In a recent interview with AM 570 LA Sports, Los Angeles Chargers Head Coach Anthony Lynn suggested that Tyrod Taylor could have the opportunity to win the starting job in 2020.
He went on to wax lyrical about the Hampton, Virginia native and a look back at the season they spent together with the Buffalo Bills in 2016 suggests that Lynn’s words were not said simply for the sake of saying them.
The Chargers currently hold the No 6 Overall Pick in the upcoming NFL Draft and most analysts project them to take a Quarterback. Unfortunately, unless they make a bold move to trade up, it’s almost certain that Joe Burrow and Tua Tagovailoa will be off the board meaning current projections have them selecting Justin Herbert out of Oregon.
Herbert, a four-year starter, is a dual threat prospect with the quickness of feet of a much smaller player meaning he can consistently escape trouble and his athleticism is a lethal part of his game. His tape consistently evidences his elite arm talent and numerous ‘NFL-level’ throws however, he shows inconsistency in his processing, reads and decision making especially when under duress. Herbert has immense potential at the next level however in order to nurture his talent, the decision could be made to redshirt him during his rookie season opening the door for the glorious return of TyGod. A cheap, bridge option (rather than splashing the cash on a risky free agent QB) who could keep the Chargers in contention for a playoff berth until Herbert is ready to go.
In late September 2016, Lynn was promoted to Offensive Coordinator with the Buffalo Bills following the firing of Greg Roman. The work that he and Tyrod put together was encouraging for a potential short-term rekindling of their partnership.
On the face of it, the stats don’t jump off the page in regard to his passing production and in reality, they never will, finishing middle to lower of the pack across most Positional Rankings with 436 Pass Attempts, 269 Completions, 3023 Passing Yards, 17 Touchdowns and 6 Interceptions.
However, his efficient and relatively mistake free brand of football along with his rushing ability (Finishing 1st in the League under Lynn in 2016) would be a relief for Chargers fans who just watched a statuesque Philip Rivers throw 20 Interceptions and fumble the ball 3 times whilst getting beaten up behind a porous offensive line.
From a Fantasy perspective, it’s hard to recommend going out and buying Tyrod Taylor right now with so many variables at play (The Chargers could sign a FA QB as early as next month) however, Anthony Lynn’s encouraging comments and Tyrod’s fantasy performance under Lynn make this a fluid situation to monitor, which could result in him being a viable late round Quarterback in Redraft Leagues this Summer or an option to pick up as your QB2 in Superflex Dynasty Leagues.
In 2016, Taylor finished as a QB1 on 5 occasions, averaged 20.4 PPG across 15 starts and finished as the QB14 overall. If he wins the starting job in LA this offseason, a repeat of those figures would push him in to the conversation as a worthy late round flyer.
