The Buffalo Bills announced that they traded quarterback Cardale Jones to the Los Angeles Chargers on Wednesday. In return, the Bills will receive a conditional pick in next year’s draft. ESPN’s Adam Schefter indicated, per a source, that the Chargers are giving Buffalo a seventh-round pick in exchange for Jones.
We've traded QB Cardale Jones to the Los Angeles Chargers for a conditional draft pick.
Details: https://t.co/ZofxWaXJd4 pic.twitter.com/L4FMhDJSIZ
— Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) July 26, 2017
Buffalo Bills Trade Cardale Jones to Los Angeles Chargers
Buffalo used one of their compensatory picks in the fourth round of the 2016 NFL Draft to select Jones. The former Ohio State star made a limited contribution during his rookie season with the team as the third string quarterback. His only regular season appearance came in the season finale against the New York Jets where he finished 6-11 for 96 yards and an interception in the 30-10 loss.
Jones is perhaps best known for his exploits late in the 2014 season for Ohio State. Starting the final three games of the season after J.T. Barrett suffered a season-ending injury, he helped lead the team to the inaugural College Football Playoff national title. In wins over Wisconsin, Alabama and Oregon, Jones averaged 247.3 yards passing and threw a total of five touchdown passes.
The Bills quarterbacking corps underwent significant change behind incumbent starter Tyrod Taylor even before this transaction. E.J. Manuel departed the team in free agency, signing with the Oakland Raiders. They added T.J. Yates in early April to provide a veteran presence behind Taylor. And in the 2017 draft, they selected Nathan Peterman out of Pittsburgh in the fifth round.
Heading into training camp, it appeared these moves relegated Jones to number four on the depth chart. With Buffalo unlikely to keep that many quarterbacks on the roster come week one, Jones was eventually looking at getting cut absent a trade. The move gives the Bills some additional draft capital for 2018, albeit not much.
Rookies and veterans begin reporting for Bills training camp at St. John Fisher College outside of Rochester, NY today, with the first practice commencing on Thursday. Buffalo’s opening game of the preseason takes place at home on August 10th against the Minnesota Vikings.
