Tyrod Taylor Set to Join Loaded 2018 Free Agent QB Class

It was generally felt that Tyrod Taylor was on borrowed time when the Buffalo Bills overhauled their power structure and drafted Nathan Peterman.

Despite going 5-2 to start the year and playing well, two-straight losses presented the opportunity it’s clear the Bills coaches were waiting for. Taylor is headed for the bench while Peterman takes over. Suddenly the fate of Taylor seems clear as crystal. Due a large guarantee in 2018 by the start of the league year, the odds are heavily in favor of Buffalo cutting ties with him. That means Taylor will join what could end up being one of the most fascinating quarterback free agent classes ever.

Normally QB is a wasteland during the free agent periods. No teams in their right minds would allow a top passer to hit the market. This coming offseason could be an exceedingly rare abberation. Just look at the list of names that could be available.

• Kirk Cousins
• Case Keenum
• Sam Bradford
• Teddy Bridgewater
• Jay Cutler
• Jimmy Garoppolo
• A.J. McCarron

This isn’t counting fringe names like Eli Manning who could be seeking a new home depending on what their current team has planned. Taylor is yet another solid player to join the oddly diverse collection of talents. Cousins is the big fish of course, but Keenum is red hot in Minnesota. Garoppolo still hasn’t signed any extension with San Francisco and McCarron was the target of an aggressive trade by Cleveland last month.

It stands to reason given his productivity in Buffalo that Taylor is going to get plenty of attention next March. The current status of the 2018 draft class makes that clear. A lot of experts aren’t sold on its QB crop. That makes a veteran like him far more attractive. He’ll likely land on a team that sees his value. Meanwhile the Bills are about to find out whether they made the right decision.

Next: 2018 NFL Mock Draft: Browns Muck Things Up Again

Planning for the future while the chance to make the playoffs for the first time in 18 years is still up for grabs? That’s a somewhat selfish choice.