2017 NFL Free Agency: 5 Possible Destinations for Tyrod Taylor

Buffalo Bills quarterback Tyrod Taylor looks like he may be available very soon and, if so, which five teams might scoop him up in 2017 NFL free agency?

He isn't on the open market yet, but the presumption is that he will be. Buffalo Bills quarterback Tyrod Taylor is coming up on a clause in his contract which would pay him $30 million and the ownership is reportedly not interested in bringing him back. According to NFL Insider Jason La Canfora, the front office and coaches disagree on bringing him back, but let's be honest, the men signing the checks should win this battle:

If—or more likely when—Taylor becomes available, the young quarterback will become a hot commodity. Players at his position with solid starting experience rarely become available—and this is even less common in free agency when a draft pick doesn't have to be surrendered. Here we look at the five teams most likely to go after Taylor if this scenario plays out as expected.

Jan 15, 2017; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid looks over a chart during the first quarter against the Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC Divisional playoff game at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports

5. Kansas City Chiefs

Wait a minute, the Kansas City Chiefs have their quarterback right? Well, they have a quarterback in Alex Smith. He's a winning quarterback who constantly has the Chiefs in position to be contenders year after year. He even went to the NFC Championship game for his previous team, the San Francisco 49ers. The problem is, Smith has never been seen as anything more than a game manager.

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Smith is a safe player, but also is known for being the king of the throw away. He excels at throwing the ball out of bounds and living for the next play. While the ability to do this without risking a turnover is a great trait, it can be a problem if a player goes to it too often as the former first overall pick does.

When Smith got to Kansas City, he was seen as a much needed upgrade over Matt Cassel. Now fans are ready to see him head out the door and Tyrod Taylor could be an option for them as an upgrade. Taylor offers much of the same ball protection as Smith while also offering even more mobility. Perhaps he could even keep the ball inbounds on third downs.

For Taylor, it makes sense too. Head coach Andy Reid is great at getting the most out of his quarterbacks and the team overall is a huge upgrade over the Buffalo Bills.

Oct 29, 2016; London, United Kingdom; Washington Redskins coach Jay Gruden (center) speaks flanked by defensive end Chris Baker (92), linebacker Ryan Kerrigan (91), receiver DeSean Jackson (11), receiver Pierre Garcon (88) and quarterback Kirk Cousins (8) during the NFL International Series Fan Rally at the Victoria House. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

4. Washington Redskins

So this one makes sense under the condition that it only applies if the Washington Redskins trade their starting quarterback away. There are rumors that the Redskins could be interested in trading current starter Kirk Cousins and his back-to-back 4,000-yard seasons to the San Francisco 49ers. In all honesty, it makes no sense that Washington is willing to trade Cousins, but there's plenty of smoke around such a move. And where's there's smoke, there's fire.

If he is shipped off to rejoin his former offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan in San Fran, then Washington would need a quarterback badly. Some rumors linked them to soon-to-be former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo, but that won't happen. The Boys have always done Romo right and he isn't heading to a team that could jeopardize his standing with the team and their fans.

That means the next person in the quarterback dominoes left to fall for Washington could be Taylor. With wide receivers DeSean Jackson and Pierre Garcon set to leave via free agency, Washington could use a guy like Taylor. His ability to make things happen on the fly with both his arms and legs could go a long way in helping an offensive in transition.

Feb 9, 2017; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan and Mandy Shanahan pose for a photo during a press conference at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

3. San Francisco 49ers

On the other side of the Kirk Cousins rumor mill is the San Francisco 49ers. If the Washington Redskins wise up and realize paying Cousins isn't the worst thing in the world, then the 49ers suddenly become a team in dire need of a quarterback.

Owning the second overall pick in the draft, the Niners could go ahead and have their pick of players should the Cleveland Browns really be sold on defensive end Myles Garrett. So then the question becomes whether or not new head coach Kyle Shanahan wants to work with a rookie like DeShaun Watson from Clemson or Mitchell Trubisky from North Carolina? Or does he prefer a veteran like Tyrod Taylor?

Shanahan's history suggests he can do either. As the Redskins offensive coordinator, he won a lot with Robert Griffin III as quarterback during his rookie season. He also won the one game RG3 missed while starting Kirk Cousins, who was also a rookie. Shanahan also worked well with veterans. Matt Schaub led the NFL in passing one season with Shanahan as his offensive coordinator with the Houston Texans and Matt Ryan won the NFL MVP Award last season while he held the same position with the Atlanta Falcons.

Dec 24, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns fans wait for the start of the game between the Browns and the San Diego Chargers at FirstEnergy Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

2. Cleveland Browns

One of the biggest possibilities for Taylor is to wind up with the Cleveland Browns. Yes, this seems like a death sentence for NFL players as they have become lovable losers and are fresh off a 1-15 season. However, they are also in need of a new starting quarterback—more so than any other team—and they have a reported $103 million in money to spend in free agency.

The Browns are apparently determined to spend their first-overall pick on defensive end Myles Garrett. They also own the 12th overall pick, but there's no guarantee that a quarterback they like (or like that much) will be available there. That means the team could try to go for a signal-caller in free agency and find more weapons for him with that selection.

Head coach Hue Jackson seems to prefer veteran passers. Rather than draft Carson Wentz out of North Dakota State a season ago, the team brought in Robert Griffin III and went with him as the starter. RG3 got hurt like he always does, but that won't deter Jackson from trying again. Taylor could very well be what he hoped Griffin would be and could help the Browns in their rebuild.

Nov 27, 2016; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Jets quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick (14) and quarterback Bryce Petty (9) stretch prior to their game against the New England Patriots at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

1. New York Jets

The final choice is for Taylor to stay in state. Well, not really. The Buffalo Bills play in the great state of New York, but the New York Jets actually play in New Jersey. Still, he could stay in the AFC East and join their divisional rivals.

New York is in need of a new starter with both Geno Smith and Ryan Fitzpatrick not only playing awful, but also set for free agency. Behind them has been Bryce Petty and Christian Hackenberg. Petty got some time under center last year and looked pretty raw, while Hackenberg wasn't even allowed near the field by his team. That doesn't bode well if you saw what they were willing to put on the field last season.

Taylor would be a big upgrade over all their options and the Jets could be intriguing to him as well even after they moved on from veteran Brandon Marshall. New York still has Eric Decker and Quincy Enunwa at the position and could add some more talent with the sixth overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft.

All that could make the Jets the most enticing team to Taylor—and that's without even discussing the joy of sticking to the Bills for moving on from him twice a season.