The Tyrod Taylor decision is the biggest one the Bills will make this offseason. That’s why head coach Sean McDermott said it will be one he and GM Doug Whaley take all the time they need to make.
Bills Insider Chris Brown provides the details. Here is his report:
One thing that Sean McDermott has made clear is that he is a methodical decision maker. He doesn’t take any decision in his role as Bills head coach lightly. On Tuesday at the NFL Combine, McDermott said that methodical process will be used in partnership with GM Doug Whaley in making the call on whether to pick up the option to extend the contract of Tyrod Taylor.
“I’ve enjoyed getting to know Tyrod and I’ve been impressed by his work ethic and he’s won a number of games for this organization,” McDermott told Buffalobills.com. “Having said that the process continues. The decision making process that is. We’re going to exhaust every resource, every avenue and every option available to us before we make that decision.”
The Bills have until March 11th, the deadline on Taylor’s contract option, before a decision must be made. McDermott said their process may go right up until that date.
“If that’s what it takes yes,” he said. “We’re going to be methodical with all of our decisions. This position is critical. The quarterback position in the league is critical to the success of your football team. So we’re going to take all the time necessary to make the right decision for this organization both in the short and the long term.”
As a coach there are primary factors McDermott is seeking in the player who will run his offense. It’s evident he appreciates the games Taylor has won for the Bills over the past two seasons. He’s been taken with Taylor’s approach to the game as he has worked tirelessly the past several weeks at One Bills Drive to get back to full health following elective surgery.
McDermott also said he values a quarterback’s intangibles and Taylor is a respected leader in Buffalo’s locker room. He lifts teammates up and they believe in him. Not only is he one of the club’s most gifted athletes, he’s one of the most dedicated workers, on the practice field and in the weight room.
Buffalo’s sideline boss has drawn his own conclusions and sought input from his coaches as well as the personnel department.
“I lean on my coaching staff and the scouting staff the same way,” he said. “The coaches have done a great job of evaluating each and every player and so have the scouts. We’ve had great, productive, healthy meetings.”
Part of the process for the Bills brass is also comparing Taylor’s skill set to what else could be out there on the open market and whether Taylor is a superior option to other potential quarterback additions.
“The process is something you look at from all different angles,” said McDermott. “So you compare Tyrod based on the quarterback position and the intangibles we look for, the critical factors of the position. Yes, you look at it from other angles as well, that includes other candidates that are out there in free agency.”
If there is one part of the evaluation process that they have settled it’s that Taylor’s skill set does fit the requirements of offensive coordinator Rick Dennison’s offensive scheme.
“It absolutely fits what Rick wants to do,” McDermott told Buffalobills.com. “Having said that a lot of players fit what we want to do in our system. It’s a great system. That’s one of the reasons I hired Rick. We look forward to putting pieces together to build this team the right way.”
Last month Taylor in an appearance on the John Murphy Show expressed his desire to be back with the team in 2017 in the wake of the coaching change.
“Of course,” said Taylor when asked if he wanted to be back. “I know the team very well. I know how close we are as a team. I know the talent that we have on the team. We can be a very special team, especially with the right leadership, and I believe we have some coaches in that are definitely ready to go out there and make us work and get things turned around.”
Ultimately, the decision will rest with McDermott and Doug Whaley who have been entrusted with finalizing the call that’s made on Taylor.
“Doug (Whaley) and I are going to work on this together and that’s what we’re here to do. This is a team within a team, as I mentioned earlier. I’m counting on Doug as well as he’s counting on me. I’ve got a lot of trust in Doug and his staff, and we’re off to a great start,” said McDermott. “We’re going to put people in positions who want to be with us and want to play the caliber of football we’re looking to play.”