Rd 1, Pick #16: QB EJ Manuel - Florida St.

[PearlHowardman]

Con-tro-vers-y

[Mr. WEO]

Or how about this: http://www.phillymag.com/eagles/2013/04/12/qb-stock-watch/

 

which contains a direct quote from Ron Jaworski:

 

As for Manuel, Jaws predicts that “at a minimum, I think we’ll see a team trade up into the back end of Round 1 to select him.”

 

Sorry, I'm still reading all the "Bills like Barkley" and "Bills like Nassib" and "Buddy likes Glennon" expert opinions. What were you saying again?

[KeisterHollow]

I don't care what the people in Florida are saying about Manuel. He played pretty good in the senior bowl, when the playing field was certainly leveled. I've seen enough good things about his game to be excited about him as a prospect. I'll say it again - and I said it before the draft - although he wasn't my first choice, I trust our coaches to make a better decision that I am capable of, since, you know, they're professionals, they are the ones running the offense (you'd think they'd know better than anyone what type of QB they'll need), and they investigated, in person, all the candidates.

 

After listening to more interviews with Manuel, something I didn't do before the draft (I only watched game video) I come away quite impressed with this kid's demeanor. I think he'll fit in quite nicely in a locker room. AND, now we can start day-dreaming about what he'll be able to do behind a decent O-line, with Spiller and Jackson in the backfield, with Stevie Johnson and HOPEFULLY another electric WR, maybe two good TE's... it's happening again... Buffalo Bills enthusiasm!

[Beerball]

My feelings on Manuel------

 

I watched the Gruden Camps with the QBs...Manuel jumped out at me in terms of his intelligence. Given his height, speed, and athletiisism he is a similar mode to a Cam Newton/Colin Kaepatrick.

 

 

Outside of some package plays I dont se him playing at all until buffalo is out of it at the end of the season.

 

do not believe you rush a QB to start out of the gates in the NFL.. Too much risk.

 

The one thing that does bother me....

 

Did they consider trading down further? I think they could have gotten a 3rd to move down to around 22-24. I understand the concern was on the teams at the top of the 2nd who were looking to draft a QB and could have traded up into the first a head of Buffalo. Its easier for them at high 2nd to move to the 23-26 range than to try to move up to the mid first.

 

As for the trade of picks with St Louis. The deal was about what you should have done based on the draft pick value chart. For the rams to move up it costs them a 2nd but that is a little more in value, so they flip 3rd round picks and then St Louis throws in a 7th which then balances it out.

 

The added bonus---the Jets couldnt draft the WR.

They did. According to Nix there were offers to trade out of 16. How much they considered it is something we'll never know, all Nix would say is they discussed it.

[HamSandwhich]

I really don't understand how you can say we panicked when we had all the QBs available to pick at 16. They believe in EJ, they believe in him enough to pick him at 16. Why is that panicking?

[PromoTheRobot]

EJ Manuel was obviously the lesser pick because the draft experts clearly had him behind all the other QBs that were drafted in round 1 yesterday.

[BRAWNDO]

i wouldn't have minded if Buffalo rolled the dice and made that additional trade with SF to hopefully get him at 31(?), it would have been nice to get the extra picks, but i am ok with this if it turns out to be a reach....

 

I thought about that as well, SF traded picks 31 and 74 to move up to 18, I don't think that was enough for the Bills to trade down again and risk missing out on Manuel.

[dave mcbride]

 

 

Dave, I always respect what you post but let me clarify a couple of things. Someone mentioned a "big win" against a "#15 team" but failed to mention it was North Illinois. The reference to tight games was about the "#15" team, not FSU.

 

Where you are wrong is FSU was picked by a lot of smart people to win it all last year. Herbstrei, who is the best talking head in all of CFB had them winning it all. They were a trendy pick because they were loaded and still are. Their defense has 3-4 more first round picks and their offense had 3-5* RBs and a stable full of WRs that would rival NFL teams. Believe me, they had as much talent as anyone last year and that includes Bama.

 

I'm sorry but EJ isn't a guy who puts a team on his back and wins games. It didn't happen with every opportunity in college and it won't happen here.

I totally agree about N. Ill, whose schedule was stocked with the UBs of the world last season. Re FSU, they *did* go 12-2, which is pretty damn good. I'm not a believer in the idea that you need a perfect record to demonstrate greatness. I guess my point is that I don't see much difference between that and, say, 13-1. FSU should have faced better competition in their BCS bowl, but Manuel had no control over that. Bear in mind how close they were to 13-1 -- they lost on essentially the last play of the game to a decent NC State on the road, 17-16: http://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/boxscores/2012-10-06-north-carolina-state.html .

Edited April 26, 2013 by dave mcbride

[billsrcursed]

1) Yes, most folks think the Jags will pick up a QB...maybe with their next pic....the first pick as the draft starts back up tonight.....maybe not. But Gabbard will definitely be in the competition for the starting job. With their RG #1, the line will be better, and as anyone knows, QBs need a good line to have any success at all.

 

2) Nothing to be suspicious about. The point was that they've seen the guy play, week after week (well, whenever he has played). Diehard FSU fans have been calling in all morning laughing at the Bills for picking him...THEY know, THEY have watched his every play.

 

3) Umm, the Jax area media did indeed laugh at Tebow. Sure they like the guy as a person and what he stands for (who doesn't?), but they're smart enough to realize "he is what he is."

 

ORLY??

 

What makes them Diehard, because they call the radio station and B word about stuff??

 

I know plenty of "diehard" FSU fans who say the exact opposite. Wonder who's telling the truth?

[Miyagi-Do Karate]

Manuel was my first QB so i am happy with the pick.

 

And I totally understand why anyone may like a QB better than they like Manuel.

 

But i don't understand the criticism of what the Bills did. They had to get a QB in the first two rounds. There wasn't any QB worthy of the #8 by almost all accounts. We got an extra second round pick, in a deep draft, AND the guy we clearly wanted.

 

You can argue that you hate EJ or wanted Geno or Barkley or Nassib, even though no one else thought they were a first rounder, but it's hard to argue with what the Bills did to get what they wanted.

 

I agree.

 

Frankly, I am glad we executed one trade down and still got the guy they wanted.

 

To complain that we didn't execute another trade down or roll the dice to trade back into the first, is silly.

[tennesseeboy]

Well....The staff did a lot of looking and learning and "fell in love with" Manuel as apparently did a few other teams. I guess as we finished our first trade back we might have considered a second if we were optimistic about Nassib, Smith, Barkely as fallbacks...but I guess we were really seeing Manuel as a guy we didn't want to take any chances on so we pulled the trigger. I have to be trusting of the staff that gave him such a serious look. Let's see how he does. We have two second round picks so we can perhaps get help for our defense there. Risky pick for sure but I'm not about to call it a bad pick by any means.

[Beerball]

We Got Vince Young!!!!

So far this is the most ridiculous thing I've read in this thread.

[billsrcursed]

I totally agree about N. Ill, whose schedule was stocked with the UBs of the world last season. Re FSU, they *did* go 12-2, which is pretty damn good. I'm not a believer in the idea that you need a perfect record to demonstrate greatness. I guess my point is that I don't see much difference between that and, say, 13-1. FSU should have faced better competition in their BCS bowl, but Manuel had no control over that. Bear in mind how close they were to 13-1 -- they lost on essentially the last play of the game to a decent NC State on the road, 17-16: http://www.sports-re...lina-state.html .

 

And for the record, I don't care who you play in a Bowl Game, it's a big game. Was it Alabama? No, but EJ couldn't control that. What he could do was dominate his Bowl Game, and he did.

[Garranimal]

Tebow had lots of signature wins

And i would take him over Manuel every day of the week, and definitely twice on Sunday!

[thewildrabbit]

FWIW, sports talk radio hosts down here.....folks who are intimately familiar with Manuel's play......this morning are saying the Bills blew it, big time. They think Manuel would have been available in 2nd, maybe even 3rd round. Bottom line is that they don't think it was a good pick at all.

Jacksonville, Philly, Arizona, Jets, and Tenn all pick before the Bills in the 2nd round. I think Philly coveted him because Chip Kelly tried to recruit him in college.So the Bills would have most likely missed on EJ if they had waited till the 2nd round.

 

However, I also think the Bills took him too early and could have traded back some more, to the top of the first round perhaps, as they have so many other holes to fill.

[billsrcursed]

And i would take him over Manuel every day of the week, and definitely twice on Sunday!

 

You should be banned for this post. Obvious troll.

[zow2]

I posted this in another thread...shoulda posted here.

 

I wasn't high on EJ Manuel but there's no way any of us can predict he will fail or be great. I'm trusting Marrone, Nix and Whaley on this. They knew Nassib better than anyone and passed on him (not a good sign for Mr. Nassib). They knew and prepared vs Barkley and Geno and obviously saw flaws. None of us knows how good EJ will be?!? I'm supporting it. EJ sounds like a smart guy, hard worker, great arm and legs... and loves being in Buffalo. Good start for him.

[Nyghtewynd]

We were all worried that Buddy was going to use a high pick on a second-round talent because he was the second-best quarterback.

 

He fooled us all.

 

He took the third-best quarterback who's a third round talent.

 

There has never been a more Buffalo Bills pick than this. Great job, moron.

[Beerball]

 

I posted this in another thread, but it is absolutely impossible to logically argue with the Bills' process and execution of their plan last night. They did more research and in-person evaluation of QBs than probably any other team. They got two extra picks and still got their guy. Few thought this front office was capable of that kind of maneuvering. It was a joy to watch.

Regardless of how anyone feels about Manuel you cannot say that the Bills did not use due diligence, and you cannot say that they missed on 'their guy'. Getting 2 extra picks is icing on the cake.

 

I don't know enough about Manuel to comment on him personally as a QB. His ups (Clemson) and downs (Florida) make evaluating him difficult. Do you ignore one of those games? Both? But...the process and result (pending round 2) can't be argued.

[1B4IDie]

E Manuel meaning "God is with us"

[Mango]

 

 

Totally agree, I thought how are we the only team to panic and grab a third round project.

 

I'm so frickin sick of Nix I can't even stand it. How many drafts is the guy going F up before they show him the door, the only good he has ever done is find practice squad lineman.

 

How in the hell do you reach for a guy with potential in the first round, you draft those guys later and hope they pan out. If we wanted potential we could have drafted the best arm in Tyler Bray in the third and development.

 

Why the hell didn't we take Tyler Eifert or just stay at 8 and draft Austin

 

Nix has to GO!

 

Other than the TJ graham pick. What other picks where real head scratchers for you?

[OCinBuffalo]

1) Yes, most folks think the Jags will pick up a QB...maybe with their next pic....the first pick as the draft starts back up tonight.....maybe not. But Gabbard will definitely be in the competition for the starting job. With their RG #1, the line will be better, and as anyone knows, QBs need a good line to have any success at all.

so the Jags area, much like the Philly area, has every reason to disparage us, for taking the guy they were going to take, or, they have every reason to keep talking smack about all the QBs...because they don't want people to take one.

 

This is the nutty season in the NFL. I don't care what anybody says until 2 weeks after the draft.

2) Nothing to be suspicious about. The point was that they've seen the guy play, week after week (well, whenever he has played). Diehard FSU fans have been calling in all morning laughing at the Bills for picking him...THEY know, THEY have watched his every play.

Horsecrap. We caught a DC reporter purposely trying to tamper with Aaron Schobel, and his excuse was "i will lose access if I don't go along with certain stories the Redskins want out there". So spare me. Most of the sports media are worse then the political media in that regard. I will be plenty suspicious, especially when a media guy is trying to get in with a new GM.

 

EDIT: Rememeber the Saints "we would have traded for Marshawn Lynch but the Bills wouldn't listen" story, right after he gashed them? Where did that "story" come from?

 

How many diehard Bills fans had something nice to say about Frank Reich/Doug Flutie/Drew Bledsoe after they left Buffalo? Or Jim Kelly for that matter? Does that mean that none of those guys ever did anything good/never won games?

3) Umm, the Jax area media did indeed laugh at Tebow. Sure they like the guy as a person and what he stands for (who doesn't?), but they're smart enough to realize "he is what he is."

 

Nah, see, now it there Did they laugh at Tebow, BEFORE he played a down in Denver?

 

Sorry, I'm still reading all the "Bills like Barkley" and "Bills like Nassib" and "Buddy likes Glennon" expert opinions. What were you saying again?

Oh I don't know, perhaps you should read the bolded headline that is right in front of your nose.

 

Or, you can make use of...google.

Edited April 26, 2013 by OCinBuffalo

[KDIGGZ]

I was doing a dance when we traded down. Great move and it also kept Tavon Austin out of Jets uniform. One of my favorite moves in a long time! Then having every QB still on the board, everything was going our way.

 

But when they said EJ I was like woah. I stood up and just stood there for a second like wtf just happened. That seemed to come out of nowhere. I can certainly see the upside. This guy is very athletic but at the same time very raw. But if that's who they wanted after evaluating everyone then fine. I think it says a lot about the kind of offense they want to run.

 

So I'm still kind of in shock. But if they got their guy then good. I would be a lot more happy today if they traded down 1 more time and got San Fran's 1st and 2nd rounder for example. Nobody from 17-32 was picking a QB. With Eiffert still out there and a few of the D lineman, I would have thought our pick was valuable but maybe nobody was all that interested in trading down who knows. Would love to hear more on why they didn't trade down one more time. Seemed like a no brainer.

 

But if they got their guy then good, they have no excuses now. If he doesn't pan out then everyone gets fired. I guess we'll see...

[Doc]

Panicked? LMMFAO! Now Ideally I was hoping for another trade down a few spots, but I'd bet no one wanted to trade into the 16 spot, and trading down to 25 (Seahawks), 30 (Falcons) or 31 (49'ers) would have been a major risk. So they got an extra 2nd, 7th, and swapped 3rd's, and got the QB they wanted, and he'll likely get a 4-year $9.3M deal. Sounds good to me.

[Nyghtewynd]

O/U on games Manuel starts: 20. It should be less, but it'll be over because the Bills braintrust will throw away games in order to prove how smart they are.

 

Worst draft pick in Bills history, and that's saying something.

[CodeMonkey]

I like this pick. He might, but does not have to start right away. He also has the best arm strength of all the QBs touted as possible 1st-rounders.

I watched a presser shortly after the pick with Nix and Marrone and they both were saying they saw Manuel as somewhat of a project. Nix even used that word once.

Statements like "plenty of things to correct", but also "has all the tools".

 

They played it perfectly. Got the guy they wanted and picked up an extra 2nd as well.

[machine gun kelly]

I like it. Manuel was who I wanted and have stated in multiple posts. He'll need to develop and I don't expect him to start week 1. Kolb will kolb and play ok for a few weeks, hold onto the ball too long and get hurt. EJ Manuel will get some time to get used to the NFL, and hopefully be the next Kaperneck. Now we need some serious weapons with the two 2nd round picks. I'm hoping we go for the big receiver and tight end in round 2. We can pick up a CB in round 3 and a guard in the 4th. This could be one he'll of a draft.

[Storm Front]

He took the third-best quarterback who's a third round talent.

 

There has never been a more Buffalo Bills pick than this. Great job, moron.

 

This pick may ultimately be worse than Aaron Maybin in the first round. In a few years Manuel's name will probably be listed on the Sporting News' list of biggest 1st round draft busts right under JaMarcus Russell.

[Max997]

I dont love or hate this pick

 

he is an athletic big QB with a strong arm which I like

 

i probably would have hated this pick if they took him at 8 though

[offsides#76FredSmerlas]

All of these people on this board moaning and groaning. You can't say it was a good draft or a bad draft until you see the guys perform. Personally I love the pick and this is who I wanted but I can't say it was the right pick until we see the product play. I know this though; I'm excited!

[26CornerBlitz]

As previously stated by someone on TSW:

 

@AlbertBreer

Conversely, the Bills-Rams trade was remarkably even by the value chart ... Bills' haul equaled 1,642.6 points, Rams' was 1,635.

[Beerball]

Seriously?? I didn't know he was #78's Godson. I am impressed with his statements after the pick...saying he was "excited to be a Buffalo Bill and wants to get to work"...that is great. I was disappointed at first, but this kid really is special based on what you guys have said and what I've seen. Screw Mayock who said this is a "wasted pick"...I like it. These experts don't know squat. Welcome to Buffalo EJ!!!!

I could be wrong, but to me it sounded like he said "He's (Smith) like a Godfather to me."

[Garranimal]

You should be banned for this post. Obvious troll.

Why because you think your opinion trumps mine? I think Tebow is a better QB right now and at the time of drafting versus EJ "I-was-happy-to-beat-Wake Forest-Finally" Manuel. I am sorry if my opinion doesn't please you....oh wait, on second thought, i don't give a rats ass.

[GG]

I

 

Except that the available talent at #16 was not that much greater than what can be had at #41. This is a very deep draft with few blue chippers, and I bet most of the special guys Bills would have coveted at #8 were already gone. Other than a QB at #16, I wasn't particularly impressed with the remaining pass rushers. At LB, my bet is that Bills sign Dansby today as he's a better option that what was available at #16. I'm guessing the only player I would pick over a QB at #16 would have been Eifert, but then Bills would be gambling that by #41, they could be down to the third or fourth option for the QB, and they may think the drop off in ceiling for this year's class is huge. Thus, take the project QB, and use the two #2s to fill out the holes with players who are just marginally worse than the guys picked between 16 & 41.

 

This was a far from a panic move. You may not like the selection, but there's definite logic in why they made the pick.

Edited April 26, 2013 by Beerball

[Gordio]

Jacksonville, Philly, Arizona, Jets, and Tenn all pick before the Bills in the 2nd round. I think Philly coveted him because Chip Kelly tried to recruit him in college.So the Bills would have most likely missed on EJ if they had waited till the 2nd round.

 

However, I also think the Bills took him too early and could have traded back some more, to the top of the first round perhaps, as they have so many other holes to fill.

 

I would of liked to see them trade back one more time too to get another 2nd round pick. But one thing you have to give the Bills credit for. They got extra picks & nobody can say they did not get the QB they wanted.

 

As far as manuel I don't know. He seems like a good kid, good intangibles & probably has the most potential. Potential gets quite a few coaches fired. I would of took Barkley.

[machine gun kelly]

Like it. Someone earlier stated, but let' get him a WR, TE in the second, and a Guard later in the draft. Can't you just see him in the pistol with Spiller. CJ is going to rack up some serious yards this year as they can't just key in on him.

[Endless Ike]

Don't think it was panicked; do think it was an atrocious pick. EJ Manuel is a project, and you don't draft projects in the first round when you have as many holes as we do.

 

Book it. Jarvis Jones is going to be a MAN, and in 3 years we'll all be laughing, "remember when we picked EJ Manuel and could had Jarvis, at a position of need? Ohhhh, Buffalo Bills, you irascible scamps!"

[26CornerBlitz]

@smartfootball

Manuel has as much upside as any QB in this draft. Bills obviously focused on that.

 

@smartfootball

Intriguing aspect of Bills/Marrone picking EJ Manuel is Marrone dabbled in zone read game at Syracuse in 2012. Obviously wanted those skills

Edited April 26, 2013 by 26CornerBlitz

[billsrcursed]

Why because you think your opinion trumps mine? I think Tebow is a better QB right now and at the time of drafting versus EJ "I-was-happy-to-beat-Wake Forest-Finally" Manuel. I am sorry if my opinion doesn't please you....oh wait, on second thought, i don't give a rats ass.

 

Apology accepted.

 

Also, good luck with the Tebow crush, Obvious Gator Fan.

[Golden Wheels]

Judging by the laughs I've heard from Patriots fans this morning, I'd say our AFC East foes are thrilled with this pick. Really.

 

Keep drinking the Kool Aid y'all. Bless your hearts.