New York Daily News

COULD FIT BILL

Report: Giants eye WR Pryor

-

are that at least one team will be willing to pony up more loot for Glennon than the Jets.

One thing is clear: The Jets don’t believe Bryce Petty or Christian Hackenberg will be the Week 1 starter. The feeling in the organizati­on all last year was that Petty’s ceiling was NFL backup. The overriding belief on One Jets Drive is that Hackenberg isn’t even close to competing for the starting job in 2017.

That leaves the powers that be with a clear hole at the game’s most important position.

“All options are on the table,” Maccagnan said last week at the NFL Scouting Combine about his plan to find a quarterbac­k. “We’re going to do everything possible to make every position competitiv­e, in particular that position, whether it’s free agency or the college draft. We do like our two young quarterbac­ks, but they’re both young and they both have to go out there and earn whatever position they may eventually have on the team.”

In a vacuum, it would be terrific for the Jets to position themselves for a quarterbac­k-rich 2018 draft class that includes USC’s Sam Darnold and UCLA’s Josh Rosen (among others), but Maccagnan and Todd Bowles aren’t in the business of tanking. There’s no assurance that Woody Johnson will retain both or either of them if the Jets stink to high heaven in 2017.

So, Taylor makes sense on myriad levels. The Bills reportedly haven’t decided whether they’ll pick up his option that would guarantee him $30.75 million in 2017 and 2018. The Bills will have to decide whether to pick up a $15.5 million bonus by March 11. Taylor, who will turn 28 in August, is 14-14 as a starter, including 7-8 last season.

Rex Ryan was fired before Buffalo’s season finale against the Jets because he refused to bench Taylor at the behest of management due to a clause in his contract that would give him a big injury payout if he got hurt in that game. (Taylor later underwent sports hernia surgery).

If the Bills and new head coach Sean McDermott decide to move on from Taylor, the Jets would be in play. Taylor is a dualthreat option who could thrive for new offensive coordinato­r John Morton, who won’t necessaril­y run a pure West Coast scheme.

“We don’t have a West Coast offense,” Bowles said. “We’ll have an offense that works. If the West Coast works, we’ll run it. If the long ball works, we’ll do it. If the running game works, we’ll run it. John’s very good to adapting to what we have.”

Taylor has run for 1,148 yards and 10 touchdowns in his two seasons as an NFL starter. He’s completed 62.3 percent of his passes with a 92.3 passer rating. He’s not Brady or Rodgers, but he’s good enough for a team desperatel­y looking to solve its most maddening problem.

The Giants could be looking to Cleveland in order to boost their receiving corps this offseason.

The G-Men were one of five teams linked to Browns quarterbac­kturned-wide receiver Terrelle Pryor Sr., according to Cleveland.com.

The Steelers, Eagles, 49ers and Titans are also interested.

Teams cannot start signing free agents until 4 p.m. Thursday., but a two-day negotiatin­g window begins at noon today.

Pryor, originally drafted as a quarterbac­k by the Raiders in 2011, had a breakout season with the Browns in 2016, catching 77 passes for 1,007 yards and four touchdowns.

The 27-year-old is listed at 6-4, 223 pounds, which would fill the Giants’ need for a big-bodied, red-zone target and complement Odell Beckham Jr. and Sterling Shepard − both under 6 feet. Pryor’s agent, Drew Rosenhaus, wants to make him one of the toppaid receivers in the league, according to the report.

The Giants currently have about $13 million available in cap space.

Spotrac’s Market Value Tool estimates Pryor’s potential contract at four years, $34 million, or $8.9 million a year. Should the Giants not land Pryor, they could also look toward cheaper options, such as Brandon Marshall, Alshon Jeffery or in the NFL Draft. John Healy

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from United States