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3-Wide: Which team will be impacted most by recent suspensions?

Christopher Hanewinckel / Reuters

3-Wide is a weekly feature in which theScore's NFL editors debate the hot topics around the league. Grab a cold towel and brace for hot takes.

Which team will be impacted most by recent suspensions?

Arun Srinivasan: After Antonio Gates, Sheldon Richardson, Rolando McClain and Datone Jones were all suspended Thursday, the San Diego Chargers are the most poorly equipped. Gates' eventual successor, Ladarius Green, was met with great acclaim, but failed to show anything more than raw athletic talent in his first three seasons. Although Gates is an abysmal run blocker, Green is also below average in the category. A lot of the Chargers' offensive creativity is depleted by Gates' absence, negating the use of two-tight end sets. Philip Rivers is now missing his safety valve, and the rest of the offense, including rookie running back Melvin Gordon, must step up.

Michael Amato: Richardson and Gates are the more high-profile players, but it's McClain. The Cowboys' defense isn't great to begin with and now it'll likely be without McClain and Greg Hardy for a significant portion of the campaign. Dallas was also pondering the idea of moving Sean Lee to the weakside, but the Cowboys may have to re-evaluate their options with McClain out for the first month.

Caitlyn Holroyd: Defensive line depth is a strength for the New York Jets, but the loss of Richardson is going to hurt regardless. The 24-year-old is arguably the Jets' best player and is coming off a season in which he recorded a team-high eight sacks, 66 tackles, and a forced fumble. That puts a lot of pressure on first-round pick Leonard Williams. The timing is also very unfortunate, as the Jets' first four games come against the Cleveland Browns, Indianapolis Colts, Philadelphia Eagles, and Miami Dolphins, who went a combined 36-28 last season.

Does Russell Wilson deserve $25 million per season?

Amato: Let's not get crazy here. Wilson is a fine quarterback, but he doesn't deserve to be the league's highest-paid player. His agent has indicated he's pointing to Wilson's track record as a winner during negotiations, but that strategy doesn't make a lot of sense given wins are a team stat. Wilson is a tremendous athlete that may very well end up revolutionizing the quarterback position. However, he hasn't had to carry a team on his back yet, and, until he does, it would be downright foolhardy to give him that kind of coin.

Holroyd: There's no disputing that Wilson deserves more money than the $1.5 million he's due this year. He led the Seahawks to back-to-back Super Bowls and has more regular-season wins (36) than any other quarterback in their first three seasons. But he didn't do it alone, and that's where the $25-million figure becomes iffy. Take away the "Legion of Boom" and Marshawn Lynch, and things might have turned out a lot differently for the Seahawks the past two seasons. If Wilson continues on his current path, the case for him as the league's highest-paid quarterback becomes stronger, but at this point, it's premature.

Srinivasan: Wilson absolutely deserves to be paid $25 million per season, making him the league's highest-paid player. Almost all the arguments against Wilson are centered around a dubious theory that he wouldn't be as successful with Andrew Luck's Indianapolis Colts. Football is the ultimate team game, and yet some wish to knock Wilson for his hypothetical inability to play hero ball - unnecessary due to the Seahawks' depth. For a guy that completed 72 percent of his passes with two touchdowns in Super Bowl XLVII, the "can't lead a team" narrative is ludicrous. He's one outstanding Malcolm Butler interception away from being the most marketable athlete in America.

Should the Bills start Tyrod Taylor over Matt Cassel or EJ Manuel?

Holroyd: Taylor doesn't have as much experience as the other two, but taking into account Manuel's past struggles and reports of Cassel looking terrible during OTAs and minicamp, he might be the Bills' best option at this point. His speed and athleticism might also make him the best fit of the three in Greg Roman's offense. Rex Ryan hasn't hidden his admiration for Taylor and even admitted to trying to acquire him while he was still coaching the Jets, which is a pretty bold statement to make about a quarterback who has yet to start an NFL game. Ryan is either using that as a way to motivate Taylor, or truly believes he has the potential to start.

Amato: Absolutely not. While he very well may be no worse than the other two, inexperienced quarterbacks have a tendency to turn the football over and that's one thing the Bills can't afford. Buffalo may not light up the scoreboard on offense this season, but at the very least it can't put its defense behind the 8-ball. Rex Ryan should go with Cassel and ask him to hand the ball off to LeSean McCoy 30 times a game.

Srinivasan: It's an interesting proposition. Taylor was a five-star recruit coming out of high school, and while that's not a real arbiter of professional success, he didn't just come out of nowhere. Still, Manuel is the best option for the Bills. The former first-round pick was pulled after four starts in 2014 that ranged from good to incomprehensibly poor. Somewhere in the middle lies Manuel's real ability. Former Bills head coach Doug Marrone pulled Manuel quickly, and he's presented with a real - and maybe final - chance to showcase his ability in the NFL. Armed with a number of weapons, it's showtime, or go-home time for Manuel.

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