Bills face intriguing offseason after playoff loss

The Buffalo Bills reached the postseason for the first time since 1999. Unfortunately, they are still looking for their first playoff win dating back to 1995. The team fell 10-3 in an ugly game against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The contest was largely a defensive battle thanks to a great Jaguars defence and a completely inept Blake Bortles. It’s not often that you can win a playoff game without 100 yards passing, but Bortles got it done. Regardless, Buffalo went home as many expected it would, and now the questions of the future begin.

The Bills have a new power couple in general manager Brandon Beane and head coach Sean McDermott. Beane spent much of the first year on the job getting rid of some of the veteran players. He traded away Sammy Watkins and Ronald Darby on the same August day. He then brought back E.J Gaines, Jordan Matthews and draft picks. Buffalo also dealt Marcell Dareus halfway through the season for another pick, adding to the hoard it already had. Factor in the first-round choice from the Kansas City Chiefs, the 2018 draft is full of Buffalo’s selections.

Of course, much of the offseason is going to be centered around Tyrod Taylor. Taylor had a new deal put in place before this season. Then he was benched by McDermott back in November in favor of rookie Nathan Peterman. Peterman than promptly proved McDermott’s decision to be one of the worst in NFL history. The youngster threw more interceptions in a half of football than Taylor did for the entire regular season.

Future

Taylor, 28, has a cap hit of $18.08 million in 2018, and the Bills can cut bait and save $9.44 million. That could be a very enticing option with both Kirk Cousins hitting the free agent market (don’t bet on this, Buffalo isn’t exactly a free agent destination) and a good crop of rookie quarterbacks in the draft. With the 21st and 22nd-overall picks in the draft, Beane could move up and try to select Sam Darnold, Josh Rosen or Josh Allen. The Bills could also stand pat and potentially land Baker Mayfield out of the University of Oklahoma or Louisville star Lamar Jackson.

Frankly, Buffalo would be better off moving on from Taylor in the long term. The Buffalo Bills aren’t going to win big with him, and with two first-round choices, there will never be a better time to take a shot at landing the first franchise quarterback the city has had since Jim Kelly.

It might have lost in the opening round of the playoffs, but for once, the Buffalo Bills appear to have a bright future ahead.