Kevin Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports

However, the prevailing thought is that the Bills will draft a QB to bring in with their two veterans on the roster. During the season, Buddy Nix stated that Fitzpatrick “was not the answer” and basically said that he wanted the Bills to draft a new QB. Nix isn’t the guy calling the shots anymore even if he wasn’t fired as GM, but he does have a point. Neither Fitzpatrick nor Jackson is the answer, and Whaley did say that the QBs in this class could be developed. I have a feeling the Bills will select a QB with potential that they like the most if they are available after the first round.

Ryan Fitzpatrick‘s job is still not safe, as the Buffalo News writes. Russ Brandon declined to commit on Fitzpatrick’s future with the team, and he is due a $3 million roster bonus next month, as Tim Graham notes. Fitzpatrick would be cheaper to release than keep, but Brandon said that it’s Marrone’s and Nix’s decision to make. He also added that the Bills and Fitzpatrick have not yet spoken about restructuring his hefty contract.

Brandon also said, via Graham, that the Bills will only use the franchise tag as a “last resort” this offseason. Brandon called the franchise tag “an asset”, but  told Graham that it can destroy a team’s salary cap situation. Jairus Byrd is the Bills headlining free agent, and the Bills will do everything they can to lock up perhaps the NFL’s best free safety. If they can’t get a long term deal done, then the relatively cheap $6.8 million franchise tag associated with Byrd will be an option for Buffalo.

You can follow Joe Soriano on Twitter @SorianoJoe.

Andrew Weber-US Presswire

Jackson is a quarterback who is more of a career-backup guy than a future starter, but the signing of Jacksonshould signify that the Bills are most likely willing to move away from Fitzpatrick. New Buffalo Bills head coach Doug Marrone, however, told the official site that he will be getting both Jackson and Fitzpatrick to compete for the starting job, “I spoke with Ryan (Fitzpatrick) and Tarvaris (Jackson) and told them we will have an open competition at the quarterback position – similar to what we will do at all positions on our team heading into our offseason work. I believe that our players will embrace this challenge. We are looking forward to working with our players as we prepare for the 2013 season.”

If the Bills did not re-sign Jackson, then he would have hit unrestricted free  agency in mid-March. I hope Marrone is just saying something scripted, because the Bills cannot afford to keep trotting Fitzpatrick out there. He isn’t the guy and neither is Jackson. I don’t think both guys can co-exist on the roster together if a rookie quarterback is drafted, which is what the Bills should be doing in order to move forward at the position.

However, a move to keep both Jackson and Fitzpatrick and use them in a competition makes sense for the Bills if they truly feel like there isn’t a quarterback worth drafting. Marrone, as the official site notes, likely values Tarvaris Jackson due to his West Coast Offense fit, but I just feel like it is better for the Bills to draft a rookie and have Jackson (or maybe even Fitzpatrick, if they feel like he is better) start until the rookie is well-groomed for the starting role.

It would surprise me if Ryan Fitzpatrick is retained, because the comments Nix made this season against him were extremely strong. Neither Fitzpatrick nor Jackson can be “the guy” to lead a franchise, so the Bills are likely just looking for temporary fixes before drafting a quarterback for the future that they feel is worthy of the investment.

You can follow Joe Soriano on Twitter @SorianoJoe.

Kevin Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports

I think the Bills are going to pick up a coach who is a big quarterback guru to help mold whichever QB they take in April, and I personally think that the signal-caller they will select is Tyler Wilson. The Bills should also seriously consider firing Dave Wannstedt, because this defense has severely underperformed under him.

The Bills actually did slightly better than their 5.8-10.2 pythagorean win total, and I think that Gailey’s firing is a little harsh. I thought he handled everything maturely this season, and he did all he could in leading a successful offense. The firing of Gailey is more symbolic of the change of times in Buffalo, and I bet we see GM Buddy Nix out the door.

I feel like Nix is more responsible for the poor play of our rivals, because some of his personnel decisions have been spotty. But it’s not like he is completely to blame, because he did help this team build some solid pieces despite some mistakes.

These were all my thoughts before I took a look at Gailey’s record as the head coach of the Buffalo Bills, and then realized this team has gone 16-32. He is a solid offensive mind, but I don’t think he is built to be a head coach. In fact, he kind of got thrust into that role after leaving the Kansas City Chiefs. Gailey is a very good offensive coordinator, but this team needs help on defense. The other coordinators have to go (mainly the DC), and Nix should be on his way out. We’ll see what happens to him, but there is still enough of a chance that the Bills retain him. In my opinion, the Bills need to clean up house and start afresh. That means a new QB, new GM, new coordinators, and a new head coach.

You can follow Joe Soriano on Twitter @SorianoJoe.