UPDATE: Matt Cassel has been traded to the Dallas Cowboys. The post below is from a long time ago and will be updated with more info.
The Buffalo Bills pulled off a big trade for LeSean McCoy and now Rex Ryan has found a quarterback, acquiring Matt Cassel for an undisclosed draft pick, according to media reports and this comes as the team was reportedly interested in Brian Hoyer, Mark Sanchez, Ryan Mallett and Jake Locker to step in for EJ Manuel in 2015.
The news broke on Wednesday afternoon that the Vikings traded for Cassel and now that pushes aside any plans for picking up a free agent like Brian Hoyer or Mark Sanchez.
The Bills are coming into the season with a new head coach in Rex Ryan and they are coming off of a 9-7 season and have enough cap space to be active this offseason. Ryan came in with enthusiasm and said he thinks the Bills can be a playoff team and now they have reportedly added one of the best running backs in football in LeSean McCoy. The Bills needed a new starting quarterback with Kyle Orton retiring and they now have a veteran to compete with Manuel with Cassel getting acquired.
The McCoy deal is a big move for the Bills if it goes through and as of right now, Adam Schefter and ESPN have it as done. The trade can't become official until next Tuesday and it appears to be a straight up deal for Kiko Alonso. Alonso missed last season with an ACL injury and he previously played for Eagles coach Chip Kelly at Oregon. McCoy has scored 44 touchdowns over the past six season and he gives the Bills a running back that can be a difference maker.
The deal for McCoy means CJ Spiller isn't getting re-signed and there is a chance the Bills could also ask McCoy to restructure his deal. McCoy has a cap number at nearly $12 million and is getting paid over $10 million in salary this season, which is why he was likely traded. The Bills ranked 25th in the league in rushing.
The Bills had interest in Josh McCown after he was released by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but he ended up signing with the Cleveland Browns. The Browns adding McCown means that Brian Hoyer is likely not returning to Cleveland and that makes him a potential target for the Jets with Cssel coming to the Bills. Hoyer started the season 7-4 for the Browns and had the team in playoff contention before faltering down the stretch and he could be an option for Jets to come in and hold things over until Geno Smith is ready.
Hoyer threw for 3334 yards last season with 12 touchdowns and 13 interceptions and while those stats don't jump off the page, he could be a good for for the Jets or Texans. Hoyer needs to complete better than 55 percent of his passes if he is hoping to start again in 2015 though. Cassel comes in and he has a solid offense to work with in Sammy Watkins, Fred Jackson and Robert Woods and now they are adding a versatile running back in McCoy who has the potential to be explosive.
Now that the Bills have traded for Cassel, the Jets and Texanss may look at players on the market like Ryan Mallett, Mark Sanchez and Jake Locker, while Colt McCoy or Matt Moore as potential options. Sanchez had been linked to the Bills because of his past connection to Ryan, while Mallett could be a less expensive option for the Jets if he doesn't go back to the Texans.
There were some rumors about interest in Sam Bradford last month, but Mike Rodak at ESPN.com reported that the Bills and Rams were not talking about a deal. Mike Glennon could be available from the Buccaneers if they take Jameis Winston, while Kirk Cousins has been mentioned by the Buffalo News as another potential target with the Redskins. Clearly that is all off the table after trading for Cassel.
