INDIANAPOLIS – At the NFL scouting combine on Tuesday, Buffalo Bills general manager Brandon Beane indicated that he does not expect to have backup quarterback and free agent Mitchell Trubisky back next year, but Beane has an idea.
“I want Peyton Manning or somebody like that if you got him,” Beane joked during his news conference. “But, in all seriousness, yeah, that's an important position. We know the quarterback position is the ultimate in all sports. So it'll be our job to find a suitable replacement, assuming we're not able to get Mitch back.”
Coach Sean McDermott also spoke about Trubisky’s time in Buffalo in the past tense.
“I really enjoyed our time with Mitch,” McDermott said Tuesday. " ... I think it's unrealistic to think that we're going to be able to have him back, but I want him to go on and do great things for him and his family, which I know he's going to do.”
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Beane and McDermott have been steadfast in their praise of Trubisky and the way he handled his role, and it will inform what type of quarterback they look for next.
“Fortunately, Josh stayed healthy, but I got nothing but positive things for him, and I feel sure he's going to get a good opportunity to at least compete for a starting job this year,” Beane said.
With the Bills operating under the impression that Trubisky will try to land somewhere where he can compete, and with Davis Webb now a New York Giant, Buffalo will need to revamp its quarterback room.
If they prefer a veteran backup quarterback, some free agent options include Ryan Fitzpatrick, Andy Dalton, Jacoby Brissett, Marcus Mariota, Teddy Bridgewater and Jameis Winston. Fitzpatrick, of course, has already spent time in Buffalo, and Dalton has already completed a touchdown pass that thrilled Bills fans.
Based off their experience with Trubisky, it seems a decent bet the Bills will try to bring in someone with experience again, but Beane is open to options. His first priority is making sure his team is prepared if anything were to happen to starter Josh Allen.
“We're going to look high and low,” Beane said. “We'll look in free agency, we can trade, we could draft, we could do all the above. But we definitely need to find that piece, because we know how Josh plays.”
