1billsfan

It's not a tough schedule. Going by top QBs they'll be facing...they'll be facing Luck, E. Manning and Romo all at home. That's a huge break. Then there's the two tough games against Brady. That's it, the rest of the games are against average QBs. EJ Manuel must be licking his chops with this schedule because he knows it's got 10 wins built into it if he throws for at least 20 TD passes along with about 4 rushing TDs. He doesn't need to be the star QB, just be the driver of the muscle car on offense. I suspect the offense will be seeing a lot of short fields this year.

I think the worst they'll be is 5-3 by mid season. However, I see potential for an 8-0 record if they beat their first three teams and they're looking like a team about to go on a serious roll. Unlike previous Bills teams, the players on this team really do think they have the talent now to be a playoff team. The landscape of the AFC is not so tough anymore either.

Objective reality is that there's basically no chance Manuel gets cut because NFL coaches know that it takes more than two months of training camp for QBs to get really comfortable in a new offense. So there's basically zero chance Manuel is not here for the full 2015 season. He is going to get a full third year of evaluation. I know you don't want to hear that, but that's life.

I think the consensus was that EJ Manuel was a 2nd to 3rd round pick that was over drafted due to a huge need at that position. It happens from time to time. It was a gamble that has a year left on the expiration date before the Bills will move in a different direction. Now having said that, if Manuel looks bad for most of 2015 and/or only plays in the last few games and he looks great in those last few games then he's coming back. That expiration date goes all the way to the December games because this is the NFL and if show that you can prove it on the field a few games in a row, it almost won't matter what he did those first 12 games. If EJ can't get it done this year with what they've surrounded him with, then it's a pretty solid bet the doubters will never be proven wrong about him.

You got me, technically I'm wrong. Nix was Bills GM during the Manuel draft. However, everyone knows that Whaley was GM 1B to Nix's GM 1A. My point still stands that EJ Manuel was Doug Whaley's pick, not Nix's and there's no way Whaley is not giving Manuel a third year. The chances of him being traded or cut are zero.

I listen to the live feed of 97.5 the fanatic in Philly all the time and it's been radio gold this whole off season. It's almost all NFL football in the offseason (80% NFL, 10% Phillies/Flyers and 10% other) and Chip's moves have their heads spinning. It's crazy. That station totally blows away WGR 550 radio which completely ignores the Bills and the NFL in the offseason. It's shameful how much they don't care about the Bills or the NFL in the offseason.

It's biased in the sense that he knows nothing about the Buffalo Bills because he's a Pats fan and he couldn't care less about the Bills. No one said it's EJ bashing by the way. Just an incredibly dumb article. I'm sorry, there's absolutely nothing rational about an NFL franchise considering trading their 25 year old former first round QB with only 14 games started for only a fourth round pick. Successful NFL teams simply don’t operate this way. The Pats fan/Bills beat writer who wrote this garbage was probably too busy licking his Tom Brady poster to learn that Buffalo Bills GM Doug Whaley…you know, THE ACTUAL GM WHO DRAFTED EJ MANUEL IN THE FIRST ROUND…is STILL the Bills GM. It’s amazing Bills fans are buying into what this guy is selling.

No one's asking you guys to be impressed, just asking for you to be real. EJ Manuel was a raw QB coming out of college who would take two to three years to develop into a reliable starting QB who can help get the Bills into the playoffs. You can deny it, but I think that if you were told he'd have 19 TDs in his first 14 games then you'd have been fine with that. EJ performed like a raw QB who shows some ability that could turn into something. I also think significant improvement is needed for Manuel to stay beyond this year for the sheer fact that a new coaching staff is here. However, I think you guys have gone way overboard on how bad you think he was. That's why the need to bring out cold hard stats. You just can't get away with describing how horrible you thought he was and the only thing you have is the "eye test" because the stats don't say that he was as bad as you said. IMO, Manuel would fetch a 4th round pick. There are a few teams who have older QBs who would love to have a QB like Manuel with the size, athleticism, work ethic and passing ability to work with that would do that deal in a heartbeat. I'm thinking teams like the Saints, Giants and Steelers. As for teams which have no QB, even if a GM liked him he could not be seen as credible sending a 3rd rd pick for Manuel because he's so unproven and has not looked impressive early in his career. There are a lot of guys who will be eating crow this year if Manuel puts up seriously good numbers. I couldn't imagine how I'd feel if he does that and I had said on this board that I'd have been ok with trading away the franchise QB a few months before he established himself because the raw QB didn't turn the corner soon enough. The Bills had one of the worst rushing offenses last year and their pass protection wasn't great either. Manuel was no where near ready to take over an offense like that last year. We shall see what Manuel does with McCoy and a real rushing game now. That could be a big key in turning EJ's career around.

Perception vs Reality: The first 13 game starts stats of two recently drafted QBs in the NFL – QB 1: 11 TDs, 58% comps, 2.4 TD%, 17 ints, 69 QB rating QB 2: 16 TDs, 58% comp, 3.6 TD%, 10 ints, 78 QB rating One is considered a QB with a promising NFL future while the other QB is considered garbage to the point a Patriot fan disguised as ESPN’s Bills beat reporter suggests he should be traded for peanuts and Bills fans agree with him. The first QB is Blake Bortles, I think everyone can guess who the other QB is. I'm really wondering where all of this weird hater stuff is coming from because his stats simply do not reflect the reason for this overboard frustration. I've said it before and I'll say it again, 99% of this board would have signed on for 19 TDs in the "raw" Manuel's first 14 starts. Is it the "eye test" thing? What is it that bothers you guys so much about Manuel? I'm not sold on Manuel yet, but at least I'm excited to see what a coach not named Doug Marrone and with a real NFL resume can do to improve his game. Now the Bills have added McCoy, Clay, Harvin. I think there's a decent chance that Watkins was right and we will see a different EJ Manuel this year.

I'm guessing Bruce Arians trades for him. Perfect fit. The Bills definitely aren't trading for Glennon. Whaley drafted Manuel in the same draft class that had Glennon. Trading away the unproven Manuel for the unproven Glennon would make Whaley have to admit he made a mistake at most important decision of all even though Glennon hasn't proven anything either. He'd be on the hook for both Manuel and Glennon! I just don't see Whaley even entertaining this idea. He made his bold pick in that draft and that's it.

Biggest draft "smoke screen" ever? Think about it, mad scientist Chip makes it look like he's moved on from Mariota with this signing of Tebow. Teams which have interest in Mariota start wondering why Chip didn't wait till the draft to make a move for "his guy". They start to wonder if Mariota is as sure of a thing as they thought the day before. All it takes is for a few teams to pass on Mariota (Titans, Jets, Bears) and the fall could be steep enough for Chip to be able make a move for Mariota for a much more reasonable price.

I really think that's a draft smoke screen. I think they have a QB targeted in the 3rd round that they would take there. I don't know who that is but I'm sure it's one of either Petty, Hundley or Grayson. I'm sure he likes him, but to gush like that only days before the draft sounds fishy to me. The Bills new coaches probably would like an extra QB option for next year. Now if all of those QBs are gone by the 3rd round pick then they'll start scouting the 2016 class while hoping like heck EJ Manuel locks down the position during this season.

I know they don't want to hear this, but it may take Manuel training camp and half the season to become comfortable in an entirely new system. These young QBs don't get as much off season practice time as they used to. There are so many variables that any and all things are possible. It's possible Cassel may start the season because he grasps the offense much more quickly and Manuel comes in midway through the season, due to either poor play or an injury to Cassel, and Manuel could look very good because he had the extra time to get the offense down without being rushed.

Isn't that the point? Know one knows anything right now, whether EJ's an NFL franchise QB or an NFL back up or out of the league in a couple of years, until Manuel starts playing under Greg Roman's system. A proven NFL offensive system that has reached the Superbowl a few short years ago and has used two totally different QB styles. That's why it's so dumb to put any credence in that idiot's ESPN article. Trading away a still developing QB like Manuel for a fourth round pick is the absolute height of stupidity. That fourth round pick is not worth the risk of trading away Manuel and him becoming a franchise QB with a team like the Steelers or the Giants. Even if there's only 1% chance Manuel becomes a franchise QB, it's not worth a fourth round pick. That jackass left out the fact that Peyton Manning was signed four days before they traded Tebow so his whole argument is based off a false narrative in comparing what the Broncos did to what the Bills would be "wise" to consider doing. Two questions, do you think that there's at least a 1% chance EJ Manuel is a franchise QB?...if so, would you still trade Manuel for a fourth round pick?

I think there is no chance the Bills are going to trade for a big name QB. First, their salaries are waaaay too high to fit in unless they will trade away a couple big name defensive players and Rex obviously isn't going to do that especially after getting rid of a young star in Kiko. Also, Rivers has only two places he wants to play (San Diego, Nashville), Buffalo isn't one of them. He's even contemplating retirement if he can't get his wish. As for Brees, his cap hit is 18 million and he's 35 years old. Say goodbye to big names on defense who would be involved in that trade. Would Brees even want to come to the Bills if the gutted their defense? That kind of defeats the purpose because the team would no longer really be built to win this year. I know that many Bills fans have talked themselves out of EJ Manuel. But I think these fans have bought into the constant drum beat of misinformation that he was this horrible QB in the vein of a Blaine Gabbert. This perception simply is not reality. Reality is that EJ played exactly the way he was expected to play when he was drafted with good bad and ugly games that come from a "project" QB. EJ's rookie QB rating was almost 10 points higher than Blake Bortles. Where are all the stories that Jacksonville blew it by talking him at #3?...LOL EJ's QB rating was 3 points higher in 2014 than his 2013 rating. His first two games in 2014 were good and his last two were bad. That's what happens with young QBs who are raw coming out of college. I honestly think that these fans want to see EJ throw 3 TDs and 300 yards every few games. Because that's what the elite top 5 QBs do consistently. That's not EJ Manuel. These fans will never be happy with him if that's what they're looking for. There's a real chance that EJ can reach a "Joe Flacco" level play with some Kaerpernick/Newton run option mixed in. Just making the big plays when they are there and not worrying about eye popping passing numbers. That's EJ's game. The Bills are going to use a lot of misdirection with McCoy and Manuel moving in opposite directions and letting the defense pick which way the play's going. That's going to be the design of this offense IMO.

Trading Tebow had nothing to do with them signing Peyton Manning four days prior? Tebow does't get traded if that doesn't happen. It's a stupid comparison because the Bills have Matt Cassel waiting in the wings, not Peyton Manning. Who cares what draft pick they got for him, the Buffalo Bills are in the polar opposite QB position the Broncos were in. Ignoring this is just putting on blinders and calling yourself an informed fan.

Leaving out that the Broncos were set at QB with Peyton Manning was ridiculous. The Broncos would have never traded Tebow if they didn't do that. So why would the Bills trade Manuel without even a very good starter let alone one of the greatest ever. That comparison falls flat on it's face given the circumstances of both teams. As for the August "sweet" spot. You don't find out if a QB can play in this league in August, you find out if a QB can play in real NFL games. Let's trade away a QB you've been developing for two years then draft a QB at pick #22 in 2016 and then trade him away in a couple of years when he doesn't develop fast enough. That's a brilliant philosophy for an NFL team to follow.

He specifically referenced the Bronco Tim Tebow trade while not mentioning the fact that days before they traded Tebow they signed a 4 time NFL MVP QB who happened to have won a Superbowl and is considered one of the all time great QBs in NFL history. “The Tebow trade would be the closest parallel to the Bills' potentially dealing Manuel this summer.” If that is the closest parallel then I must have missed the Bills signing of Tom Brady. That article and the writer are a complete joke.

Rodak is a Pats fans (google search). ESPN is about as stupid and insulting as it gets to assign a Pats fans to become the Bills beat reporter for their website. Sooooo, the "SWEET" spot for the Buffalo Bills trading their former 1st round "project" QB pick EJ Manuel is this August, a hot second before the three year investment in him is going to either prove if they were right or wrong in picking him in the 1st round? And the Bills get to have former Patriot Matt Cassel start (who Rodak knows is about as dangerous as a wet noodle to his Pats) and the Bills would pick another "project" QB in the 2016 draft because they will be picking in the 20s and they can trade him away after two years of development when he's not Andrew Luck either? Seriously, this guy is garbage. ESPN should be ashamed of themselves. I'm sure that given the Bills will have a much higher profile this year, this Pats fan isn't going to be the Bills beat reporter for much longer. The Bills aren't going to stand for this crap. They can just start giving exclusive interviews to the NFL network.

Let’s go back a couple of years, we knew that EJ Manuel… - was a project QB who would take 2 or 3 years to develop into a starting NFL QB - was being developed by the Syracuse coaching staff in the NFL environment - was a kid who needed to sit on the bench for at least a year before being asked to begin the process of becoming the team’s franchise QB. All of these points are valid and indisputable points that the haters just like to either completely ignore or call them “excuses” when they are confronted with them. They pine away for Kyle Orton. Ironically, a guy whose first 14 games stats makes EJ Manuel’s 14 games stats look like a QB who’s the second coming of Joe Montana. How long did Matt Cassel have to develop on the bench before he was given his chance and made some hay with it? Tony Romo? Aaron Rodgers? How long did it take Drew Brees to even look like a starting NFL QB? 30 games? These guys don’t understand how big of a leap it is from college to the NFL and that the NFL is going to have to get “old school” in a hurry and start sitting these QBs they picked early in the draft. Because the college game is not developing them properly. These guys here who love to hate on Manuel are just choosing to be in the “hot pocket” crowd rather than understand there is real and valid hope Manuel can be the guy. What are the chances? IMO somewhere around the wide range of maybe 30-50%? It’s a wide range because we are going off of very little on the field proof. But from all that we’ve read, it seems like there is still reason to believe that Manuel is and always was a guy who was a project and would take 2 to 3 years and he actually does develop into a franchise QB.

They literally sound like a couple of 1950's gossiping housewives sitting at the kitchen table. I listen to a decent amount of WFAN Boomer (Esiason) and Carton morning radio, and a few weeks ago Boomer said Rex's hire will be like a bomb going off in Buffalo. He said he immediately expects big things from the Bills just like what happened to the Jets team when he got there. It would be a seismic event that all Jet fans will recognize when he started out with them. He also said that his style will probably wear thin in a few years. Those Bills/Jets game weeks are going to be a lot of fun...LOL

The funny thing about EJ is that he seems like a much more "buttoned up" kind of guy than "loose". Yet, you go look at his college highlights videos and he kind of had an "off the cuff", unpredictable style that, while it didn't look either smooth or pretty, those big highlight plays got a lot of yardage and the job done. I think that Roman and Rex will try to bring back THAT EJ. They will give him the opportunity to throw the ball deep down the field, while also throwing a good amount of quick passes to Watkins and Harvin. All the while he'll have that green light to tuck it and run when there's a big green open field in front of him. Play "EJ Manuel" style of football, not the "Alex Smith" conservative style that was being forced on him by Marrone. If he fails, at least he failed doing what he does best and not fail trying to play in a style not suited for him. That was a recipe for sure failure.

I'm not sure what this argument is about. Are you guys arguing whether the Bills could get in the playoffs without having consistently good QB play? I do know that the 2007 Eli Manning didn't have a good year and yet was able to get hot in the playoffs that year and win the Superbowl. One of Roethlisberger's years they won the Superbowl his regular season wasn't a good one. I think the NFL is changing to the point where all you'll need is to get into the playoffs and for your "average" QB to get hot for a few games. Most of great current NFL QBs are old on their way out. The only two left will be Luck and Rodgers. So in that landscape if Manuel becomes even an average NFL starter, I think he could prove himself to be and poor man's Eli Manning or Joe Flacco, which in a few years may actually be good enough to win the whole darn thing.

I think a lot of fans have a very misguided perception of EJ Manuel. I used to think that Bills fans were a lot smarter than most other NFL teams' fans but I'm starting to questioning this. Manuel was a project and that basic fact just flies over so many peoples bills fans heads that it's not even funny. It's actually kind of sad how many people here just ignore this aspect of EJ Manuel. His stats are exactly what was expected. So they think it's funny to bust on him as if he was supposed to be this near lock QB when he was drafted. I blame a lot of the stupidity on the local radio station WGR. That station just talks hockey when NFL's not in season and when they do talk they sound stupid. Their hosts like to say "I don't know" a lot. Very informing! EJ Manuel was a 1st round project QB who was always considered a raw college QB who would take at least three years too develop into anything close to being an average NFL stater. It's year three. He's put in the time and effort. Let's not bust on that effort and perhaps just wait and watch what he does when they start to practice.

I think the Chargers will do all they can to get Mariota. They want that "STAR" QB for the LA market and the plus is he's got huge name recognition on the west coast. There's probably a whole lot going on behind the scenes since Tampa is cooling from Winston and they are probably hearing Mariota doesn't want to go there, he wants to go to the LA Chargers. Maybe Tampa ends up trading that pick to the Chargers for a few picks. I don't think Tampa wants Winston at all and it probably stems from the female part owner hearing what he said on that cafeteria table top. Where does Winston end up? Probably to the Jets.