January 31, 2016; Honolulu, HI, USA; Team Rice quarterback Tyrod Taylor of the Buffalo Bills (5) passes the football during the third quarter of the 2016 Pro Bowl game at Aloha Stadium. Team Irvin defeated Team Rice 49-27. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Tyrod Taylor working towards contract extension with the Bills before the season ends

Last season was an audition season for Buffalo Bills’ head coach, Rex Ryan, and starting quarterback, Tyrod Taylor. Although the season didn’t end as expected, it wasn’t a completely lost season for the Bills. When you bring in a new coach and quarterback, you need to be prepared to give them some time to get settled.

With that being said, things didn’t actually go that bad at all. They finished last season 8-8, but some of those losses could’ve gone either way. Two of those losses, against the Philadelphia Eagles and Jacksonville Jaguars, were decided by 3 points. Don’t forget that EJ Manuel was the quarterback for the Jaguars’ loss, as well as the loss before that against the Cincinnati Bengals. Another tough one came against the New England Patriots in Week 11, when we lost by one touchdown.

Those four games definitely made a difference. Say the Bills had closed those games out and took home the victory. They would’ve finished the season 12-4 — good enough for first place in the AFC East above the New England Patriots. That record would’ve also been enough for a shot at a playoff run. Wasn’t that the goal at the beginning of the season?

According to Sal Capaccio, “both sides are open to an in-season contract extension.”

However, let’s not dwell on what could’ve been. Instead, let’s focus on what could be. There has been a lot of speculation on Tyrod Taylor and his future with the Bills. With his contract coming to its final year, everyone knows that this season is make-or-break for Taylor. Yes, he did have an exceptional year last season, especially since it was his first starting job. The Bills are looking for a quarterback that can be consistent, though. That has been a huge problem in the 716-area ever since Jim Kelly retired.

Last season, Taylor finished with 3,035 yards and completed 242 of his 380 passes. He threw for 20 touchdowns and only threw 6 interceptions, but only averaged 8 yards per pass. With a rating of 99.4, he definitely rose above his expectations last year.

This offseason, which was marked as a “win” by Rex Ryan, the team made huge strides with their roster and filled a lot of looming holes. Their expanded receiving corps will give Tyrod Taylor plenty of hands to throw to, with Kolby Listenbee coming out of this year’s draft and Dezmin Lewis, who we drafted in 2015. Not to mention, this offseason was the first time in 20 years that the Bills brought back all five of their starting offensive lineman, as well as their top running back and receiver. The chemistry they have built together should translate well into this season.

We’ve seen a lot of teams start to take chances on quarterbacks that have a lot of potential, although they haven’t fully proven themselves yet. For example, the Houston Texans signed Brock Osweiler to a four year, $72 million contract this offseason. Compared to Taylor, Osweiler’s season wasn’t as exceptional, especially since Taylor posted better stats over a longer period of time.

So, should that same contract be applied to Taylor just because the Texans felt like spending that much? Absolutely not. And I think all sides of this negotiation — the Bills, Tyrod Taylor and his agent — understand that. The fact that they haven’t reached an agreement to an extension yet is causing a lot of people to worry about if it will ever happen.

Well, here’s some good news for Bills’ fans. Sal Capaccio of WGR 550 Buffalo has heard good updates on the status of Taylor’s contract. According to Sal Capaccio, “both sides are open to an in-season contract extension.” What that means is that they aren’t really interested in signing a contract extension before the season starts and would rather wait until mid-season. That would give them enough time to see if he could really be the answer moving forward, which I think everyone is hoping for.

At the combine, Bills’ GM Doug Whaley originally reached out to Taylor and his representatives about an extension. However, Tyrod thought that they needed to work a few things out with the deal.

My take on this is that the Bills will either sign Taylor to an extension mid-season or they’ll wait until the offseason and sign or place the franchise tag on the quarterback.

If they sign mid-season, the deal would reflect how the season has been going and also could just be to save money. By signing him mid-season, the hit against the Bills’ cap wouldn’t be as hard as if they did it this year. If he continues to prove himself, the Bills will feel better about a long-term extension. If there’s still a little bit of doubt, they might seek a two-year extension to give them a little more time.

The franchise tag would probably be “Plan Z” for the Bills. With cornerback Stephon Gilmore also entering the final year of his contract, they might want to save that franchise tag for Gilmore. If so, the Bills will want to make their decision on Tyrod Taylor first.

As of right now, we are seeing this as a step forward with the negotiation. It seems both sides are interested in a contract extension, they just have to work on ironing out the specifics of the deal first.

Do you agree with Rex Ryan? What do you see happening this season with Tyrod’s contract? Leave comments below.