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Could Nathan Peterman be the Bills opening day quarterback?

The Bills still have only one quarterback on their roster, 2017 fifth-round pick Nathan Peterman.
Aug 31, 2017; Orchard Park, NY, USA; Buffalo Bills quarterback Nathan Peterman (2) looks to make a pass during the first quarter against the Detroit Lions at New Era Field. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports

By Sal Maiorana, Rochester D&C

Given their inability, or perhaps their unwillingness, to agree to terms with any of the free agent quarterbacks who were flying off the board Tuesday as frequently as airplanes at LaGuardia, I’m wondering what the Bills’ plan is at football’s most important position.

By all accounts, Tuesday was a good day for general manager Brandon Beane when you consider he bolstered the Bills’ defensive line by corralling one of his old buddies from Carolina, Star Lotulelei, re-signing one of his new buddies in Buffalo, Kyle Williams, and also adding some depth at safety and special teams in Rafael Bush.

However, with the official start – wink, wink – of free agency looming Wednesday afternoon, the Bills still have only one quarterback on their roster, 2017 fifth-round pick Nathan Peterman.

Watching how this has played out, I’m starting to think this may have been Beane’s plan all along; trade Tyrod Taylor and Cordy Glenn to help accumulate the draft assets needed to make the big-splash trade into the top five of the first round; stay away from the absurdly over-priced free agent quarterback market and use that money to fortify other positions; and go into training camp with Peterman and the newly-drafted/purported franchise quarterback battling it out to be the starter on opening day.

The Bills were never going to be in on Kirk Cousins, and probably not Case Keenum or Sam Bradford, either. Not at those prices. The second tier was certainly a possibility, but one by one they were all scooped up – Teddy Bridgewater, Josh McCown, and Mike Glennon.

As Wednesday dawned, there was a report that the Patriots had offered the best remaining option, AJ McCarron, though there’s still no word whether he will accept it. Quite frankly, why would he with Tom Brady still planning on playing until he’s 70 years old?

Beyond McCarron, you arrive at the third tier, and at that point, would anybody blame Beane for passing on the likes of Matt Moore, Chad Henne, Derek Anderson, Mark Sanchez, Geno Smith, Drew Stanton, Blaine Gabbert, Brock Osweiler or, gasp, EJ Manuel?

The other name still floating around western New York is Super Bowl MVP Nick Foles, who might be available from the Eagles via a trade. But if the Bills are going to draft a quarterback high, then giving up assets to acquire Foles doesn’t make much sense. It’s one thing to sign a free agent, that’s just money. Trading for Foles would be costly in terms of money, and what the Bills would have to relinquish in draft picks because the Eagles have all the leverage and are going to play hardball.

Beane may sign a veteran Wednesday, and as long as he doesn’t pay a silly sum, no one will argue, just so long as the Bills are able to get the high-end rookie come April 26.

But if he continues to sit out the quarterback frenzy, it’s a risk because there’s no guarantee the rookie will be ready to play in Week 1, and there’s certainly no guarantee that Peterman is competent enough to hold down the position while the Bills wait for the rookie to emerge.

Push comes to shove, if you asked me what I would do at this stage of the game if I was Beane, I’d lean toward not signing a low-level veteran and roll the dice with Peterman and the rookie.

I’ll hang up and listen to your thoughts.

MAIORANA@Gannett.com

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