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

[billsfan in n.h]

had an awesome winning record at the 'noles' 26-5 i believe

[nucci]

Should Kelly and Thurman not be in the Hall of Fame because they played their worst in the biggest games of their careers?

[NickelCity]

Ok I've watched about a half of the Florida St - Florida game so far, and it's not anywhere near as bad as it's been made out to be. Is it good? No. But I've seen a rushing touchdown and a TD pass that was beautiful. The fumble was a vicious hit, but he does need to tuck it tighter. The first interception should have at least been contested by the wideout, who was not looking.

 

I need to look at the next two interceptions (and additional TD run), but so far I was expecting much worse. This isn't rose colored glasses either. Nassib's USC game, for example, was also not as bad as advertised. But who knows, maybe the footage I haven't yet seen will be as abysmal as I have been led to believe, it's certainly possible.

Edited April 26, 2013 by NickelCity

[John Cocktosten]

Should Kelly and Thurman not be in the Hall of Fame because they played their worst in the biggest games of their careers?

 

Absurd comment. Thurm and Kelly were great PROS who won a million playoff games and hold numerous records. EJ was a second team ACC QB who was a chronic underachiever.

[C.Biscuit97]

 

 

So a game where the defense can't blitz and can only run one front is his biggest game? Really?

 

I would disagree and say the last game of his Senior year against his biggest rival, Florida, in Talley was just a bit bigger. UF came in ranked #4 and If FSU, who only had one loss, wins that game they leap frog everybody and only need a loss by ND to possibly get into the championship game. EJ choked.

 

EJ's line? 3 ints and a fumble. That's his biggest game of his career and everybody watching has seen this act from EJ in big games before. The talent on FSU is enough to beat anybody in the country but their QB could never put them on his back and win a game by himself (See NCst game).

 

I'm not rooting for him to fail but I think this pick is another in a long line of gaffs by this joke of a FO headed by king moron Buddy Nix.

 

FWIW, I loved the Marone pick and defended him. I can't do the same with EJ.

 

Well let's hope you are as right on this as you were about Jimmy Clausen haha.

 

 

 

Absurd comment. Thurm and Kelly were great PROS who won a million playoff games and hold numerous records. EJ was a second team ACC QB who was a chronic underachiever.

 

Who did go 4-0 in bowl games.

[hondo in seattle]

Every college QB has some bad games. And they all need to learn new skills to make it in the NFL. Manuel is no different.

 

Picking a QB in the first round is historically about a 50-50 proposition. I don't see any reason to believe Manuel's odds are longer than the historical first round average. There's a lot to like about the kid. There are some concerns as well.

 

Given Manuel's strength, athleticism, accuracy, football IQ and leadership, I think he's got as got as good as chance of succeeding in the NFL as any other QB in this year's crop. His occasional problems - ball security, decision making - seem very correctable.

 

I'm not seeing Pro Bowls and Super Bowl in Manuel's future just yet. He may flop. But right now I'm excited. He was a solid pick.

[26CornerBlitz]

In case anyone is interested:

 

@JohnMurphyShow

One on one with new #Bills QB @EJManuel3 tonight. 6pm start on WBEN @NewsRadio930. You can listen here: http://ow.ly/ksT1v

[billsfan1959]

Haha. No worries. It gets tiresome though, doesn't it? There is nothing dumber than rushing to conclusions on draft picks the day after they are made.

 

I don't see how people can fault the Bills' thought process here. They traded down, got more picks, and got the top qb on THEIR board. Now whether or not, he is the right guy is another story. But to even risk losing their top QB to pick up an extra 3rd pick is just stupid.

 

Amen. I have no idea if he will be a great quarterback, a bust, or something in between. I do not posess any psychic powers and I do not have a crystal ball with which I can gaze into the future (if I did, I would be looking at financial investments instead of NFL draft picks). The point is, I have no problem with an opinion; good, bad, or indifferent. What annoys me is when people make the leap from opinion to statements of fact: He definitely would have been there at the end of the first or in the second; he will never be a good quarterback; etc., etc. ad nauseum.

 

Just a little tiring...

Edited April 26, 2013 by billsfan1959

[nucci]

Absurd comment. Thurm and Kelly were great PROS who won a million playoff games and hold numerous records. EJ was a second team ACC QB who was a chronic underachiever.

Exactly, as absurd as yours.

[NickelCity]

Press conference:

 

http://www.buffalobills.com/media-center/videos/EJ-Manuel-Introductory-Press-Conference/63373ccb-ad49-4e31-9c19-5f8bf213d322

 

Jimbo talking about EJ:

 

http://www.buffalobills.com/media-center/videos/Jim-Kelly-on-EJ-Manuel/41f382f2-df4f-4072-8930-95998c443e22

[John Cocktosten]

Well let's hope you are as right on this as you were about Jimmy Clausen haha.

 

Who did go 4-0 in bowl games.

 

Bowl games that meant nothing. Not sure if you know this but the big games in CFB are played during the season if it's they're not the BCSCG. Like the OU game in '11 or the UF game this year. His best game was against a very good Clemson team who gave up 70 to WVU.

 

You'll be happy with this pick CB97! EJ is a lot like your boy LeFevour!

 

I'll give it to you though CB. You're a true super fan who still defends every decision and I commend you for that. But if you look at the track records on this board for the last 5-6 years, you've been wrong about....95% of the time. Thank God there are enough Pollys around here to make you feel better!

 

PM me with your address. I might as well send you the beer.

 

Exactly, as absurd as yours.

 

Good one.

[DrDawkinstein]

Bowl games that meant nothing. Not sure if you know this but the big games in CFB are played during the season if it's they're not the BCSCG. Like the OU game in '11 or the UF game this year. His best game was against a very good Clemson team who gave up 70 to WVU.

 

You'll be happy with this pick CB97! EJ is a lot like your boy LeFevour!

 

I'll give it to you though CB. You're a true super fan who still defends every decision and I commend you for that. But if you look at the track records on this board for the last 5-6 years, you've been wrong about....95% of the time. Thank God there are enough Pollys around here to make you feel better!

 

PM me with your address. I might as well send you the beer.

 

 

 

Good one.

 

What an !@#$.

[QCity]

Bowl games that meant nothing.

 

Well I guess that makes it official guys, the Orange Bowl now means nothing.

 

We get it, you don't like E.J. Manuel. But you're just making a complete fool of yourself now.

[Dibs]

Saying he is going to be a bust, and saying this pick is terrible is basically rooting for him to fail, which in turn makes the Bills fail. I just dont get it.

 

I think it all comes down to either naivety or hubris.

 

Naivety in buying into the concept that the particular media analysts one listens to are actually correct in their assessments.

...or...

Having the hubris to believe that ones own personal player analysis is correct without the possibility of it being incorrect.

[John Cocktosten]

Well I guess that makes it official guys, the Orange Bowl now means nothing.

 

We get it, you don't like E.J. Manuel. But you're just making a complete fool of yourself now.

 

Orange Bowl against MAC champion Northern Illinois. How did they do against a BCS team from the SEC a game earlier? They got crushed at home by their biggest rival,

 

I've been on this board now for a long time and you can go back and check my history. You'd be hard pressed to find me being anything but truthful....and right.

 

Read my quote in my sig, it says it all.

[Bronc24]

As one of the loudest critics of the previous starting QB, I have to say I love what the Bills did here. I don't know if Manuel is the best QB in this class, but obviously OBD felt he was the best fit for them and that's good enough for me.

 

I'll echo what others have said here: people wanted us to trade down, acquire more picks and get a QB. Check, check and check. Well done OBD. Let's kill it these last 6 rounds.

Edited April 26, 2013 by Marauder24

[OCinBuffalo]

News Flash!!! The Bills' brand new shiny 1st round QB is named EJ Manuel.

 

Manual is a book you read for instructions or something you do with your hands.

 

It's simply not that hard folks.

YES!

 

We can have all kinds of fun with this:

1. EJ ducks a blitz from Hightower and throws a 70 yard TD...."But coach, that's not in the manuel"! (I'll be getting to work on a meme right away)

2. EJ reads through progressions...but they only rushed 4 , again, for the 4th time this quater, and he takes off and runs for the first down, untouched, to the sideline "RTFM!" (It's an IT thing we say, when people can't be bothered to learn the software we trained them on. Stands for Read The F'ing Manuel)

Yeah, that's it. If you want to gauge your future QB on how well he played against average teams like North Illinois in Bowls or Wake Forest/NcSt then go ahead and be prepared to be surprised when he flops. . But when it came to top ranked teams in big games like the Florida game, he goes for 4 turnovers in THE BIGGEST GAME OF HIS CAREER at home. See last year's UF game or the OU game the same year.

 

You can read a game log or you can watch the games and understand the context. Good luck with our newest project.

There have been at least 5 links in this thread that have put EJM into proper "context". Especially the one about what he needs to correct, and how it can be corrected. Or, the sports science stuff.

 

I love people that howl about context, but then turtle when things are actually put into proper context for them by others.

 

I thought this was the football board. Did this thread get moved to PPP?

Saying he is going to be a bust, and saying this pick is terrible is basically rooting for him to fail, which in turn makes the Bills fail. I just dont get it.

You don't get it.

 

The job here is to win the "I am knowledgeable" battle on the internet. How good your team is, or, God forbid, enjoying the fact, for 1 day, that your team finally took its shot a REAL playoff QB?

 

Those don't matter. No, the only thing that matters is: "LAMP: I correctly called the first 14 out of 20 using my big board!"

 

Can you name something that matters less? Try it. I have, and it's hard. The first thing that came to mind is North Korea's dead Dear Leader's bowling score.

Sorry, wrong number: E.J. Manuel gets early phone call meant for third pick Dion Jordan:

 

Manuel was taken offguard earlier in the night, however, when someone accidentally dialed a wrong number and gave him a slight rush of excitement over the possibility of top 5 money.

 

Here's what Manuel told the Dan Patrick Show on Friday (via the show's producer):

 

E.J. Manuel said his green room hotline phone rang at pick 3. He got excited, then the voice asked if they could talk to Dion Jordan.

 

Well, that must have been awkward. Did Manuel call Jordan across the green room and say "Uh, it's for you? It's the Dolphins?" Did he consider impersonating Jordan and say there's no way he'd take his talents to South Beach if drafted? Did he just say "wrong number?"

 

http://sports.yahoo....-145113384.html

Yes! MOAR DOLPHIN FAIL!

 

[Floridabillsfan1]

 

 

I would say he's a B+ pick all day every day. Hes not going to be Aaron Rogers. Ever. But he's also not going to be Jamarcus Russell. Ever. EJ is a QB. He's smart as they come and understands defenses. Jimbo's ( fsu) offense is known to be very complicated. Almost too much for college. I think at times he was playing not to lose as opposed to playing to win. Mostly because Jimbo screamed at him constantly and that mindset had him trying to be too perfect with his throws. He is a leader and will take charge of that team. And lastly - Marrone took him over the kid he coached (Nassib) so that speaks volumes as to what they think of him. So stop hating and be happy because I think in time this guy will play to where he was picked and then some .

 

Proud to have him on our team !!! Go bills !!!

[Miyagi-Do Karate]

Press conference:

 

http://www.buffalobills.com/media-center/videos/EJ-Manuel-Introductory-Press-Conference/63373ccb-ad49-4e31-9c19-5f8bf213d322

 

Jimbo talking about EJ:

 

http://www.buffalobills.com/media-center/videos/Jim-Kelly-on-EJ-Manuel/41f382f2-df4f-4072-8930-95998c443e22

 

Is it just me, but marrone seems scary. He just seems to be really intimidating. if I were a player or assistant under him, I'd be terrified.

[GG]

So a game where the defense can't blitz and can only run one front is his biggest game? Really?

 

I would disagree and say the last game of his Senior year against his biggest rival, Florida, in Talley was just a bit bigger. UF came in ranked #4 and If FSU, who only had one loss, wins that game they leap frog everybody and only need a loss by ND to possibly get into the championship game. EJ choked.

 

EJ's line? 3 ints and a fumble. That's his biggest game of his career and everybody watching has seen this act from EJ in big games before. The talent on FSU is enough to beat anybody in the country but their QB could never put them on his back and win a game by himself (See NCst game).

 

I'm not rooting for him to fail but I think this pick is another in a long line of gaffs by this joke of a FO headed by king moron Buddy Nix.

 

FWIW, I loved the Marone pick and defended him. I can't do the same with EJ.

 

And if the Senior Bowl was a cakewalk, then every QB prospect would have shined in that game. Yet the other touted prospects laid a turd.

 

The guy definitely has negatives, but I can't see how you're ranking on him when he was 4-0 in bowl games. And if you apply your example to the other top QB prospects this year, how did they do? If you just go by performance against a big rival then McCarron should have been the top pick by a landslide. Your criticism of EJ does not include any justification why he doesn't have a higher upside than the rest of the field, and as I said before, the rest of the field doesn't look much better than Kolb or Tarvaris. So, if the team had EJ as their top QB, chances are other teams had him as a top QB and Bills were not going to get him in the 2nd round.

 

Go back a few months through all the discussions about why Nix tenure is a failure. He never gambled on a QB prospect. He picked a bad year to finally address the position. But he can't be blamed for swinging for the guy with the highest upside. Funny part is that the so-called experts were surely convinced that Kaepernick would last to Rounds 3 or 4, because he was a long term project with a high upside. He got picked within 25 slots after Manuel's slot. How does that pick look now?