A week after Buffalo Bills' General Manager Doug Whaley told reporters the team is "almost in quarterback purgatory", it now appears a front-runner is emerging in the quarterback race. The Buffalo News' reporters Tyler Dunne and Vic Carucci, broke down why they believe Cassel is the clear leader to start for the Bills in week.
Rex Ryan announced days before the game that Cassel would start the preseason opener against the Carolina Panthers on August 14. It would allow Cassel the opportunity to work with other starters so the coaching staff can get a better look at how he fares.
Ryan's announcement connects with what Carucci and Dunne spoke of in the video. Cassel did something neither Tyrod Taylor nor EJ Manuel have done in training camp, he "put together two solid days of practice." Dunne added the quarterback job is "certainly Cassel's to lose.".
With Cassel set to start the opener and as of now being the projected starting quarterback for the regular season, Taylor will work with the second-team offense against the Panthers. The report on Cassel does come not long after WKBW in Buffalo reported Taylor has stood out the most among the quarterbacks. Taylor should see at least a quarter of game action, so the opportunity will be there for him to prove he should be the starter.
This quarterback competition is far from over; Ryan has said Buffalo could wait until Week 1 to announce it's starting quarterback. One thing is clear though, Manuel's shot at starting has likely gone out the window with another poor training camp.
Fantasy Spin:
If Cassel is named the Bills' starting quarterback for the regular season, fantasy owners can continue to keep him far away from the fantasy radar. The last four seasons between Kansas City and Minnesota have shown he is not a good starting quarterback. His job will be to hand the ball off to LeSean McCoy and just try and complete passes to Charles Clay, Sammy Watkins and Robert Woods.
If Taylor were to win the starting job, he becomes a consideration in daily fantasy football if the right matchup comes along. His ability to run the read-option and pick up rushing yards makes him a potential target under the right circumstances.