With the NFL Draft only weeks away, Around the League will examine one big question facing all 32 teams. First up: The Buffalo Bills
How early will the Bills invest in a quarterback?
It's still a matter of when, not if. Signing Kevin Kolb does not preclude the Bills from drafting a quarterback early. Kolb's reported contract can reach $13 million with incentives over two years, but his base salaries probably will be more reflective of a highly paid backup. A guy competing to start.
Tarvaris Jackson also remains on the roster, but new coach Doug Marrone is going to draft a guy to develop. He'd be crazy not to. The only question is when.
First round: The Bills never seemed particularly likely to draft a quarterback with the No. 8 overall pick. There are plenty of questions about Geno Smith, and this draft class just doesn't have any true top-10 talent. Why take a promising question mark so high in the draft when the Bills can take a similar player in the second or third round?
Trading up: The Bills have the ninth pick in the second round, so it's possible they could move back up in to the end of the first round if they had a quarterback in mind. But the Billsdon't have any extra picks in this year's draft and every pick is valuable for a roster with this many holes. They should be better off staying put.
Second round: I still think the Bills invest at quarterback here. Whether it's Doug Marrone's college pupil Ryan Nassib, Mike Glennon, EJ Manuel, Matt Barkley or even Tyler Wilson, there still should be plenty of options available at this stage. (My strong hunch: Manuel and Smith are gone by then.)
Nassib is an intriguing talent, but he shouldn't be a guy you need to trade up to pick.
"I know (Nassib) very well," Marrone said Tuesday. "All the QBs I have seen personally have the ability to win in the NFL."
Third round: If the Bills don't jump at a quarterback in Round 2, I still fully would expect them to pick one in the middle rounds. All of the guys in this draft will take time. The later in the draft you go, the more time it should be.
"My philosophy's always been that we're in the business of developing starters," Marrone said.
Expect the Bills to find a quarterback to develop this year. Our guess is in the second round.
Follow Gregg Rosenthal on Twitter @greggrosenthal.
