Bills GM: Cardale Jones has talent to be franchise QB
Former Ohio State quarterback Cardale Jones was once thought of as a first-round talent. He broke onto the scene late in the 2014 season, helping lead Ohio State to a national championship, but was unable to replicate that form the following season and was ultimately benched.
Because of this, Jones slipped all the way to the fourth round, where the Buffalo Bills scooped him up to add to their crowded quarterback room.
Bills general manager Doug Whaley said that although Jones will enter the offseason as the team's No. 3 passer, he's a potential franchise player.
"We think our situation's good for him," Whaley said, according to Vic Carucci of The Buffalo News. "He's going to come in and be a three, be able to develop, be able to learn under some professionals that have been at their craft for a while, with EJ (Manuel) and Tyrod (Taylor).
"We like his skill set. He's got the talent to possibly be a franchise guy. Is he there yet? Absolutely not. He's got a lot of work and a lot of ways to go. But this guy's driven, this guy's a proven winner; he's undefeated."
Taylor impressed in his first season as the team's starter, but the Bills appear reluctant to commit to him long term. Manuel was meant to be their franchise quarterback after they selected him in the first round in 2013, but his lack of development means he's closer to being shown the door than handed the keys to the franchise.
Jones looks the part of a franchise quarterback, standing 6-foot-5 and 253 pounds with an arm capable of hitting every throw. However, his inconsistency, lack of game experience, and issues with ball placement means he'll need time to grow.
The Bills appear prepared to give him that time. With Taylor set to start in 2016, the team won't be required to rush Jones onto the field - as many teams are forced to do with rookie passers - which should help him transition to the speed and complexity of the NFL level.
"We thought the upside was so big … because we looked at it as basically a fifth-round pick," Whaley said. "So if you hit on this fifth-round pick, we thought, 'Boom!' The upside is great. We feel his floor at the bottom of his talent level is a solid No. 2, so to get a solid No. 2 in the fifth round, we thought, was good value."