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EJ knee surgery, Tim Graham questions, draft QB?


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Two full years after he had already been a professional QB.

 

That can't be overstated. Those years under the tutelage of Mouse Davis taught Kelly a TON about reading defenses. He was very polished coming into the NFL and STILL struggled, even mightily at times, his rookie year. More than a few bar room debates about benching him.

 

GO BILLS!!!

Edited by K-9
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Franchise QBs aren't drafted they are developed and drafting 2 in back-to-back years is like claiming to be engaged to two different women at the same time. Finding a guy who's talent and character you believe in and not committing to his development for at least 2 years is blatently dumb. That's why drafting a QB #1 in back-to-back drafts with the thought of having both on your roster hasn't been done before. Manning (E or P,) Flacco or Brees did not have rookie years that screemed Super Bowl winner.

 

So, for TG to suggest that he's in favor of doing this dumb thing "because QB is the most important position" is both rhetorical provocative. So I like EJs sarcastic answer because it properly shows his emotional reaction to the provocation without resorting to baseline behaviour. EJ should be the primary focus es to be the primary focus of all the organizational resources they can muster. Improve the coaching, strengthen the legs, improve the talent around him in order to fully evaluate his potential to keep improving his game performance.

 

I am with the others that say a mid round QB that the Bills think has good value and can improve the QB depth chart is a sensible thing to do.

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I agree. And Lewis was on the Browns' practice squad for 2 years and went up against NFL players daily, so they weren't at the same level.

 

As for drafting a QB in the first round, this year's crop looks to be fools gold. I see no can't-miss prospect, much less prospects, so taking one in the 1st might necessitate taking another one in the 1st in 2015 if the rookie QB doesn't look good his rookie season.

 

You don't even see any prospects in this QB draft?

 

You should only draft a "can't-miss" QB in the 1st round?

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My take away is that Manuel asked a question, received an answer, which was in effect, "I think you are a bust" and he walked away. Should he have entered into a debate with Graham? Should he have responded "I'll welcome the completion"? And then walked away? Should he defended himself, explaining why he is not a bust?

 

I was talking from the context of what is written in the article. Sorry if that was unclear. Was EJ really angry? Or was he registering someone on his crow-eating list? The use of the term "handler", etc. is suggestive, is it not? The article paints a certain picture. That picture is of someone that ducked and ran in a face of adversity or maybe was dragged away by this "handler" person. The job of an NFL QB is one that puts someone squarely in the crosshairs, so dealing with the doubters comes with the territory.

 

In this instance, the reader has no idea what was going on after this meeting and maybe EJ had somewhere else to be. Being defensive seems like a normal reaction to someone implying you may not be very good at your job and many people would have just walked away. Others might have realized they had "stepped in it" and laughed it off, confident that a reporter's opinion wasn't of serious importance. Others might have said something in their own defense. Some might have set civility aside, and "thrown their gloves off" and got into a verbal or physical altercation. Finally, some few might have seized the situation as an opportunity to speak their own mind freely and describe what the plan of action was moving forward, how adversity drives them, etc.

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I was talking from the context of what is written in the article. Sorry if that was unclear. Was EJ really angry? Or was he registering someone on his crow-eating list? The use of the term "handler", etc. is suggestive, is it not? The article paints a certain picture. That picture is of someone that ducked and ran in a face of adversity or maybe was dragged away by this "handler" person. The job of an NFL QB is one that puts someone squarely in the crosshairs, so dealing with the doubters comes with the territory.

 

In this instance, the reader has no idea what was going on after this meeting and maybe EJ had somewhere else to be. Being defensive seems like a normal reaction to someone implying you may not be very good at your job and many people would have just walked away. Others might have realized they had "stepped in it" and laughed it off, confident that a reporter's opinion wasn't of serious importance. Others might have said something in their own defense. Some might have set civility aside, and "thrown their gloves off" and got into a verbal or physical altercation. Finally, some few might have seized the situation as an opportunity to speak their own mind freely and describe what the plan of action was moving forward, how adversity drives them, etc.

TG's twitter behavior wrote the book on this, so he recognized it well.

 

EJ is under no obligation to answer those questions on radio row. Wrong place and time and he was calling him out whether people want to admit or not. There is a reason teams don't draft QBs in the 1st rd in back to back years. Because you don't know what they are going to be after the 1st year. EJ performed like a rookie and certainly showed the ability to win. If he was referring to his being "injury-prone" - I wonder if reporters in Detroit and DC were asking Stafford and RG3 point blank if their teams should draft another QB in the 1st round after they got hurt as rookies.

Edited by YoloinOhio
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I assumed as much. When he was interviewed while he was at the NFLPA college event, he was asked whether he had surgery on knee at end of year and how was it. He replied "knee is doing great, I'll leave it at that". Not sure why the Bills or EJ would hide it, except that they don't want the barrage of injury-prone questions peppering them all off-season. Bottom line, 1-year does not make a trend, but if EJ misses similar time this year, that is a real issue and will doom him faster than his inaccuracies. He's gotta stay on field if he ever hopes to be a true #1 QB.

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the trouble is how this would affect EJ, who is seemingly under the impression that he is irreplaceable, otherwise why would he be asking others for his opinion. perhaps, a competition might be best?

 

jw

What have you seen from him to make this statement? Because he throws the question back at TG? Feeling "irreplaceable" is a bit different than thinking his own team should draft a QB in the 1st rd the year after they drafted him in the 1st rd and has publically committed to developing him and starting him going forward. Because he is confident that they don't need to draft another franchise QB the year after they took him? Makes no sense to me, sorry. I would be highly worried if he thought they did need to. Dumb question and he is not obligated to engage in banter to fill TG's articles.
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Franchise QBs aren't drafted they are developed and drafting 2 in back-to-back years is like claiming to be engaged to two different women at the same time. Finding a guy who's talent and character you believe in and not committing to his development for at least 2 years is blatently dumb. That's why drafting a QB #1 in back-to-back drafts with the thought of having both on your roster hasn't been done before.

 

Not in back to back drafts but in the same calendar year........YES.

 

The Cowboys dynasty began with them taking Aikman first overall and then forfeiting their first round pick.......obviously considered to likely be a very high pick if not THE top pick......... the following season to select Steve Walsh in the supplemental just a few months later.

 

And that was at a time when the QB was actually LESS important than he is today.

 

You could win a SB with a journeyman back then.....as we unfortunately found out at the hands of Jeff Hostetler and Mark Rypien.

 

Nowadays.......you need a HOF type QB to win a SB. It's been a lifetime since Brad Johnson and Trent Dilfer hoisted Lombardi's and the league has changed immensely since then.

 

People can talk all the nonsense they want about how defenses and running games are getting teams thru the playoffs but the reality is that it's never been more about the QB.

 

That is why you don't hesitate to draft a QB until you have one of those elite QB's. If EJ can't handle the competition then he isn't one of those QB's anyway.

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Looks like EJ was hurt again---by TG's questions....

Yeah.... I guess id rather him say "draft anyone they want, I'll beat him..." Which you hope he believes. Fragile egos crumble in the nfl. So we will see. Next season is make or bust for EJ.

 

On other hand, if some said to TG that the buffalo news needs to go get more talent in the sports columnist dept, I am sure he'd have a tantrum like he did when he quit this board.

Edited by over 20 years of fanhood
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Yeah.... I guess id rather him say "draft anyone they want, I'll beat him..." Which you hope he believes. Fragile egos crumble in the nfl. So we will see. Next season is make or bust for EJ.

 

On other hand, if some said to TG that the buffalo news needs to go get more talent in the sports columnist dept, I am sure he'd have a tantrum like he did when he quit this board.

I think part of Tim Graham's object in this is to plant the question in our minds - "does EJ have a fragile ego?"

 

Don't fall for it.

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Tim Graham is basically the douche at the bar in the pink polo with the popped collar and fohawk who tells his friends that the girl that just turned him down is ugly. Which basically makes us the friends who, every time he's not around, argue about who even invited him to go out.

Edited by KikoSeeBallKikoGetBall
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How many times has graham had episodes like this? Quite a bit. How many times has manuel had episodes like that? None.

 

 

Yeaaaaa........um I'm sure it was graham carrying himself like graham again.

Didn't TG just have a twit-fit over some Marrone comment? Something Tim was trying to spin as lack of commitment to winning on Marrone's part? TG huffed and puffed about it and no one cared.

 

This strikes me as another LAMP moment by TG. Digging up turds and telling us they might be gold. I'm embarrassed for him.

 

PTR

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the trouble is how this would affect EJ, who is seemingly under the impression that he is irreplaceable, otherwise why would he be asking others for his opinion. perhaps, a competition might be best?

 

jw

 

This! I fail to understand why everyone is smacking TG, the response EJ gave is alarming to say the least. Why be so arrogant as to ask if he thinks they should draft a new QB. The kid has proven nothing, nothing. That he hasnt proven anything isnt a big issue btw, he had a rough rookie campaign. I'll reserve judgement for his second season. But the response EJ gave is telling in the sense that he thinks he has arrived. I dont think it will do much with regards to his working ethic but the mental part of it is what worries me. Throughout the year more and more evidence was presented about some mental issues with EJ and being arrogant does not equal being confidenent on the field. It's a sign of an underlaying feeling of being insecure.

Edited by bladiebla
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