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

[Nanker]

https://soundcloud.c...-nfl-draft-pick

+1 - Jim Miller just gushed about him as did Gil Brandt.

thanks for that.

 

yup

+1

 

I don't care that the Bills blocked the Jets from taking Austin and got extra picks in the draft.

 

I don't care that they trade down and got the #1 QB on their board still.

 

I don't care that he is the most physically gifted and best leader among the QBs.

 

I don't care he played the whole season while stressing about his mother battling breast cancer.

 

I don't care that the Eagles loved the guy and would have tried to draft him.

 

I just care that he was the #5 QB on community college grad Mel Kiper's draft board. The Bills are jokes once again.

 

I nearly peed myself! You nailed it.

[boyst]

EJ on NFLN

the bills are starting fresh, new coach, oc

i feel like i fit the system, the bills feel that way. interviews all went well, i think i impressed them enough.

 

your role in 1st year 1st year like?

2 hours of sleep this afternoon, doing a lot of media and interviews. no chance to sit down with them, seen them 10 minutes. my role here is to come in and learn and compete. come in to lead. i think they need a leader at that position. its agreat situation to learn from tjax and kolb

 

last year / luck rg3 / what was up with geno?

up until 16th pick, i felt we were both going thru same thing, made eye contact, felt crazy, so happy to see him and glad to see him before i got picked, known since 10th grade, proud for him when he gets picked today

[Nanker]

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.

So, just exactly how much did you lose on that game John?

[MDH]

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.

 

What has me hopeful is that he's a ` smart guy and from what I've read puts in the hours working hard to improve. If you have those two things and the physical gifts he has the sky is the limit. Let's hope the coaching staff does their jobs in preparing him for Sundays...

[John Cocktosten]

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?

 

I'm not busting on him for his record in bowl games. I'm saying that bowl games don't matter unless it's the big ones. Kids are suspended, academically ineligible, checked out and playing not to get hurt. Hard to judge a completely meaningless game between two 5 loss teams after a 40 day layoff and vacation in between. 4-0 is good but when you drill down it's nothing to get excited about.

 

You're right about NIx picking a QB. If we get EJ in the second it doesn't feel as bad. But to take him ahead of 4-5 players who are simply better than EJ because our GM fell asleep for 3 years on draft day doesn't justify the pick. Especially if you've actually followed EJ's career. Die hard Nole fans will tell you that EJ has everything except the ability to put a team on his back and win a big game. He's never done it and if you're picking at 16, that's who I want. Not a project.

 

So, just exactly how much did you lose on that game John?

 

I would never put a dime on EJ in a big game. He didn;t stand a chance against a non ACC defense. I was right.

[mannc]

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.

I've more or less defended this pick elsewhere in this thread, but I'm starting to have second thoughts. I did not see EJ play much in college, but I did see the Florida game and he was absolutely awful. My first inclination was to say, "fine, we got the QB we wanted and picked up some extra picks." On the other hand, OBD does not deserve the benefit of the doubt. Every single time they have gone against the conventional wisdom and "reached" for a player who the draft experts and other teams had ranked lower on their boards, it has blown up in their face. As much as we would like to stick it to Mayock and other experts who are denigrating this pick, they have been right a hell of lot more often than OBD.

Edited April 26, 2013 by mannc

[NoSaint]

 

I've more or less defended this pick elsewhere in this thread, but I'm starting to have second thoughts. I did not see EJ play much in college, but I did see the Florida game and he was absolutely awful. My first inclination was to say, "fine, we got the QB we wanted and picked up some extra picks." On the other hand, OBD does not deserve the benefit of the doubt. Every single time they have gone against the conventional wisdom and "reached" for a player who the draft experts and other teams had ranked lower on their boards, it has blown up in their face. As much as we would like to stick it to Mayock and other experts who are denigrating this pick, they have been right a hell of lot more often than OBD.

 

well, nix has been good in the first round.... and marrone has been around decent qbs.... so.... fingers crossed.

[billsfan89]

I don't hate the pick. Big arm, mobile, healthy, and some of his flaws might be coachable. My major concern is his accuracy is described as above average but not great but not great and his mechanics need some work. I keep hearing that mechanics are coachable but in recent years few QB's have been able to change mechanics. Throw in that his accuracy might be a concern and I am officially wait and see on this guy.

 

I would have loved this pick had the Bills been able to trade down just a few more picks. Trade down to the early to mid 20's pick up a extra 2nd or 3rd and another late rounder and it would have helped this team a lot. Still loved the original trade down.

[eball]

I'm not busting on him for his record in bowl games. I'm saying that bowl games don't matter unless it's the big ones. Kids are suspended, academically ineligible, checked out and playing not to get hurt. Hard to judge a completely meaningless game between two 5 loss teams after a 40 day layoff and vacation in between. 4-0 is good but when you drill down it's nothing to get excited about.

 

You're right about NIx picking a QB. If we get EJ in the second it doesn't feel as bad. But to take him ahead of 4-5 players who are simply better than EJ because our GM fell asleep for 3 years on draft day doesn't justify the pick. Especially if you've actually followed EJ's career. Die hard Nole fans will tell you that EJ has everything except the ability to put a team on his back and win a big game. He's never done it and if you're picking at 16, that's who I want. Not a project.

 

 

 

I would never put a dime on EJ in a big game. He didn;t stand a chance against a non ACC defense. I was right.

 

Hey, man, have a blast sitting back and waiting to tell everyone how right you were, wallowing in your misery.

 

Fun times!!!

[Kelly the Dog]

All anyone has to do to make it inarguable that you do not know if Manuel will fail or become a star, whether this was a brilliant or a criminally terrible move, is to stand in front of a mirror with a list of the last 20 quarterbacks taken in the top two rounds and simply be honest with yourself about what you thought they would do as pros.

[Reed83HOF]

New pic of EJ on the Field at the Ralphhttp://instagram.com/p/YlUlrdw2JV/#

[John Cocktosten]

Hey, man, have a blast sitting back and waiting to tell everyone how right you were, wallowing in your misery.

 

Fun times!!!

 

Typical response from an all time Polly. Can I not give my point of view in response to the EJ jerkfest? I was doing a lot of defending the day Marrone was announced as head coach so does that cancel out my opinion on EJ? Or do I still lose my fan card?

 

I'm not happy when I'm right regarding the Bills. It's really not that hard when it comes to the Bills. It's like betting against the table in craps,it usually wins but you're never popular with the the losers.

[peterpan]

I dont really like Manuel. I thought he processed info very slowly on the field and was a one-read QB.

 

I was very glad we traded back, but pissed we didnt do it again. Once we got passed the Jest at 13 there were no teams needing a QB until the 2nd round. If we could have added more picks, that would have been great, and if we missed out on Manuel, I wouldnt have cared honestly.

 

Now please get a damned TE for our new QB to throw to!

[Dibs]

Typical response from an all time Polly. Can I not give my point of view in response to the EJ jerkfest?.....

 

I just don't get how you can be so confident that Manuel will be a bust. The Bills did a massive amount of due diligence on the QBs in the draft.....and a great number of the media mockers had Manuel as a legit 1st round pick. For you to categorically state that he will fail(and that the pick was a stupid pick by the Bills) is baffling to me. It is like you can't fathom the concept that your opinion could be wrong.

[Ramius]

I messed my pants (the front of them) with this pick. :thumbsup:

[peterpan]

I feel for John C here. He is right, I agree. He is angry, and I get why, we are going to watch 2-4 years of bad football out of Manuel before we get a new coach and GM and new QB to try to be good agai n, for the 7th or 8th time in a row.....

 

I just don't get how you can be so confident that Manuel will be a bust. The Bills did a massive amount of due diligence on the QBs in the draft.....and a great number of the media mockers had Manuel as a legit 1st round pick. For you to categorically state that he will fail(and that the pick was a stupid pick by the Bills) is baffling to me. It is like you can't fathom the concept that your opinion could be wrong.

 

I stopped believing in the Bills scouting staff over a decade ago. There is no reason to have any faith in them. They stink. The fact that they picked Manuel is actually more of a sign that he will suck, rather than be good.

[GG]

 

 

I'm not busting on him for his record in bowl games. I'm saying that bowl games don't matter unless it's the big ones. Kids are suspended, academically ineligible, checked out and playing not to get hurt. Hard to judge a completely meaningless game between two 5 loss teams after a 40 day layoff and vacation in between. 4-0 is good but when you drill down it's nothing to get excited about.

 

You're right about NIx picking a QB. If we get EJ in the second it doesn't feel as bad. But to take him ahead of 4-5 players who are simply better than EJ because our GM fell asleep for 3 years on draft day doesn't justify the pick. Especially if you've actually followed EJ's career. Die hard Nole fans will tell you that EJ has everything except the ability to put a team on his back and win a big game. He's never done it and if you're picking at 16, that's who I want. Not a project.

 

 

 

I would never put a dime on EJ in a big game. He didn;t stand a chance against a non ACC defense. I was right.

OK since Senior Bowl doesn't count as a big game, even though there's a direct proportion of playing well in that game and moving up a magnitude in the draft, let's look at other big games.

 

You're dismissing the Orange Bowl because of inferior opponent. And he was bad against Florida in 2012. Ok. Yet in his other three bowl games, FSU was not the clear favorite. They beat real and big ticket teams. How did he match up against Geno in bowl games? And as for Florida teams, he went 5-1 against Gators and Canes in his career .

[Fan in Chicago]

Typical response from an all time Polly. Can I not give my point of view in response to the EJ jerkfest? I was doing a lot of defending the day Marrone was announced as head coach so does that cancel out my opinion on EJ? Or do I still lose my fan card?

 

I'm not happy when I'm right regarding the Bills. It's really not that hard when it comes to the Bills. It's like betting against the table in craps,it usually wins but you're never popular with the the losers.

 

There really isn't much of a 'jerkfest' re: EJ on this board. If anything, the general sentiment is one of cautious optimism and trust that the offensive mind of Marrone saw something in him. I am happy that we could trade down and then pick him when the entire draft class of QBs was available. I don't watch college football so have no opinion on his possible career. But I am happy that we spent an inordinate amount of time scouting the prospects and took the best among them. This should have happened two seasons ago or at worst the past draft but we are where we are now.

 

John, I have no time not interest in looking back at your post history. But you do post infrequently and hence I kind of remember your posts. Some friendly advice - the problem is not whether you are right or wrong. It is obvious you watch sports intelligently and ave opinions. The problem is in the way you state and defend your position and in how you interact with the other posters. Perhaps there would be a better debate with a better tone. Just my opinion - take it or leave it.

 

I am just hopeful of EJ eventually working out for the Bills cos I am sick and tired of seeing this never ending circus of QBs paraded through OBD.

[I_want_2_BILL_Lieve]

I don't hate the pick. Big arm, mobile, healthy, and some of his flaws might be coachable. My major concern is his accuracy is described as above average but not great but not great and his mechanics need some work. I keep hearing that mechanics are coachable but in recent years few QB's have been able to change mechanics. Throw in that his accuracy might be a concern and I am officially wait and see on this guy.

 

I would have loved this pick had the Bills been able to trade down just a few more picks. Trade down to the early to mid 20's pick up a extra 2nd or 3rd and another late rounder and it would have helped this team a lot. Still loved the original trade down.

 

the thing I respect the most is that the Bills traded back, got the extra picks -- then didn't get cute. Imagine if they had traded back again and ANY quarterback was then taken. The board would have crashed -- wait it did-- and we would have criticized OBD for getting the 2nd best QB. Buddy would have come on and said the typical, "he (EJ) was our guy all along." And NO ONE would have believed him. Now we know. EJ was their guy all along. And I can now believe him.

 

Buddy, et al, went all in. They took a small gamble, it payed off, and didn't try to push their luck.

[Dibs]

.......

I stopped believing in the Bills scouting staff over a decade ago. There is no reason to have any faith in them. They stink. The fact that they picked Manuel is actually more of a sign that he will suck, rather than be good.

You are the epitome of a true fan. Even though you believe we have absolutely no chance to be good or even improve to mediocre, you still remain a fan.

Don't take this the wrong way......but I hope you are proven wrong in your assumptions very soon.