Tyrod Taylor: Brilliant signing or strange move for Chargers?
By Travis Wakeman
Los Angeles Chargers general manager Tom Telesco was his usual self once the NFL free-agent signing period began, searching for the best deals with re-signing some of his own players.
But one move that seemed to catch almost everyone off guard was the signing of quarterback Tyrod Taylor. The former Buffalo Bills starting quarterback was signed to a two-year deal.
Depending on who you talk to, this was either a great move by Telesco or one that made absolutely no sense. There seems to be no gray area.
In Taylor, the Chargers get one of the premiere backup quarterbacks in the league. As stated, he is a former starting quarterback and has 61 career games under his belt, with 45 starts. He is able to make plays with his arm and his feet and does a good job protecting the ball.
Should Philip Rivers ever go down, the Chargers have a great option to fall back on.
But that’s the problem. When was the last time Rivers went down? The answer would be never. He hasn’t missed a start since he took over as the team’s starting quarterback in 2006. So why sign a backup that you may never need?
The signing of Taylor pretty much eliminates the talk of the team searching for Rivers’ successor in the draft, an annual discussion. Is there any chance that Telesco sees Taylor as that successor?
More from Bolt Beat
- LA Chargers: 3 early takeaways from 2021 minicamp thus far
- LA Chargers: Drue Tranquill takes a jab at Gus Bradley’s defense
- LA Chargers second-year players: Nothing to lose and a lot to gain
- LA Chargers: Why running back could be a big issue for the Bolts
- LA Chargers: Chris Rumph’s upside is Melvin Ingram-like, but better
There are many moving parts here, but Taylor signed with the team for a reason when he could have gone somewhere like Miami, for instance, and been a starter again. But something drew him to the sunny skies of Los Angeles.
Perhaps that was his familiarity with Anthony Lynn, his former offensive coordinator in Buffalo. Or maybe Telesco sees past the two-year contract he signed. Rivers will most likely play both of those years, but what happens after that?
Taylor will turn 30 years old in August, but just looking at things for a hypothetical standpoint, he could take over for the Chargers if Rivers only plays for two more years. That’s really the only way this deal makes any sense, at least for him, unless he enjoys sitting on the bench.
So which is it? A great signing or a move that the team could have done without? It seems there’s a very thin line.