am sorry, he was an interim head coach for the 49ers for the last game of the 2010 season when he replaced the fired Mike Singletary (remember how terrible he was?) and then was kept on as defensive line coach by Harbaugh. Kerr also has the two best shooters in the NBA while Tomsula lost a ton of talent. Close York but no cigar!
I don't know why but I would bet money that Tomsula is punt on 4th down, play field position coach. Call me crazy it's just a silly hunch. Enjoy San Francisco, this is who you have leading your team right now. I bet you miss Harbaugh badly and the season hasn't even started.
Tuesday, July 21, 2015
Bills QB Situation; If Accuracy is the Problem then I want the Most Athletic (EJ or Tyrod); Maybe Philip Rivers Could Be Available?
I wrote a couple of weeks ago about the Bills might be close to the worst QB situation in the NFL (http://buffalosportsbeat.blogspot.com/2015/07/the-bills-might-not-have-worst-qb.html). It appears that nothing has nor will change. I even wrote my opinion (http://buffalosportsbeat.blogspot.com/2015/07/ej-struggled-because-of-marrone-sure.html) about this article about how Doug Marrone ruined E.J. Manuel (http://www.foxsports.com/college-football/outkick-the-coverage/how-a-rookie-head-coach-derailed-a-rookie-quarterback-then-vanished-with-4-million-071515). I believe it's about 20-25% Marrone's fault, it's still mostly E.J.'s fault as he is inaccurate and you can't teach accuracy.
There is a three-way competition for the Bills' starting QB job. The longer the job is a competition the worst it is for the Bills. The Bills need one of the three to separate from the other two as soon as possible. Accuracy is a problem with each of these three QBs. With accuracy being a problem, I want the QB with the best possible running capabilities and that guy is Tyrod Taylor. Taylor has the best wheels of either of the three and has the least body of work as he just has 35 regular season passes so there is an uncertainty as to whether he is good or bad. Taylor also seems to be the QB that Rex Ryan loves, well loves that is currently on the roster because I'm sure the QB he loves is Aaron Rodgers or Andrew Luck.
Manuel still intrigues me with just 14 regular season along with being a former 1st round pick and the possibility of Greg Roman maybe just maybe turing his game around. Look at what he did with Alex Smith and Colin Kaepernick in San Francisco. I want nothing to do with Matt Cassel because he has too much of a body of work with little success outside of the 2008 and 2010 seasons. He's just another average, below average journeyman. I want Taylor or Manuel for their athleticism to make up for their deficiencies throwing the football. I mean if Cassel is the guy, fine I'll deal with it. I just won't be enthusiastic. Sadly, if this team misses the playoffs it's mainly because of the QB.
Now this does not mean much to the QB situation for this year but there is a development going on right now that can maybe help this team next year. It seems that Philip Rivers is showing little to no urgency to sign a contract extension with the San Diego Chargers (http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2015/07/20/report-philip-rivers-showing-little-urgency-in-contract-talks/). Rivers does not want to sign a longterm deal to finish his career with the Chargers because of their uncertainty of remaining in San Diego and possibly moving to Los Angeles. Rivers does not want to move his family to Los Angeles and may just play out this season and become a free agent next year.
I am very interested in seeing the Rivers saga for obvious reasons. Now Rivers is 34 years old and next year, he'd hit the open market (assuming he doesn't re-up) at 35 years old. He might not be what he was a few years ago, but he still shows the ability that makes him one of the top-10 QBs currently in the game and an MVP candidate. After a couple of down seasons in 2011 and 2012, Rivers bounced back big time in 2013 and had a very good year last year, especially the first six games where he looked like the league MVP.
He did however struggle the final 10 games, going 4-6 after starting the season 5-1 and completing 69% of his passes, 15 touchdowns to just two interceptions, a 117.6 rating, and averaged 8.8 yards per attempt. While he had some good games in the second half of the season against Oakland, St. Louis, Baltimore, and the second half against San Francisco, he looked bad against Denver and Kansas City twice, New England, and the worst being shut out against Miami. His final numbers were still respectable throwing for 4,286 yards, 31 touchdowns, 18 interceptions, 7.5 yards per attempt, and a 93.8 rating. Those aren't MVP numbers but on this team and with our problems at QB for years, those numbers would get Rivers a statue out front of Ralph Wilson Stadium.
Rivers is still good and would definitely be the best QB since Jim Kelly. Rivers is 88-56 as a starter, 32 games over .500 which means he needs to go 0-32 in order to be .500, and has thrown 252 touchdowns to only 122 interceptions. Those are very good career numbers. Rivers has only one losing season, that was 7-9 in 2012. He's been 8-8 or better each year while the Bills have been 8-8 or better just four times since 2000.
Thinking ahead to next year, I can't think of any team better suited than the Bills to make a run at Rivers in free agency, assuming he's there. Many teams have their QB in place while others will draft their guy instead of going after a 35-year-old. Plus Rivers will want his choice of the best team that could win the Super Bowl. Who would be better than the Bills with the talent on this team? This team is a QB away from being a Super Bowl contender with the talent on this roster. A QB like Rivers can take this team not only to the playoffs, but maybe to a playoff win or two or maybe even the Super Bowl. This would be like 2012 when Peyton Manning hit the open market and chose the Broncos with their talent over anyone else.
Besides watching the Bills and their QB dilemma I mean battle, we must keep our eye on the Rivers and Chargers contract saga. We can hope that he will not sign a new deal and hit the open market next year. If that's the case, I expect Terry Pegula to make a big run at him and he would choose us over any team needing a QB at that point with the talent on this team.
There is a three-way competition for the Bills' starting QB job. The longer the job is a competition the worst it is for the Bills. The Bills need one of the three to separate from the other two as soon as possible. Accuracy is a problem with each of these three QBs. With accuracy being a problem, I want the QB with the best possible running capabilities and that guy is Tyrod Taylor. Taylor has the best wheels of either of the three and has the least body of work as he just has 35 regular season passes so there is an uncertainty as to whether he is good or bad. Taylor also seems to be the QB that Rex Ryan loves, well loves that is currently on the roster because I'm sure the QB he loves is Aaron Rodgers or Andrew Luck.
Manuel still intrigues me with just 14 regular season along with being a former 1st round pick and the possibility of Greg Roman maybe just maybe turing his game around. Look at what he did with Alex Smith and Colin Kaepernick in San Francisco. I want nothing to do with Matt Cassel because he has too much of a body of work with little success outside of the 2008 and 2010 seasons. He's just another average, below average journeyman. I want Taylor or Manuel for their athleticism to make up for their deficiencies throwing the football. I mean if Cassel is the guy, fine I'll deal with it. I just won't be enthusiastic. Sadly, if this team misses the playoffs it's mainly because of the QB.
Now this does not mean much to the QB situation for this year but there is a development going on right now that can maybe help this team next year. It seems that Philip Rivers is showing little to no urgency to sign a contract extension with the San Diego Chargers (http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2015/07/20/report-philip-rivers-showing-little-urgency-in-contract-talks/). Rivers does not want to sign a longterm deal to finish his career with the Chargers because of their uncertainty of remaining in San Diego and possibly moving to Los Angeles. Rivers does not want to move his family to Los Angeles and may just play out this season and become a free agent next year.
I am very interested in seeing the Rivers saga for obvious reasons. Now Rivers is 34 years old and next year, he'd hit the open market (assuming he doesn't re-up) at 35 years old. He might not be what he was a few years ago, but he still shows the ability that makes him one of the top-10 QBs currently in the game and an MVP candidate. After a couple of down seasons in 2011 and 2012, Rivers bounced back big time in 2013 and had a very good year last year, especially the first six games where he looked like the league MVP.
He did however struggle the final 10 games, going 4-6 after starting the season 5-1 and completing 69% of his passes, 15 touchdowns to just two interceptions, a 117.6 rating, and averaged 8.8 yards per attempt. While he had some good games in the second half of the season against Oakland, St. Louis, Baltimore, and the second half against San Francisco, he looked bad against Denver and Kansas City twice, New England, and the worst being shut out against Miami. His final numbers were still respectable throwing for 4,286 yards, 31 touchdowns, 18 interceptions, 7.5 yards per attempt, and a 93.8 rating. Those aren't MVP numbers but on this team and with our problems at QB for years, those numbers would get Rivers a statue out front of Ralph Wilson Stadium.
Rivers is still good and would definitely be the best QB since Jim Kelly. Rivers is 88-56 as a starter, 32 games over .500 which means he needs to go 0-32 in order to be .500, and has thrown 252 touchdowns to only 122 interceptions. Those are very good career numbers. Rivers has only one losing season, that was 7-9 in 2012. He's been 8-8 or better each year while the Bills have been 8-8 or better just four times since 2000.
Thinking ahead to next year, I can't think of any team better suited than the Bills to make a run at Rivers in free agency, assuming he's there. Many teams have their QB in place while others will draft their guy instead of going after a 35-year-old. Plus Rivers will want his choice of the best team that could win the Super Bowl. Who would be better than the Bills with the talent on this team? This team is a QB away from being a Super Bowl contender with the talent on this roster. A QB like Rivers can take this team not only to the playoffs, but maybe to a playoff win or two or maybe even the Super Bowl. This would be like 2012 when Peyton Manning hit the open market and chose the Broncos with their talent over anyone else.
Besides watching the Bills and their QB dilemma I mean battle, we must keep our eye on the Rivers and Chargers contract saga. We can hope that he will not sign a new deal and hit the open market next year. If that's the case, I expect Terry Pegula to make a big run at him and he would choose us over any team needing a QB at that point with the talent on this team.
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