Tyrod Taylor is the man in Buffalo.
The Bills named him their starting quarterback Monday, according to Jay Glazer of Fox Sports.
Bills are going w Tyrod Taylor as their starting a QB
— Jay Glazer (@JayGlazer) August 31, 2015
Rex Ryan always has to add a layer of curiosity to any quarterback move he makes. Taylor didn’t enter Saturday’s preseason game against the Steelers until late in the second quarter. It was the Bills’ third preseason game, the one that normally most resembles regular-season play, and Taylor wasn’t facing a full starting defense.
Taylor completed 12 of 13 passes for 122 yards, but that doesn’t say a whole lot. The Bills’ four quarterbacks combined to complete 30 of 33 passes against the Steelers’ putrid defense. But Taylor added a 20-yard touchdown run in the third quarter. Although it came mostly against second-teamers, Taylor displayed the mobility that quite likely won him the job.
CLEVELAND, OH – AUGUST 20: Quarterback Tyrod Taylor #5 of the Buffalo Bills scrambles for a gain during the first half of a preseason game against the Cleveland Browns at FirstEnergy Stadium on August 20, 2015 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Tyrod Taylor
The 26-year-old Taylor hasn’t started an NFL game since being drafted in the sixth round by the Baltimore Ravens in 2011. He beat out EJ Manuel and Matt Cassel, two guys who have started in the NFL.
Manuel, the Bills’ first-round pick in 2013, went 4-6 as a starter in his rookie season, then 2-2 in the first four games last season. Manuel’s completion percentage went down in each of his starts last year. The Bills started 2-0 then lost their next two and Manuel lost his starting job to Kyle Orton.
Cassel has a couple of impressive seasons on his resume. He went 10-5 as a starter for the Patriots after Tom Brady was injured in the season opener in 2008. The Patriots fell short of the playoffs, but Cassel led the Chiefs to the AFC West title and went to the Pro Bowl two years later. However, he’s just 9-17 as a starter since then with 30 touchdowns and 34 interceptions.
With QB Tyrod Taylor starting for #Bills in Week 1, expect that either Matt Cassel or EJ Manuel will not be on Buffalo’s roster by then.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 31, 2015
Although Taylor is green as a starter, Ryan went with his upside and ability to energize the Bills’ offense over a 32-year-old whose better days are behind him and a first-round draft pick who hasn’t panned out.
Now Taylor has a chance to show what he can do without Joe Flacco ahead of him on the depth chart.