It's always hard to pick and choose what's realistic and what's not among the various rumors that float around the NFL offseason. It becomes even more difficult when evaluating rumors around a player whose future is a complete unknown.
That's pretty much what Taysom Hill is at this point. It's not that his talent is in question. We've seen him throw accurate balls on the run. We've witnessed his ability as a tight end, whether he's plowing through opponents as a blocker or he's on the receiving end, where he caught six touchdowns last season. He runs, he jumps and he excites. Clearly, he holds tremendous value.
The question, though, is at what position he holds the most value. Most of the buzz surrounding Hill is as a future franchise quarterback, but it's unknown which teams would be willing to commit to that. He has thrown a total of 13 regular season passes in his NFL career and wasn't anything special as a college quarterback at BYU. His career numbers? 6-13 with 119 yards, no touchdowns and an interception.
However, he has been all the rage this offseason, perhaps in part because Saints head coach touted him as a Steve Young-type player. His potential is through the roof, but his floor is also fairly low given the sample size. Which teams could take the gamble? And which rumors can we consider less viable than others? Let's break it down and buy or sell different situations.
Buffalo Bills
Bills QB Josh Allen sits on the field.
Getty Images
We shouldn't consider the Bills a completely unrealistic landing spot for Hill. However, they seem to be set on Josh Allen as their franchise quarterback. Sal Capaccio of our Buffalo affiliate, WGR 550, calls him "the clear-cut starter with no questions." Still, they could use a backup, and Hill would be able to perform in a similar dual role to what he did in New Orleans. Dawson Knox was a third-round investment at tight end, though, and doesn't seem ready to relinquish his spot as the starter. Besides, Hill wants to play quarterback, not tight end.
Verdict: Sell
Philadelphia Eagles
Eagles QB Carson Wentz reacts to a play.
Getty Images
Load management has had a strong presence in the NBA for stars like Kawhi Leonard and LeBron James, but it hasn't really taken hold as a viable strategy in the NFL. Recently, the idea popped up about the Eagles utilizing load management for Carson Wentz in order to preserve his health. Splitting snaps with Hill would foreseeably do exactly that. However, I can't imagine this being a real possibility: from all that we've heard, the Eagles are all in on Wentz and have no plans in allowing him to split time with another quarterback.
Verdict: Sell
New England Patriots
Patriots QB Tom Brady looks down during a game.
Getty Images
If Tom Brady goes elsewhere, which is the biggest story line in all of sports, then the Patriots are going to be shoppers. However, most reports seem to indicate that the Patriots will be looking for a "bridge quarterback" for the next couple of years as opposed to a franchise quarterback. Veterans like Andy Dalton, Philip Rivers and Brady himself seem to be the best options in that light. That said, you can't take Hill out of the equation. He wouldn't be the most costly of options, something the Patriots are sure to keep in mind, and Bill Belichick can devise something to best fit the team's needs. In essence, he could be a cheap bridge quarterback if he doesn't seem to be the franchise quarterback. But if it does work out, then the Patriots have found their answer to the Tom Brady sweepstakes.
Verdict: Buy… hesitantly
Carolina Panthers
Panthers QB Cam Newton takes reps during practice.
Getty Images
We'll have to wait and see how Newton looks once some training takes place before we know where he'll end up. If he gets traded out of Carolina, Taysom Hill seems to be a perfect replacement. He's mobile, he would play with perhaps the most dynamic offensive player in the league and would get to work with two recent college coaches that can help to mold him. Even if the Panthers do hold on to Cam Newton, the Panthers just got rid of Greg Olsen. And I know this goes against Hill not wanting to be a tight end, but Newton isn't exactly the most stable option at quarterback, meaning Hill could step in at any time. Whatever the case, the Panthers rebuild "starts and ends with the quarterback" according to Tony Pauline in an interview with WFNZ.
Verdict: Buy
Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger watches from the sidelines.
Getty Images
Similarly to the Saints, the Steelers are locked into Ben Roethlisberger for one or two more seasons (depending on his health and whether or not they eat the dead cap space it would require to release him after this year). After that, though, all bets are off. In a smaller sample size, the Steelers utilized Jaylen Samuels as a jack-of-all-trades offensive weapon. He was 4-5 last season as a passer, toted the rock 66 times as a running back and caught 47 passes as a running back and tight end hybrid. Clearly, Tomlin isn't afraid to get creative, and Hill could fit in the system nicely.
Verdict: Buy
Las Vegas Raiders
Raiders QB Derek Carr and coach Jon Gruden talk on the sidelines.
Getty Images
Jon Gruden can coach up anyone to be a competent quarterback in this league. But Derek Carr hasn't found the success the team is looking for and is facing several potential outcomes this offseason. Whether or not Gruden and Mike Mayock truly believe in Carr's ability to lead the Raiders to legitimate success is to be determined, and we haven't gotten a clear answer yet. CBS Sports writer Patrik Walker calls the Raiders' ultimate decision regarding Carr the "biggest domino of the 2020 QB market." If they decide to go another direction, it doesn't seem like anyone would be off the table in Vegas.
Verdict: Buy
New Orleans Saints
Saints QBs Drew Brees and Taysom Hill celebrate after a play.
Getty Images
The Saints got their guy in Drew Brees, and it never really seemed like they had any other plans for the 2020-2021 season if Brees wasn't ready to hang 'em up. So Hill wouldn't be able to start at quarterback right away. But then, the logical sequence would indicate that Hill would step right in behind Brees and take over as the franchise quarterback. Unless Sean Payton was bluffing -- and it doesn't seem like he is, based on what he told Peter King on his podcast -- he truly believes in the versatile athlete's ability as a passer. The only caveat? Drew Brees might not stop playing after this season.
Verdict: Buy
![Is a [Jeremy] Pena Payday on the Horizon for 'Stros GM Dana Brown?](https://www.audacy.com/media-library/image.jpg?id=65405296&width=980&quality=70)