When the Buffalo Bills' training camp opens on July 30, Tyrod Taylor will get a chance to earn a starting quarterback gig.
With Rex Ryan's affinity for mobile quarterbacks, Taylor will be a sneaky pick to win the job over EJ Manuel and Matt Cassel, in the most wide-open quarterback competition this year.
Taylor's former teammate with the Baltimore Ravens, safety Terrence Brooks, believes the quarterback deserves a shot to finally be an NFL starter.
"He was definitely a guy who could've been a starter," Brooks told Tyler Dunne of the Buffalo News. "But he was behind Joe Flacco, a really good guy, too. If we ever needed Tyrod, I was pretty sure he could step up to the job and do it."
Taylor's ability to run, pass and adapt on the fly are what Brooks believes sets him apart.
"He's a very versatile quarterback," Brooks said. "The kid can run. He can definitely sling the ball around. He's one of my favorite quarterbacks -- I loved playing with Tyrod. He always gave us a good look. Whenever we faced a good running quarterback, he always got us prepared. Most of the time, he was doing it better than they did."
Running a scout team in practice and taking live shots in an NFL game are two completely different tasks. Brooks also faced Taylor in college, when the quarterback last started a football game.
"No one will really know until they give him a shot," Brooks said of whether Taylor can be a starter. "That's what he's been working for -- for a while -- just to get that shot, to show everybody what he can do. What I remember from playing against him in college and the ACC Championship Game is he tore it up. I'm pretty sure he could do the same still."
Taylor has thrown just 35 passes in the NFL. According to reports, no Bills quarterback played well during last month's minicamp, so the job is there for the 25-year-old to take.
The latest Around The NFL Podcast discusses Greg Hardy's reduced suspension, and the guys debate which players are at 'The Crossroads.'
