The Buffalo Bills are without question one of the most intriguing teams to keep an eye on int he NFL heading into the 2015 season, and Rex Ryan is hoping to take his team back to playoff contention. It won’t be easy in a very talented AFC, but they made quite a few roster moves that should help them get there.
One question that the Bills still have to answer, however, is who will end up starting the season at the quarterback position.
Matt Cassel, E.J. Manuel and Tyrod Taylor are all competing for the job, and none of them seem to have pulled away. It is going to be a long battle, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see Ryan wait until Week 1 to decide who his starter is going to be. That being said, it appears that Ryan has already decided who will open the preseason as the starting quarterback.
According to a report from Chris Brown, Ryan mentioned that Cassel will likely be the teams starter in the first preseason game.
Rex nonchalantly mentions that Matt Cassel will probably start first preseason game and rotate from there. #Bills
— Chris Brown (@ChrisBrownBills) August 9, 2015
Cassel is the veteran of the group, and has shown the ability to start and be a game manager in the past. He hasn’t been very impressive over the course of training camp so far, but that doesn’t mean a lot to Ryan. His experience is likely the main reason that he is getting the start, although it could be a last ditch effort to instill confidence into him.
Both Manuel and Taylor have been talked about in the media as better starting options than Cassel. The media doesn’t have any say with the actual decision, but Cassel has reportedly been considered to be on the roster bubble for a few weeks now.
Needless to say, this sets up a very interesting preseason for all three quarterbacks. This could end up meaning that Ryan prefers Cassel’s veteran experience, or they could be trying to see everything they can before making a decision on his future with the team. Either way, this is a big opportunity for Cassel and he can’t afford to mess it up.
Taylor has been the most talked about player in training camp so far, and has apparently been the best looking quarterback on the field. Manuel hasn’t exactly impressed, but he does have legitimate potential to be a starter.
All of that being said, it will be very interesting to see what ends up happening over the next couple weeks. Cassel is getting the first crack at it, but there is a good chance that the Bills will give both Manuel and Taylor opportunities to start as well. If Cassel does want to start this season, he has to make sure that he makes the most out of this opportunity to start.
