Mike Florio outlined some reasons why he believes the Bills should be interested in adding quarterback Tim Tebow to their roster in the wake of his release by the Patriots, but a pair of reports indicate that they won’t be following his advice.
Joe Buscaglia of WGR 550 in Buffalo reports that the Bills have “zero interest” in having Tebow join E.J. Manuel and Jeff Tuel on the depth chart. Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports adds that the team did not put in a waiver claim on Tebow (or former Jets quarterback Greg McElroy) and that they are planning to head into Week One with just Manuel and Tuel on the roster.
That would suggest a fair amount of confidence that Manuel’s knee will be sound enough after his recent surgery for him to start against the Patriots in Week One because there wouldn’t be much point in having him dress as a backup if you believe he’s healthy enough to play if needed. The Bills could obviously revisit the issue later in the week to add someone as a backup for Tuel, but the more time practicing and learning the offense the better for a quarterback who might be pressed into action.
As for Tebow, lack of interest from the Bills would close off the most obvious potential destination for him to continue playing in 2013. The entire league had a lot of time to sign Tebow before the Patriots took the plunge and the Bills have undergone the most drastic change to their quarterback situation in the interim.