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

[K-9]

I was indifferent on the pick until I heard it was Nix's pick. I would have felt better if Marrone and Hackett wanted him based on the offense they want to run. That would have made sense to me. Now that they came out and said it was Nix who picked him based on his upside alone, I don't like it. They needed to trade down 1 more time before taking a guy based on his potential

 

That kind of contradicts Marrone's statements on Mike and Mike. I believe him when he says it's a consensus pick based on a ton of evaluation.

 

GO BILLS!!!

[hondo in seattle]

I'm not sure Nix deserves the benefit of doubt, based on his draft record. But I'll give it to him anyway and be excited we got a QB with the potential to be good.

 

Average fan = casually watches one game or highlight vid on YouTube and forms strong opinion.

 

Average draft guru = charts 5 or 6 games and forms strong opinion.

 

Bills scouting staff = charts every game, talks to all sorts of coaches, then makes pick.

[Joe Miner]

Everyone said the Bills biggest need was QB.

 

So the Bills pick up an extra second round pick and still get their choice of QB's, and people think they panicked.

 

When all the other teams pick up a guy that fills a need, they are praised.

 

When the Bills pick up a guy that fills their biggest need and picks up an extra 2nd rd pick, they panicked?

 

If they had picked Geno Smith, all the pundits would be saying what a great draft. But now they supposedly reached for Manuel, all the while no one took Smith in the first. They got their first choice at QB, we'll have to see if he works out. But because Todd McShay thinks the Bills screwed the pooch, we now assume that we panicked.

[PoppaBen]

Good pick! GO Bills...welcome to Buffalo EJ!!

[AKA Bigdog]

Another shiny toy pick by the best in the business at getting rubes into the stadium on sundays. good job brandon you did it again. Drafting a prospect at 16 who by all accounts is still around late into the second round and maybe the third is flat out stupid. Stupid if your concerned about winning football games that is, but genius for selling the homers tickets and merchandise.

 

Hey maybe while he's "learning to be a QB" he can fill in at LB or TE.

[Canadian Bills Fan]

I LOVE this pick.

 

We finally get a QB who has a great arm, hight and mobility and people are still crapping on this pick?

 

I swear we could have drafted Andrew Luck and people would still be complaining.

 

As far as McS**t goes, I swear most commentators hate Buffalo and would have crapped on our pick no matter who we chose.

 

CBF

[billsrcursed]

Another shiny toy pick by the best in the business at getting rubes into the stadium on sundays. good job brandon you did it again. Drafting a prospect at 16 who by all accounts is still around late into the second round and maybe the third is flat out stupid. Stupid if your concerned about winning football games that is, but genius for selling the homers tickets and merchandise.

 

Hey maybe while he's "learning to be a QB" he can fill in at LB or TE.

 

Brandon??

 

Ok, maybe I need to leave until August, this is getting out of control. Is there a holiday in Buffalo and the kids don't have school today or something?

[John Cocktosten]

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 .

 

I think the point that you are missing is that he was unable to put his team over the top. He was essentially a 3 year starter and even played as a Freshman but never could make the next step to greatness. That is my hesitation.

 

So it's not about his overall record, it's about how many wins he's worth to his team. RG3, Matt Ryan, Kapernick, R Wilson are perfect examples of this. They were flawless in huge games and made their teams better than what they were. They made the players around them better. EJ was never able to elevate his game when the rest of his team was having a bad game.

 

At best EJ is a major project. If he is ever a good NFL QB it won't be for 3-4 years at best. But if you look at his progression in college there was never a significant uptick.

 

Lastly Jimbo is the new Jeff Tedford. Ponder and Russell were drafted WAY TOO HIGH and now you can add EJ to that resume. High percentage throws are the staple of his offense. FSU always have amazing skill players who are killer in space and that's what Jimbo believes in. That doesn't work in the NFL.

 

And for the Cam comparisons (not made by you Dave), save it. That is blasphemous. Cam took a team with a terrible coach and average talent to the championship. Single-handedly beating Bama in Bama. The better comparison is to T Pryor minus the baggage.

[DrDawkinstein]

Everyone said the Bills biggest need was QB.

 

So the Bills pick up an extra second round pick and still get their choice of QB's, and people think they panicked.

 

When all the other teams pick up a guy that fills a need, they are praised.

 

When the Bills pick up a guy that fills their biggest need and picks up an extra 2nd rd pick, they panicked?

 

If they had picked Geno Smith, all the pundits would be saying what a great draft. But now they supposedly reached for Manuel, all the while no one took Smith in the first. They got their first choice at QB, we'll have to see if he works out. But because Todd McShay thinks the Bills screwed the pooch, we now assume that we panicked.

 

Great post! The "experts" piss me off every year, regardless of whose draft they are judging. Because they are only judging how teams picked compared to their own guesses. And instead of McShay simply saying "Wow, didnt see that coming, we'll see how it works out" and admitting he really has no clue of whats going to happen, he (and others) "grade" drafts based only on how much teams agreed with him. Ridiculous.

[Joe Miner]

Out of the top 4 QB's (Manuel, Smith, Barkley, Nassib) how much difference was there between them?

 

Going into the draft, I just don't see a 3 round supposed discrepancy between Smith and Manuel.

 

I just don't think you could say that any of the other 3 QB's were first round picks and in the same breath say that EJ was a third.

Edited April 26, 2013 by Joe Miner

[MikeSpeed]

I am one who thinks that there are no first round QBs in this draft. That said I was glad that we traded down, it took the sting out of the pick. Now that EJ is a Bill I hope he excels and quickly.

 

BTW Will teams PLEASE stop helping the Paties by trading with them!!!!!!

[BRH]

Amazing to watch McShay rip him. "I talked to three guys in the league I trust more than anyone else with quarterback evaluation and not one of them had him going in the first three rounds."

 

What eva

[KDIGGZ]

 

 

That kind of contradicts Marrone's statements on Mike and Mike. I believe him when he says it's a consensus pick based on a ton of evaluation.

 

GO BILLS!!!

Consensus, not unanimous. Marrone said it was Nix and the scouts

[CodeMonkey]

It was pretty funny in my house last night. When the Bills went on the clock at #8 my kids all threatened to renounce their Bills fandom if Nix did not take Geno.

When the Bills traded back they were worried, but accepting because of the extra 2nd. When #16 came around and Geno was still on the board they were high fiving each other and singing the praises of Nix for working the draft so perfectly, sure the Bills would take him at #16. When King Roger announced Manuel they all sat down at the same time with open mouths in disbelief.

 

I will find out tonight if my house has 3 fewer Bills fans or not, but it was interesting and fun to see them so wrapped up with a Bills draft pick

Edited April 26, 2013 by CodeMonkey

[eball]

Amazing to watch McShay rip him. "I talked to three guys in the league I trust more than anyone else with quarterback evaluation and not one of them had him going in the first three rounds."

 

What eva

 

Geesh -- so much we don't know about that statement. Who were the guys? Are they on teams who needed a QB, and therefore did they put in the work the Bills did?

 

Again -- go back and read the post-draft reviews for Seattle last year. They were massacred. All of this crap means nothing. We should be happy the Bills got "their guy" and didn't settle for leftovers.

[CodeMonkey]

Consensus, not unanimous. Marrone said it was Nix and the scouts

In the presser right after Marrone looked visibly annoyed. Not sure if it was the pick or the dumbass questions being asked by the press that caused the annoyance though.

[eball]

In the presser right after Marrone looked visibly annoyed. Not sure if it was the pick or the dumbass questions being asked by the press that caused the annoyance though.

 

I'm guessing the latter. He doesn't strike me as a guy who enjoys making time for fools. Further, to suggest the Bills would specifically go against their new HC in making a "face of the franchise" pick like this is a dubious proposition at best.

[KDIGGZ]

 

In the presser right after Marrone looked visibly annoyed. Not sure if it was the pick or the dumbass questions being asked by the press that caused the annoyance though.

Yep I don't think this is who he wanted and that makes me nervous. I think Nix saw a talent that COULD BE great given his natural size and ability. He has the highest ceiling but he's also a huge risk IMO. I think that's too much of a gamble at 16th overall

[Beerball]

Consensus, not unanimous. Marrone said it was Nix and the scouts

Link? Not even close to what I've read/heard.

 

Consensus...of course it was.

[BRH]

Geesh -- so much we don't know about that statement. Who were the guys? Are they on teams who needed a QB, and therefore did they put in the work the Bills did?

 

Again -- go back and read the post-draft reviews for Seattle last year. They were massacred. All of this crap means nothing. We should be happy the Bills got "their guy" and didn't settle for leftovers.

Exactly. I watched McShay this morning and he says nothing with conviction anyway. Just a bunch of canned talking points. He might as well be football's Eklund. Throwing stuff around to see what sticks.