cut EJ loose

[HurlyBurly51]

I read the thread title as in release EJ and was in support of it.

 

How do you feel about the execution of EJ Manuel? I'm all for it.

[paupmvp1995]

You guys can talk all you want about his dropback and short and tall WR's.. But the bottom line is this, EJ Manuel is not very good. This guy came out of FSU for godsakes.. That is a football factory. He should be playing like he owns the world, if not the football field. Instead, he plays incredible small, almost timid for a man of his physical stature. He looks completely unsure of himself whenever he goes back to pass and can't throw it immediately to his first read. And even when he does throw aggresively to his first read it is rarely on target.

 

I think it is shocking that we drafted EJ with the 16th pick. I just don't see any 1st round kind of talent even in the remotetess sense. The guy has pretty much sucked for us. Seriously is he any better than JP Losman was? When Marrone looks at the film of EJ at season's end and can make a true thought out assessment, he will have to come to the same conclusion that we all should have already, that this guy is not an NFL QB. Watch Matt McGloin for the Raiders. Not a stud. But you can see he belongs and can make NFL throws. What throws can EJ make consistently?

[billsfan714]

If the Bills passed on EJ, I really wonder where he would have gone. We'll never know but I sure wonder if he would have gone in round 3 or 4.

[Boludo]

I read the thread title as in release EJ and was in support of it.

 

this

[SlamnSam]

The ej tryout is over, this guy will never make it. Cut him from the team

[DanInUticaTampa]

Too soon to just drop him. Hasn't even had a full season yet. So far, he has looked ok at home, and bad on the road, and that could change pretty quick. After the next 3 games we will know more. Of he all of a sudden lights it up with the final games, then ill feel better. He very well could play well in the final games. Jets game he took me by surprise, and he can do it again. But EJ isnt the only thing I am worried about... This team needs more than better qb play to win more games

[thewildrabbit]

No offense to anyone, but calling for the Bills to "open up" the passing offense will only result in getting the QB sacked more, more INT's, and more of what we all saw against the Bucs.

 

EJ ran a very simplified "read option" offense out of mostly shotgun formations at FSU. An offense where if the first or second read wasn't there EJ would run it. The WR routes were simplified, he didn't call audibles, he didn't work thru progressions after that second receiver, and when his reads were covered, he ran it. This was a guy coming out of college that was more of a physically gifted athlete then an NFL pro ready QB like Andrew Luck.

 

 

That said, EJ isn't the bigger problem with this offense. Its the feeble Bills running game and inability to make a freaking first down by running the ball. The Bills had ONE first down running and 10 first downs passing. This is a team that relies way to much on the rookie QB throwing the ball.

 

Cue the Bills fans screaming that "the Bills are the #4 rushing team in the NFL" The Bills are also the team with the most attempts rushing in the NFL. The Bills run the ball a lot, just not very effectively! They can't control either the line of scrimmage or the clock.

 

New Bills OC is more of a jackhammer operator in calling offensive plays rather then the surgeon delicately carving up the opposing defense they really, really need. The Bills OC looks to call the very same ineffective run plays over and over all game long. 22 rushes for 67 yards, literally stinks up the field way worse because of the talent the Bills have at RB vs the rookie QB.

 

As someone else mentioned the entire Bills team plays so much better at home. EJ has yet to win a road game.

 

 

In the beginning of the year I was really pulling for this new HC, and his staff. I really wanted Doug Marrone to succeed where his predecessors Jauron & Gailey both failed badly. We watched jauron ruin two young QB's with his offensive stupidity. We watched Gailey run an offense with a broken QB, all the while thinking he had Tom Brady behind center in Buffalo.

 

What all three head coaches have in common is that all three are way to dependent on whatever QB they have behind center. Both Jauron and Gailey should have known better, but they didn't. My take is Marrone was thinking of leaning heavily on QB Kevin Kolb this year and letting EJ eventually work himself into the action. But then the same stupid mistakes started to manifest themselves again with this coaching staff that plagued the previous staffs.

 

This new HC is an ex NFL O lineman, an ex NFL line coach, an ex NFL OC. A supposed O line guru? He should have known better then to start the every worst graded player in the NFL at LG and that the backup at guard was an even worse player. He should have known better then to start raw undrafted rookie QB Jeff Tuel or even keep him as the 2nd string backup.

 

 

That wasn't a playoff team with a top QB the Buffalo Bills were just blown out by, that was a team with a worse record at 3-9, and with a rookie QB drafted in the 3rd round. Today's game was marred with Bills players that were unprepared, undisciplined, and more importantly uninspired! That is bad coaching! No other way to put it, this new coaching staff is failing badly. Looking like another three years of futility, rinse & repeat.

[Buffalo Barbarian]

this was another week where EJ wasn't under center much - but the way the game deteriorated so quickly, may have played a part in that. anyway, on the occasion EJ dropped back from center, he was bouncing out of his plant step. this is important because the drop is timed with his first throw option in a play designed by the staff for how they believed the D would defend in a particular position/down/distance situation. bouncing out of that plant step before putting it back down and making the same throw shows the lack of confidence EJ has in committing to the throw. maybe he's getting caught up in trying to look off a defender, and isn't picking up his #1 in traffic - or maybe he's hesitant because his #1 doesn't yet have the separation he's comfortable with. whatever it is, he has to commit to the throw on these plays. right now, he's executing as if he's very unsure of his ability to complete even medium range passes. he's like a pitcher aiming instead of throwing, and balking men over in a tight inning.

 

this advice may fly in the face of trying to protect our franchise QB's health, but if the coaches want to see the guy they drafted - they better let EJ play football.. let him carry the ball in the read option.. roll him out and let him try to make plays downfield - he's not Brees, or Brady, or Manning, but he's a competitor.. cut him loose

 

On WGR they talked how they where letting EJ do more instead of protecting him and we see how that worked out.

[Buffalo Barbarian]

If the Bills passed on EJ, I really wonder where he would have gone. We'll never know but I sure wonder if he would have gone in round 3 or 4.

 

probably two, but we would have been better off with going with one of the other middling QBs to see what they had and then draft another one next year if need be.

 

Now we will trying to see if EJ can make it and then Marrone gets fired in three years, which stinks because I think he is and will be a good HC. If This occurs hopefully Pettine is still here (which he might as teams with bad records don't lose their coaches to other teams) and we hire him as HC.

[PearlHowardman]

Doesn't help that his 2nd part of the season looks worse than his first half.

 

Most of the first half of the season EJ was injured and sat on the bench.

[mjt328]

You guys can talk all you want about his dropback and short and tall WR's.. But the bottom line is this, EJ Manuel is not very good. This guy came out of FSU for godsakes.. That is a football factory. He should be playing like he owns the world, if not the football field. Instead, he plays incredible small, almost timid for a man of his physical stature. He looks completely unsure of himself whenever he goes back to pass and can't throw it immediately to his first read. And even when he does throw aggresively to his first read it is rarely on target.

 

I think it is shocking that we drafted EJ with the 16th pick. I just don't see any 1st round kind of talent even in the remotetess sense. The guy has pretty much sucked for us. Seriously is he any better than JP Losman was? When Marrone looks at the film of EJ at season's end and can make a true thought out assessment, he will have to come to the same conclusion that we all should have already, that this guy is not an NFL QB. Watch Matt McGloin for the Raiders. Not a stud. But you can see he belongs and can make NFL throws. What throws can EJ make consistently?

 

I don't see EJ doing anything good on a consistent basis.

 

He's terrible at sensing the pass rush. Sometimes he panics and rushes throws. Other times he holds the ball too long. Sometimes he just takes off running (and he's not a good runner either).

 

He's hesitant in his reads, and scared to make a mistake. Everything is either a check down, or a deep ball toss up. Almost nothing in the 15-30 yard range, where defenders are clogging the field.

 

Worst of all, his accuracy is just plain bad. How many times have we seen him step up and hit a moving target on the hands? Maybe a dozen times this season?

[BackInDaDay]

EJ ran a very simplified "read option" offense out of mostly shotgun formations at FSU. An offense where if the first or second read wasn't there EJ would run it. The WR routes were simplified, he didn't call audibles, he didn't work thru progressions after that second receiver, and when his reads were covered, he ran it. This was a guy coming out of college that was more of a physically gifted athlete then an NFL pro ready QB like Andrew Luck.

 

i think many of us are underestimating EJ's ability to make plays with both his feet and his head. check out Gruden's cutups/talking points on his option play, and his pre-snap recognition (specifically his play against ND when an injury limited his playbook).

 

 

This is the player who many thought was the sleeper in the 2013 QB draft class. Marrone and Hackett have been charged with refining his mechanics and improving his intelligence as an NFL pocket passer. what's been lost in translation is his ability to make plays. after losing their projected franchise QB to injury on two separate occasions, they reined that in - preferring to keep him on the field to learn how to play with his head.. but it wasn't the cerebral EJ alone that was drafted in round 1 - it was the total package that made him an attractive pick.

[BillsFan-4-Ever]

you made a typo. I think you meant - Cut SJ loose

[Dorkington]

If the Bills passed on EJ, I really wonder where he would have gone. We'll never know but I sure wonder if he would have gone in round 3 or 4.

 

And would probably be more successful with a real coaching staff and offense.

[Gordio]

Too soon to just drop him. Hasn't even had a full season yet. So far, he has looked ok at home, and bad on the road, and that could change pretty quick. After the next 3 games we will know more. Of he all of a sudden lights it up with the final games, then ill feel better. He very well could play well in the final games. Jets game he took me by surprise, and he can do it again. But EJ isnt the only thing I am worried about... This team needs more than better qb play to win more games

 

I hope we lose the last 3 games & somehow end up picking high enough to get bridgewater. I was not high on Manuel when they picked him & his play has confirmed my worst fears. This guy will never be a franchise QB. I have seen enough.

[PolishDave]

i think many of us are underestimating EJ's ability to make plays with both his feet and his head.

 

Well if EJ is so dang smart, how come the coaches are talking about dumbing the offense down for him?

 

He isn't as smart as how he is portrayed as being. Something tells me that Tuel is ahead of EJ mentally when it comes to running this offense. And so is Thad and he has had less time than the other guys.

 

I suspect that EJ is not anywhere close to being where the coaches expected him to be mentally by this time in the season. It is a sad state of affairs for the sake of a new head coach who has so much to lose if this QB experiment fails.

[mart]

On Nov. 11 I started the thread Release EJ ? in which I said in part "I hope he does develop as

 

he seems like a nice guy, but right now he is a NFL backup".

 

There were two responses before the thread was locked down,

l) Stop. Go home

2) LOL

 

Just saying.

[Fan in San Diego]

I think it is way too early for this cut EJ thread. He needs another full year to develop. I might cut Hackett to see if that improves. we need more OL, WR's, more defense.

[BackInDaDay]

I think it is way too early for this cut EJ thread. He needs another full year to develop. I might cut Hackett to see if that improves. we need more OL, WR's, more defense.

 

please read the original post

you're not the first reader that the title confused

[BackInDaDay]

Well if EJ is so dang smart, how come the coaches are talking about dumbing the offense down for him?

 

there's a difference between understanding the offense and executing the offense. if dumbing down the offense gives him 2 options, and limits his pre-snap reads to how those options may be defended, i'm all for it, because it will get him out of the pocket sooner than later. he's not even comfortable with his first option at this point, so let him have 3 clicks to pull the trigger or pull it down..