The Buffalo Bills have not thought about the quarterback position much since landing Josh Allen in the first round of the 2018 NFL draft, but one insider believes it could be time for the team to address the back of the depth chart.
The Athletic’s Tim Graham noted that the team’s strategy of tapping veteran quarterbacks as backups could lead to ruin in the long term if Allen were ever to suffer a long-term injury. Though current backup Mitch Trubisky has plenty of experience as an NFL starter, he is not the caliber of quarterback to lead a team to the playoffs, Graham suggested.
Graham instead urged the Bills to address the position in the NFL draft, aiming for a higher-quality, long-term backup who could eventually become trade bait.
Bills Warned Against ‘Malpractice’ on Offense
Graham pointed out that Buffalo’s Super Bowl teams of the early 1990s had the very capable Frank Reich as the backup. Reich led the team to playoff wins, including what was then the greatest comeback of all time in the wild-card round against the Houston Oilers in 1993.
The Athletic writer suggested the Bills could use a similar quality of depth for this team.
“Granted, the dropoff from Allen to any replacement is immense, perhaps ruinous. But assuming any long-term Allen absence automatically equals a lost season would be managerial malpractice,” Graham wrote. “Myriad examples exist of backup quarterbacks not only keeping seasons afloat, but also being the hero. Frank Reich never has to pay for a milkshake in Buffalo again.”
The Bills have drafted only one quarterback since Allen, grabbing Georgia’s Jake Fromm in 2020. After spending one season as the team’s “quarantine quarterback” — practicing away from teammates in case any were lost to COVID-19 absences — Fromm was plucked off Buffalo’s practice squad by the New York Giants the next season.
Graham noted that the New England Patriots often spent draft picks on quarterbacks during Tom Brady’s tenure, finding success with Matt Cassel who led the team to an 11-5 record when Brady suffered a season-ending injury in 2008 and later in developing Jimmy Garoppolo into trade bait.
“That’s the most attractive scenario: selecting a quarterback who serves a role, provides insurance for three seasons and develops to the point of being traded or leaving as a free agent that gooses the compensatory draft formula,” Graham wrote.
Bills Could Have Some Attractive Quarterback Targets
The Athletic’s Joe Buscaglia joined Graham in suggesting the Bills add a quarterback this offseason, noting that Indiana’s Kurtis Rourke could be a target for the sixth round. Rourke suffered a season-ending knee injury in January and could have time to develop slowly in Buffalo as he finishes rehab.
The Bills could have other options, including former top prospect Quinn Ewers. The Texas quarterback, once rated as the top of his draft class, has fallen down draft projections and now is seen as a potential Day 2 pick. The Bills have two second-round picks, two more in the fourth and three in the fifth — plenty of ammo to either select Ewers or move up the draft board.
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