The Buffalo Bills draft a quarterback in the first round of last year's draft and yet they still appear to be unsettled at the position. EJ Manuel certainly felt his fair share of rookie struggles in 2013 along with suffering numerous knee injuries that kept him off the field. The Bills were once again forced to start backup quarterbacks, something they would ideally like to avoid. With the NFL offseason quickly approaching, could the team target a trade for a potential starter?
Head coach Doug Marrone has voiced his support for Manuel. However, the quarterback has just undergone another knee surgery. Manuel stressed that it was simply a minor cleanup procedure and he would 100 percent be ready by the time organized team activities rolled around, but his injury certainly does not work in his favor and the Bills are seeking stability at the position.
Mike Rodak of ESPN.com reports the Bills could be the team that lands Washington Redskins backup Kirk Cousins in a trade. The Bills need options and depth at the quarterback position. Last season proved that to be true. Cousins has made it public that he wants to be traded to a team that would allow him to truly compete for a starting job since that is not an option with the Redskins.
"Nothing changes from the day I was drafted," said Cousins on Sirius XM radio. "There's no chance to compete, so if I can't get it in D.C., I'd be open to having that chance somewhere else. I just wanted to make sure my opinion was known to my agent and to the Redskins. I wanted to be proactive. My desire was to communicate my willingness to be traded and my desire to compete. I'd love the opportunity to be a starting quarterback. I'm not entitled to that, but just the chance to compete to know if I can play at a high level."
The biggest question is what it would take to acquire Cousins from the Redskins if the team is willing to let him go in the first place. The backup is not worth a first-round pick. Both Kevin Kolb and Matt Cassel were worth second-round draft picks but even that seems unlikely for the backup. Cousins was drafted in the fourth round so either a third or fourth-round pick might be the most he gets Washington.
The Bills will bring in someone else to help at the quarterback position. This year's draft class is very quarterback heavy so the team could draft someone late. However, pairing a rookie with a second-year quarterback that spent a portion of the year injured does not seem like the best option.
