The Bills made a big splash yesterday when they made a move to get LeSean McCoy from the Philadelphia Eagles. But without a first round pick, they still did not have an option for how they were going to replace Kyle Orton after his surprise retirement last year.
But the wagons are circling in Buffalo now after they made the move to get Matt Cassel and a 2015 sixth round pick from the Minnesota Vikings for a 2015 fifth round pick and a 2016 sixth round pick. This trade is huge for the Buffalo Bills as they get some strong competition to start instead of using EJ Manuel at quarterback next year.
Cassel's best season at quarterback was in 2010 when he threw for 27 touchdowns and just 7 interceptions while getting over 3,000 yards passing. But at the same time he has struggled in any action since then, throwing for 30 touchdowns and 34 interceptions, while getting just 5,741 yards passing in the 4 seasons to follow.
Not exactly a ringing endorsement, but at the same time, Rex Ryan has won games with defense and a running game in the past, and after missing out on Josh McCown, they needed to get someone. Matt Cassel was going to be better than anyone available in free agency or in the early part of the draft. It may not be a plan for the future, but using Cassel for about the next 2-3 years and drafting a talent to bring up in the future would be a big coup for the Bills.
Now Cassel and McCoy just need someone around to show them the town. What will the Bills do next?