Carolina Should Deal Derek Anderson to Buffalo

Rex Ryan’s Buffalo Bills are in the market for a quarterback.  Derek Anderson only has a year left on his 2-year deal, and Carolina will unlikely sign him to a bigger contract when it runs up.  Why not deal him for a 3rd round pick to Buffalo?  

Rex Ryan likes veteran quarterbacks who are game managers, likely because he’s never been able to develop a quarterback.  Rumors swirl in the possibility of signing Josh McCown, and some Bills fans think trading for Sam Bradford is an option.  It’s clear the Bills aren’t comfortable with EJ Manuel and want to bring in a guy with experience, who put in a good enough situation can set up the Bills defense to implement Ryan’s true gameplan.  

We’ve heard endlessly from Cam haters that Derek Anderson is the efficient pocket passer who plays well enough to win. In the time the Anderson saw while Cam was injured la, he played better than Josh McCown did in Tampa and comparable to Sam Bradford in St. Louis.  Anderson is a better option than the former and a cheaper, more reliable option than latter. 

Due only 1.4 million, Anderson is a bargain compared to Bradford who is scheduled to receive 16 million in 2015. The Rams are interested in unloading this contract, and the Bills have enough cap space to sign him. 16 million is expensive for a guy that really hasn’t had all that much success and spent more time on IR than he has on the field.  Anderson has had a comparative, if not more successful, career than the former #1 overall pick. DA’s made the Pro Bowl and the playoffs anyway. 

Cam Newton also may be the healthiest of his pro career.  Finally, he’s going to participate fully in training camp.  Add to this Carolina’s desire to lock Cam up for the long-term, Derek Anderson will likely be gone after this season anyway. He’s only got so much time left in the league, so expect him to make the most he can, when he can.  

So just how much can Carolina get for Derek Anderson? A healthy, veteran starter with some gas left in the tank can only be so cheap.  So what do you think, is a 3rd round pick asking too much, too little, or just right?

By the Professor aka Tony Dunn
Follow him on Twitter @Cat_Chronicles