different, and if they are right, they figure months of rehab are

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- How good is Tyrod Taylor? Well, hes better than you think he is. Yes, seriously. He ranked seventh in Total QBR last year and is No. 8 so far this season. That complicated metric makes the Buffalo Bills quarterback look like one of the better quarterback bargains around.But while he might be better than you think, Taylor still isnt as good as he thinks he could be.To be one of the best -- if not the best -- to play this game, Taylor said last month in response to the question of what drives him. I think, with my skill set, if I maximize the potential that I have, I can definitely be remembered as one of the best this league has had.Is he crazy? Taylor isnt in anyones top 10 of current QBs. He has started 22 NFL games and thrown for 300 yards in none of them. Because he was behind Joe Flacco in Baltimore, he didnt get to start until he was 26 years old, and only when two guys in front of him on the 2015 Bills depth chart flopped.Yet Taylor, whose Bills take on the Seahawks in a Monday Night Football matchup in Seattle, is the guy Buffalo considers to be its franchise quarterback. Sort of.We feel like, if we have a good defense and a running game to support him, we can do kind of what Seattle did with Russell Wilson, Bills offensive coordinator Anthony Lynn said last week. He knows that the formula to win here may not be throwing for 400 yards per game. But when hes had people around him, he has made plays.The Wilson comparison has come up throughout the past week thanks to the Monday night meeting. For some, it fits because Taylors running ability is such a big part of his game -- as it was with Wilson prior to this season -- and because Wilson has always had a strong defense and run game to support him.The comparison falls apart, though, when you look at records. Wilson has won at the very highest level on a consistent basis for a number of years. He has elevated a substandard receiver corps. He has delivered in the fourth quarter -- an area in which Taylor has so far fallen woefully short. Comparing Buffalos defense in Taylors tenure to the defense Wilson has had in Seattle is ridiculous. But, at this point, Taylors ability to win with a high-quality defense is still a matter of speculation, whereas with Wilson there is proof.Theres a learning curve, and a year and a half into being a starter, hes still going through some things, Lynn said. But if youre able to move around, that gives you some time to figure some things out. Theres a lot of upside to him.The way Taylor is viewed inside the Bills building might not match up with the mezza-mezza perception the outside world has of him, but in a lot of ways its the only perspective that matters. Buffalo gave Taylor a new contract in the offseason that raised his 2016 salary over $9 million and established a series of option years beginning in 2017. If Taylor flops, the Bills can walk away. They could pick over a free-agent crop that includes the likes of Kirk Cousins, Jay Cutler and Ryan Fitzpatrick (whos already been through there), or they could turn to a trade market that might feature Tony Romo.If he doesnt, and they pick up his option, his 2017 salary cap number would be just over $15.9 million -- the 20th highest among quarterbacks currently signed for next season. His 2018 cap number would be only $16.78 million. What that actually means, believe it or not, is that its likely a no-brainer for the Bills to pick up Taylors option.[Taylor] is an interesting guy, said one NFL talent evaluator whose team will not be in the offseason quarterback market. He throws a good deep ball, and the legs are obviously a big plus. I think it helped him being in Baltimore those years. You can see he has that veteran cool about him.Taylor agrees with the notion that spending his early years as a backup in a winning environment in Baltimore was a benefit to him. He says he learned a lot being around veterans like Ray Lewis, Haloti Ngata and Ed Reed (whos now a member of the Buffalo coaching staff) that prepared him to take advantage of his chance to start when it arrived.Watching those guys come to work every day with their mindset, even after years of being in the league, seeing what drove those guys made me better as a player, Taylor said. It encouraged me in the days when I thought, Oh, man, maybe the opportunity wont come.The Bills are pleased they gave Taylor his opportunity. The way they look at it, he works for them -- or would, if they could get their running back corps and wide receiver group healthy.Taylor has barely had Sammy Watkins, who missed three games last year then another six this year, and has played hurt much of the time hes been on the field. Taylor has also played the past couple of weeks without feature back LeSean McCoy. Robert Woods has been in and out. Keep in mind that Total QBR stat in which Taylor looks so good favors quarterbacks whose supporting casts are substandard. And while Taylors offensive line has actually performed well this year, the skill position group around him has been an injury-riddled mess.Tyrods going to be fine, Bills coach Rex Ryan said after a loss Oct. 30 to New England, in which Taylor was a somewhat miserable 19-for-38 for 183 yards but chipped in 48 yards and a touchdown as a runner. It seems like every week Im defending him, and I dont understand why.Its because Taylor doesnt give off the impression of a very good NFL quarterback, but there are numbers that say otherwise. In todays NFL, where there arent 32 perfect quarterback solutions, hes a better long-term solution for the Bills than you might think he is. Cheap Air Max 97 Pink China . Halladay signed a one-day contract with the Toronto Blue Jays on Monday that allowed the veteran right-hander to retire as a member of team with which he broke into the majors and spent the bulk of his distinguished 16-year career. Cheap Air Max 97 All Blue China .H. -- Matt Kenseth made it 2 for 2 in the Chase, holding off teammate Kyle Busch to win Sunday at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. http://www.cheapairmax97fromchina.com/ . DAmigo scored twice in regulation and added the shootout winner as the Toronto Marlies edged the San Antonio Rampage 5-4 in American Hockey League action. Cheap Air Max 97 Orange China .C. -- Al Jefferson joked that he feels he can score from anywhere on the court. Cheap Air Max 97 White China .Y. - New York City has been selected to host the NBA All-Star weekend in 2015, with the game played at Madison Square Garden and the slam dunk contest and other skills events held at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. Johnny Manziel has indicated to people privately that his best chance at a return to the NFL might be 2017, and now a four-game suspension to start 2016 makes it all but certain that he wont see an NFL field or sideline this year.The 2017 theme is not a new one, either. NFL observers and some close to him have understood that message for months, and everyone knows Manziel isnt close to being in game shape.For the NFL, the violation of the leagues substance abuse policy simply reinforces the reasons not to sign him. When I asked an NFL personnel executive recently about Manziels chances, he believes teams arent looking at Manziel through a football prism anymore. Its about getting his life on track, the exec said. Thats it.Even if Manziel got a tryout somewhere, he doesnt have an agent to set it up, and his parents have trouble reaching him, according to a close family friend. Who knows if he would show up to a meeting.A Manziel spokesperson would not comment on the suspension when reached Thursday.Perhaps the four games -- coupled with the threat of additional games under the cloud of the personal conduct policy -- will shake Manziel to his core. The misdemeanor assault charge for allegedly rupturing the eardrum of ex-girlfriend Colleen Crowley isnt going away. Getting eligible for half of the 2016 season would be considered a victory.But heres the thing about Manziel telling TMZ that he plans to sober up in July: He has made promises before, and often they go unfulfilled.ddddddddddddPeople close to him hope this time is different, and if they are right, they figure months of rehab are the best -- if not the only -- way back. Such a commitment would greatly diminish his chance of preparing for a roster spot this year.Jim Darnell, Manziels attorney, has maintained to ESPN that Manziel is working through his issues and hopes its not too late for football.I know his resolve, Darnell said.The tenor from others in private circles can sound much different.Football? Many feel this is a crisis beyond sports.Manziel also has potential financial hurdles to clear.He faces a lawsuit for his alleged role in trashing an L.A. rental home, and Darnell said he has spoken to the attorney representing the car company that loaned a car to Manziel and friends. That car was totaled in an April accident. Celebrity nightclub appearance fees, if there are any, wont pay the bills. Endorsements that once could have reached about $8 million over multiple years are now gone.Even a sober, focused Manziel would be at the mercy of the NFLs backup quarterback currency.Thats if he really loves football, which many people in the league seriously doubt.He has the next six months to prove that notion wrong. ' ' '