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Following the surprising trade of Pro Bowl quarterback Alex Smith to the Washington Redskins earlier this week, Kirk Cousins is an even more highly sought out commodity around the league.
One of the teams that have been prominently mentioned in the conversation are the Buffalo Bills due to their need to address their quarterback situation. However, Mark Gaughan of Buffalo News has stated that the expected price tag on Cousins is expected to be well out of the Bills' range.
Buffalo currently has Tyrod Taylor under contract for the 2018 season for $18 million with $10 million in base salary, $6 million in roster bonus, and $2 million in bonuses. This could see the team part ways with Taylor before the entire $6 roster bonus becomes guaranteed on March 16.
It was a rollercoaster-type 2017 season for the 28-year-old that saw him lose his starting job in the second half of the season to rookie Nathan Peterman and regain it to lead the Bills to their first playoff appearance since 1999. He finished with respectable numbers, throwing for 2,799 yards with 14 touchdowns to four interceptions while holding an 89.2 passer rating. He also rushed for 427 yards with four touchdowns.
Taylor is in the prime of his career and has proven to be a reliable quarterback in Buffalo. However, the team has yet to take the next step with him under center since he took over the starting duties three seasons ago. This, along with Peterman's obvious struggles in his limited action, may lead to the team looking externally for another option at the position.
The front office could push to move up in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft to take a quarterback as they currently hold the 21st and 22nd overall picks. The Bills could package one or both selections to move higher in the draft order to take a promising talent such as Oklahoma's Baker Mayfield, who they have already expressed interest in at the senior bowl last week.
They could also look to add a veteran quarterback in free agency for competition in training camp with Taylor. There should be a plethora of options available to the Bills over the next few months.
