EJ Manuel Reflects On His Career As The Bills Future QB

[Capco]

3 hours ago, Buffalo Boy said:

???

Bledsoe in his first year and Fitz we’re both decidedly better.

Not throwing the ball anywhere NEAR a defender has a way of skewing TTs stats.

Two games to watch: The playoff game and the Carolina game. One at the beginning of the season and one at the end. They tell you all you’ll ever need to know about TTs lack ofQB acumen.

 

Ah yes, I forgot how we went to the playoffs under Bledsoe and Fitz.  Oh wait...

[34-78-83]

On 4/17/2020 at 12:51 PM, T master said:

EJ was always a pro Bills type player & like our QB now had a lot of the same type of things said about him as they were said about Josh but unlike Josh had way to many coaching changes & support from those coaches to further his career in a positive way !

 

Josh & EJ were both athletic QB's with a good arm but their accuracy had issues but i think that Josh is in a much better position due to the stability McBeane & company have brought to the team . 

 

If Josh was in the same situation as EJ i think his future could very much resemble that of EJ's & other QB's that the Bills have brought in over the years .

I don't think they are even close to comparable type of players at any point. One is a fiery competitor that likes to put the team on his back, throws far more accurately than the other and has a much stronger arm. The other could not execute a short pass (not just coming in but season after season), didn't want the spotlight and was a mellow guy. Both are very good people, I suppose you can count that.

[Happy]

52 minutes ago, Phil The Thrill said:

Also when Kolb was hurt why wouldn’t they pick

up another QB? 

You fail to take into account trades.  You never know which QB’s could’ve been had for a 5th or 6th round pick as a temporary starter/mentor 

 

It's probable that nothing else was available at that time; Kolb got his bath mat concussion just before the season started.  Where would all these wonderful trades be at in August?  You really think Matt Moore, Brian Hoyer, or any of those other backup level QBs were better than Kolb?  Say they passed on Kolb and took Brian Hoyer, who would have most likely performed around average; the rest of the team wouldn't have been good enough to overcome this level of performance.  You and others would have complained about Whaley taking Hoyer.  Whaley had his hands tied in 2013, your dislike for him blinds you to seeing otherwise.  Again, Nix blew it in 2012 when he could have, and should have, picked up Alex Smith in FA.

[SirAndrew]

3 hours ago, Buffalo Boy said:

???

Bledsoe in his first year and Fitz we’re both decidedly better.

Not throwing the ball anywhere NEAR a defender has a way of skewing TTs stats.

Two games to watch: The playoff game and the Carolina game. One at the beginning of the season and one at the end. They tell you all you’ll ever need to know about TTs lack ofQB acumen.

I wasn’t a TT fan, but I encourage you to watch the entire second half of Bledsoe’s first year, and the same with Fitz in 2011. TT was steady yet unspectacular for an entire season. Bledsoe and Fitz were great for half a season, and awful for the second half. Picking two games doesn’t tell the whole story. TT was a game manager who wasn’t going to win a Super Bowl, but could win by playing within the system. Bledsoe and Fitz were the reason their team lost many games. 

[Rico]

10 minutes ago, SirAndrew said:

I wasn’t a TT fan, but I encourage you to watch the entire second half of Bledsoe’s first year, and the same with Fitz in 2011. TT was steady yet unspectacular for an entire season. Bledsoe and Fitz were great for half a season, and awful for the second half. Picking two games doesn’t tell the whole story. TT was a game manager who wasn’t going to win a Super Bowl, but could win by playing within the system. Bledsoe and Fitz were the reason their team lost many games. 

If 2017 TT was the QB for the Bills in the 2004 game against the Steelers, absolutely no doubt Bills would have won.

[TheCockSportif]

5 hours ago, Buffalo Boy said:

???

Bledsoe in his first year and Fitz we’re both decidedly better.

Not throwing the ball anywhere NEAR a defender has a way of skewing TTs stats.

Two games to watch: The playoff game and the Carolina game. One at the beginning of the season and one at the end. They tell you all you’ll ever need to know about TTs lack ofQB acumen.

I don't get the dislike of TT.  I really don't.  Was he going to elevate his play and take the Bills to the playoffs on a regular basis, deep into the playoffs, and/or to the Super Bowl?  Probably not, if almost certainly not.  But I remain of the opinion that he brought stability (not greatness, but stability) to the QB position while the team tried to figure the roster out.  EJ was a flame out.  Orton wasn't coming back.  Cassel, uh, no.  Peterman, definitely no.  Etc, etc, etc. 

 

Getting rid of the lousy FO situation, bringing in capable coaching, and yes having TT under center in the interim finally seems to have stabilized my favorite moribund NFL team.

[Phil The Thrill]

2 hours ago, Happy Gilmore said:

 

It's probable that nothing else was available at that time; Kolb got his bath mat concussion just before the season started.  Where would all these wonderful trades be at in August?  You really think Matt Moore, Brian Hoyer, or any of those other backup level QBs were better than Kolb?  Say they passed on Kolb and took Brian Hoyer, who would have most likely performed around average; the rest of the team wouldn't have been good enough to overcome this level of performance.  You and others would have complained about Whaley taking Hoyer.  Whaley had his hands tied in 2013, your dislike for him blinds you to seeing otherwise.  Again, Nix blew it in 2012 when he could have, and should have, picked up Alex Smith in FA.

Do you honesty feel Kolb was the best answer possible?????  Answer that directory.  
 

I think it was understood that when Marrone took over on 2013, the team probably wasn’t going to be competitive.  But they were taking a rookie and the plan was to have him sit.  The difference between Houer or Matt Moore is that neither had an injury history.  They actually....you know would have allowed the “plan” to take it course.  They’d get between 6-8 starts

before turning the reigns over EJ.  If Hoyer performed average fans would be ok, knowing he ‘s short term and EJ was the “future.”

 

Do you honestly think that Kolb was the best choice available?  Because I don’t.  A 5th year QB who hasn’t finished an entire season and was 1 concussion away from retirement.   Why not sign Kolb and a Hoyer or Anderson?  OR maybe make a trade like teams do every season.
 

The Bills has 2 whole seasons to create a contingency plan at QB.  TheIr answer was....Kevin Kolb.

 

I don’t have “blind hate” for Doug Whaley.  I think he was a below average GM.  Listening to the Whaley apologists make all of these excuses, just makes me want to echo my thoughts.

 

 

25 minutes ago, Groin said:

I don't get the dislike of TT.  I really don't.  Was he going to elevate his play and take the Bills to the playoffs on a regular basis, deep into the playoffs, and/or to the Super Bowl?  Probably not, if almost certainly not.  But I remain of the opinion that he brought stability (not greatness, but stability) to the QB position while the team tried to figure the roster out.  EJ was a flame out.  Orton wasn't coming back.  Cassel, uh, no.  Peterman, definitely no.  Etc, etc, etc. 

 

Getting rid of the lousy FO situation, bringing in capable coaching, and yes having TT under center in the interim finally seems to have stabilized my favorite moribund NFL team.

I think that part of the problem was that Tyrod was being positions as the team’s answer at QB after 2015.  At the time, we didn’t know where his ceiling was.  I think that it was understood that he was a placeholder for a rookie, that fans would have been a bit more forgiving 

Edited April 18, 2020 by Phil The Thrill

[Happy]

2 minutes ago, Phil The Thrill said:

Do you honesty feel Kolb was the best answer possible?????  Answer that directory.

 

I'll answer it directly, since I don't have a directory of answers.  If Kolb was a better QB than, say Moore or Hoyer, it wasn't by much; they were all of backup quality.  The Kolb concussion history was a gamble, for sure, but who would have guessed he'd end his career by slipping on a bath mat.  Freak accident.

 

They could have brought in Moore or Hoyer and guess what, their production would have been bad to mediocre and calls for EJ to start would become deafening.  EJ would still be in the league had he been behind Rodgers, Manning(s), Brady, Brees, etc where he wouldn't have seen the field much at all.  The Bills were in a bad position going into the 2013 draft needing a QB.  Where Whaley screwed up was doubling down on EJ by moving up to draft Sammy.

 

So now he had a mess on his hands with a starting QB who was really a backup, and a WR1 who was really a WR2.  Whaley could have cut bait in 2014 and if he was lucky, drafted Bridewater, Derek Carr, or Garappolo, but he also could have wiffed and taken Bortles or McCarron.  Not much good in 2014 or 2015 as far as rookie QBs.

[TheCockSportif]

3 minutes ago, Phil The Thrill said:

I think that part of the problem was that Tyrod was being positions as the team’s answer at QB after 2015.  At the time, we didn’t know where his ceiling was.  I think that it was understood that he was a placeholder for a rookie, that fans would have been a bit more forgiving 

 

Without question TT was the best answer going into 2016.  No way I was going to talk myself into EJ again or to Cardale freaking Jones.  We don't know what the org believed because Rex would say anything at any given time -- in an attempt to pump up a lackluster coaching effort.

 

I will say that in my lifetime I have witnessed the following players under center for the Bills (excluding guys like Flutie and Kelly and Fergy and Bledsoe, obviously in no specific order), and it was underwhelming to say the least:

• Joe Dufek
• Vince Ferragamo
• Matt Kofler
• Bruce Mathison
• Alex Van Pelt
• Billy Joe Hobert
• Rob Johnson
• Travis Brown
• Kelly Holcomb
• Brian Brohm
• Trent Edwards
• Levi Brown
• Tyler Thigpen
• Jeff Tuel
• Thad Lewis
• EJ Manuel
• JP Losman

And that's really just the tip of the iceberg.  I have seen astoundingly lousy quarterback play from this team since I became conscious of watching OJ and crew in my grandparents' apartment in Buffalo, in 1974.  Other QBs have adorned us with their presence, and that list above was just off the top of my head.

 

Given what I noted above though, TT was way, way more stable than any of those cats.  If you come back and say that TT was JAG then I agree.  I can't argue that TT was the organization's only plan though.  Because until the coaching regime and FO changed, I'm not entirely sure that they had a plan.

 

 

[Phil The Thrill]

1 hour ago, Happy Gilmore said:

 

I'll answer it directly, since I don't have a directory of answers.  If Kolb was a better QB than, say Moore or Hoyer, it wasn't by much; they were all of backup quality.  The Kolb concussion history was a gamble, for sure, but who would have guessed he'd end his career by slipping on a bath mat.  Freak accident.

 

They could have brought in Moore or Hoyer and guess what, their production would have been bad to mediocre and calls for EJ to start would become deafening.  EJ would still be in the league had he been behind Rodgers, Manning(s), Brady, Brees, etc where he wouldn't have seen the field much at all.  The Bills were in a bad position going into the 2013 draft needing a QB.  Where Whaley screwed up was doubling down on EJ by moving up to draft Sammy.

 

So now he had a mess on his hands with a starting QB who was really a backup, and a WR1 who was really a WR2.  Whaley could have cut bait in 2014 and if he was lucky, drafted Bridewater, Derek Carr, or Garappolo, but he also could have wiffed and taken Bortles or McCarron.  Not much good in 2014 or 2015 as far as rookie QBs.

Fair assessment thought I don’t think Kolb was much better than Moore or Hoyer.  Also with his injury history, there’s a very good chance that had he not met his demise with the bath may, it could’ve happened on the field.  I just think there were options that could have been taken in 2013.

 

Maybe the reason why they didn’t is because they evaluated EJ much higher he was in actuality - who knows?

 

Either way - I think we can agree QB was mismanaged throughout this administration and as a Bills fan, it was one of the more frustrating periods - though as sad as it is, Orton did give a faint glimmer of hope.

[Doc Brown]

5 hours ago, Happy Gilmore said:

 

Here is the 2013 NFL FA QB list:

 

Joe Flacco
Matt Moore
Tarvaris Jackson
Jason Campbell
David Garrard
Josh Johnson
Byron Leftwich
Brady Quinn
Vince Young
Matt Leinart
Rex Grossman
David Carr
Derek Anderson
Drew Stanton
Chase Daniel
Brian Hoyer
Charlie Batch
Bruce Gradkowski
Kellen Clemens
Tyler Thigpen
Josh McCown
Sage Rosenfels
Seneca Wallace
Donovan McNabb
A.J. Feeley
Troy Smith
Luke McCown
Chris Redman
John Beck
Jordan Palmer
J.P. Losman
Kevin O'Connell

 

Who on that list were we going to acquire back in 2013?  McNabb, Flacco....um, no.  Stop acting like there were any good options in 2013, because there wasn't.  As I mentioned before, 2012 is where they blew it and could have grabbed Alex Smith.

I don't think that was likely as the 49ers weren't going to let him go after a decent 2011 season under Harbaugh.  Most of us were still high on Fitz as we blamed his rib injury along with injuries to Jackson, our o-line, and Stevie for his poor finish in 2011 after a really hot start.  Good Fitz/Bad Fitz wasn't as established a trend.  There was a lot of debate about upgrading his backup through the draft in the mid to later rounds.  Russell Wilson and Kirk Cousins were names floated out there. 

 

In typical Bills fashion we decided let's just bring Vince Young in to compete for that backup role with Thigpen.  When that didn't work out we thought Tarvaris Jackson could be a good idea.  Just really bad timing going into 2013 in desperate need of a franchise QB in possibly the worst crop of QB draft prospects in recent memory.

[Happy]

11 minutes ago, Doc Brown said:

I don't think that was likely as the 49ers weren't going to let him go after a decent 2011 season under Harbaugh.  Most of us were still high on Fitz as we blamed his rib injury along with injuries to Jackson, our o-line, and Stevie for his poor finish in 2011 after a really hot start.  Good Fitz/Bad Fitz wasn't as established a trend.  There was a lot of debate about upgrading his backup through the draft in the mid to later rounds.  Russell Wilson and Kirk Cousins were names floated out there. 

 

In typical Bills fashion we decided let's just bring Vince Young in to compete for that backup role with Thigpen.  When that didn't work out we thought Tarvaris Jackson could be a good idea.  Just really bad timing going into 2013 in desperate need of a franchise QB in possibly the worst crop of QB draft prospects in recent memory.

 

Alex Smith went to the Chiefs in 2013.  Jim Harbaugh went with Kapernick in 2013 over Alex Smith.  I'm pretty sure I remember Alex Smith being mentioned as a possibility around here back in 2012/13.  But yeah, it was a disaster in Buffalo during that time.

[Buddo]

Not read all of this, but imho, the first mistake was cutting Jackson, who was an eminently tough QB, in favour of the fragile Kolb.

 

While it was a freak accident, Kolb was an accident waiting to happen in an actual game. Plenty of people were predicting that. Which meant that EJ was going to have to start far sooner than the supposed 'plan'.

 

Ironically, Beane and McDermott didn't learn from some Bills past history in respect of how they mishandled Allen's first year - at least the early part of it.

[Rico]

6 minutes ago, Buddo said:

Not read all of this, but imho, the first mistake was cutting Jackson, who was an eminently tough QB, in favour of the fragile Kolb.

 

While it was a freak accident, Kolb was an accident waiting to happen in an actual game. Plenty of people were predicting that. Which meant that EJ was going to have to start far sooner than the supposed 'plan'.

 

Ironically, Beane and McDermott didn't learn from some Bills past history in respect of how they mishandled Allen's first year - at least the early part of it.

Yeah, I was never ever a Tarvaris Jackson fan (may  he RIP) but he was a much, much better choice than a piece of trash like Kolb (and please don’t someone bring up his stats, because as we all know, stats are for losers, just like Kevin Kolb).

[Phil The Thrill]

21 minutes ago, Happy Gilmore said:

 

Alex Smith went to the Chiefs in 2013.  Jim Harbaugh went with Kapernick in 2013 over Alex Smith.  I'm pretty sure I remember Alex Smith being mentioned as a possibility around here back in 2012/13.  But yeah, it was a disaster in Buffalo during that time.

You are right here, from what I remember.  The rumour was that potential head coaching candidates in 2012 were asked about potential scenarios with a QB like Alex Smith.  Like you said, they should’ve made a move while they had a chance.  

[Phil The Thrill]

16 minutes ago, Buddo said:

Not read all of this, but imho, the first mistake was cutting Jackson, who was an eminently tough QB, in favour of the fragile Kolb.

 

While it was a freak accident, Kolb was an accident waiting to happen in an actual game. Plenty of people were predicting that. Which meant that EJ was going to have to start far sooner than the supposed 'plan'.

 

Ironically, Beane and McDermott didn't learn from some Bills past history in respect of how they mishandled Allen's first year - at least the early part of it.

In his defense, Beane signed AJ McCarron to be the QB bridge/mentor to Allen.  The problem is, he had no interest in this role and (believe it or not) Peterman was playing well in the preseason.  
 

So it’s not exactly an identical situation but there are some similarities in the fact that both teams didn’t make a move when they should have.

 

After Kolb was hurt the Bills didn’t both signing anyone else, electing to start the year with 2 rookies at QB.

 

When McCarron was trades the Bills were ok with Allen and Peterman at QB.  They should have brought in a veteran like Derek Anderson earlier.  Beane has admitted that much.  

[Happy]

5 minutes ago, Phil The Thrill said:

You are right here, from what I remember.  The rumour was that potential head coaching candidates in 2012 were asked about potential scenarios with a QB like Alex Smith.  Like you said, they should’ve made a move while they had a chance.  

 

They would have had to massively overpay Smith back then, but they also had to overpay for Mario Williams.

[NoSaint]

7 hours ago, Phil The Thrill said:

I would agree but the real problem was that Nix and Whaley saw him as a franchise QB and drafted him in the middle of the first round.  
 

You draft QB’s that you can develop as functional backups in the late rounds - not the middle of Round 1.
 

They have EJ chances.  I don’t blame the team for not taking the time to groom his as a backup when he was drafted to be THE man.

 

 

and you and are talking about him with the major gift of hindsight. Of course they hoped he could be the guy. 

 

But as a prototype body with extensive starting time that the plan was to develop him behind someone tells you quite a bit. Also that they traded back to get him says a lot.
 

That they could’ve secured the top guy on their list at 8 and the first qb off the board but dropped to the teens says “we need a qb, we don’t love these QBs, but we have to take our best swing still“

 

That he we did little to support him is a problem.

 

any qb taken, say, 4th through 90th is “let’s roll the dice on it but he’s probably some other teams backup in a few years”

[Phil The Thrill]

4 minutes ago, NoSaint said:

and you and are talking about him with the major gift of hindsight. Of course they hoped he could be the guy. 

 

But as a prototype body with extensive starting time that the plan was to develop him behind someone tells you quite a bit. Also that they traded back to get him says a lot.
 

That they could’ve secured the top guy on their list at 8 and the first qb off the board but dropped to the teens says “we need a qb, we don’t love these QBs, but we have to take our best swing still“

 

That he we did little to support him is a problem.

 

any qb taken, say, 4th through 90th is “let’s roll the dice on it but he’s probably some other teams backup in a few years”

It’s not hindsight.  Most draft analysts and pro scouts that put a 3rd-5th grade on EJ.  He wasn’t even the first QB on many team’s draft boards.  
 

When you draft a player in the first round that the majority of teams think is a mid/round selection, because you think he can be a franchise QB.... that’s the problem.

[Sweats]

Believe it or not, but some QB's just aren't cut out for the NFL.......E.J. should never have been picked in the draft where he was. He was clearly a work in progress.

[Buftex]

I like EJ.  Damn good guy.  It is hard to say he got a raw deal in Buffalo, but I will say, for a guy who was drafted as high as he was, he really didn't get the opportunity that most guys drafted that high would have gotten.

[Buffalo Boy]

9 hours ago, Capco said:

 

Ah yes, I forgot how we went to the playoffs under Bledsoe and Fitz.  Oh wait...

   I don’t like the NFL adding two more teams to the playoffs.

   As it is, there are years where teams that have no business in the playoffs make it.

The Jaguars and Bills were two such teams. 
   Our passing offense was ranked 31st in the league. If you are insinuating we got there because of TT I would just ask that you PM the number of your weed dealer. Clearly, you’ve been smoking some KIND bud there Brother?

[Buffalo Boy]

9 hours ago, SirAndrew said:

I wasn’t a TT fan, but I encourage you to watch the entire second half of Bledsoe’s first year, and the same with Fitz in 2011. TT was steady yet unspectacular for an entire season. Bledsoe and Fitz were great for half a season, and awful for the second half. Picking two games doesn’t tell the whole story. TT was a game manager who wasn’t going to win a Super Bowl, but could win by playing within the system. Bledsoe and Fitz were the reason their team lost many games. 

    The reason the Bills were in many of those games in the 2002 season was because of Bledsoe, including the losses. 
    If he had played it safe and managed those games he wouldn’t have won 4 games that year. Bledsoe was in the Pro bowl. He owns Bills passing records from that season.

    We were 11 th in points for , 27 in points against. Our D sucked.

     So,  keep on with the TT love. ???

Edited April 19, 2020 by Buffalo Boy

[Buffalo Boy]

7 hours ago, Groin said:

I don't get the dislike of TT.  I really don't.  Was he going to elevate his play and take the Bills to the playoffs on a regular basis, deep into the playoffs, and/or to the Super Bowl?  Probably not, if almost certainly not.  But I remain of the opinion that he brought stability (not greatness, but stability) to the QB position while the team tried to figure the roster out.  EJ was a flame out.  Orton wasn't coming back.  Cassel, uh, no.  Peterman, definitely no.  Etc, etc, etc. 

 

Getting rid of the lousy FO situation, bringing in capable coaching, and yes having TT under center in the interim finally seems to have stabilized my favorite moribund NFL team.

   He wasn’t then, isn’t now nor ever will be a playoff caliber QB.

    Our current coach quit on him , mid season for Peterman. Many on here think McD suddenly lost his mind. 
    Maybe, just maybe, a defensive genius of a coach knew an awful, ineffective running back posing as a QB when he saw one. 
    TT had nothing to do with where our team is now. Had we stuck with Peterman we would have had a higher draft pick and wouldn’t have had to trade up for a QB , preserving valuable high draft picks.

     I know, the drought was broken. I, and a few others on here were saying who cares then also. It was a tank season and we already knew TT sucked.... as did McD. 

     But, throw him a parade and have a warm fuzzy when you think about him if it makes you feel good.

   

[Buffalo Boy]

    QBs who are on bad teams, with bad defenses are often forced to take risks in order to win. This isn’t bad quarterbacking. This is bad team construction.

[TheCockSportif]

1 hour ago, Buffalo Boy said:

   He wasn’t then, isn’t now nor ever will be a playoff caliber QB.

    Our current coach quit on him , mid season for Peterman. Many on here think McD suddenly lost his mind. 
    Maybe, just maybe, a defensive genius of a coach knew an awful, ineffective running back posing as a QB when he saw one. 
    TT had nothing to do with where our team is now. Had we stuck with Peterman we would have had a higher draft pick and wouldn’t have had to trade up for a QB , preserving valuable high draft picks.

     I know, the drought was broken. I, and a few others on here were saying who cares then also. It was a tank season and we already knew TT sucked.... as did McD. 

     But, throw him a parade and have a warm fuzzy when you think about him if it makes you feel good.

   

Nobody is going to throw TT a parade.  Please.  We all knew that he wasn't the answer at some point, but trashing the guy is completely ridiculous.

Edited April 19, 2020 by Groin

[Buddo]

9 hours ago, Phil The Thrill said:

In his defense, Beane signed AJ McCarron to be the QB bridge/mentor to Allen.  The problem is, he had no interest in this role and (believe it or not) Peterman was playing well in the preseason.  
 

So it’s not exactly an identical situation but there are some similarities in the fact that both teams didn’t make a move when they should have.

 

After Kolb was hurt the Bills didn’t both signing anyone else, electing to start the year with 2 rookies at QB.

 

When McCarron was trades the Bills were ok with Allen and Peterman at QB.  They should have brought in a veteran like Derek Anderson earlier.  Beane has admitted that much.  

 

Yeah,  Beane has admitted he stuffed up in respect of not getting another vet QB in immediately, and other mistakes - it's one of the reasons I think his (Beane) future is bright - I just think that the previous mistake was so relatively recent, they should have paid more attention, especially when you are doing this for the first time.

[Buffalo Barbarian]

On 4/17/2020 at 12:35 PM, Phil The Thrill said:

If you haven’t checked out Eric Wood’s interview with EJ Manuel yet, it’s a good listen for any Bills fan.  

https://www.stitcher.com/s?eid=68066663&autoplay=1

 

I’ll say this - EJ sounds like a great guy.  He was very positive about Buffalo, though you sense he feels thing would’ve turned out better in a different situation.  He says his career didn’t work out but believes it happened for a reason and he thinks his story can help others.  
 

Some interesting notes:

 

- He said the Doug Whaley/Buddy Nix plan was always to start Kevin Kolb and have EJ learn from him (bad idea).  One Kolb got hurt he had no one to learn from since Jeff Tuel (and later Thad Lewis) were inexperienced QB’s, so Wood was the player who tried to mention him at QB!

 

- After his in-season injury in 2013 he was privately tutored by legendary OC Paul Hackett (Nate’s dad) on reading defenses.

 

- EJ said his confidence was shaken after the infamous JJ Watt pick six.  Seantrel didn’t cut Watt resulting in the pick, but he said he takes the blame.   Doug Marrone sat him down and said he was their guy but they wanted him to take a step back and watch Kyle Orton play.

 

- He thought that Rex was trying to “bring in his own guys” at QB and felt he earned his roster spot with his preseason play.  Dressing as an inactive QB hurt his confidence and relationship with Buffalo and said he didn’t play well in the Jets finale in 2016, because his confidence was completely shot.  
 

- EJ said he did well in Oakland under Jack Del Rio.  When Gruden came in, he felt he wanted Conner Cook to be the backup.  While he played well in the preseason, Gruden cut him and he spent the rest of 2018 trying to get a job....it never happened.

 

- Oddly enough this year, he got a call from Andy Reid about backing up Patrick Mahomes once Chad Henne went down.  I think he said KC said “thanks but no thank,” and then later said he was beginning his job at the SEC Network and didn’t want to come back.  

Like I said, he seemed positive and excited about his broadcasting career, but I also sensed some disappointment over how his NFL career ended.  If you think about it, he went from 1st round draft pick to street FA with no offers in less than 6 months.  
 

So do you think EJ’s was a victim was a happenstance?

 

Or was he an over drafted QB with a limited ceiling?  I’m thinking it was more of the later, but it hard to listen to this interview and not like the guy personally.  

 

EJ didn't make it because he wasnt good enough. If your confidence is rattled after one pick six you were never going to make it.

 

 

[Buffalo Boy]

12 hours ago, Groin said:

Nobody is going to throw TT a parade.  Please.  We all knew that he wasn't the answer at some point, but trashing the guy is completely ridiculous.

    Started with the suggestion that TT was the most serviceable QB between Kelly and Allen. 
    Pick any Offensive coach you think is great and offer him the choice between Bledsoe , Fitz or TT to run his offense.

    If you say you honestly believe said coach would pick TT you( not you personally) are a CoT member.

Edited April 19, 2020 by Buffalo Boy

[Hardhatharry]

19 hours ago, Happy Gilmore said:

 

Alex Smith went to the Chiefs in 2013.  Jim Harbaugh went with Kapernick in 2013 over Alex Smith.  I'm pretty sure I remember Alex Smith being mentioned as a possibility around here back in 2012/13.  But yeah, it was a disaster in Buffalo during that time.

Alex Smith wouldn't have done anything for Buffalo. He is a different type of Fitzpatrick, someone who won't get you anything but a bad draft pick.

Edited April 19, 2020 by Hardhatharry

[Phil The Thrill]

1 hour ago, Hardhatharry said:

Alex Smith wouldn't have done anything for Buffalo. He is a different type of Fitzpatrick, someone who won't get you anything but a bad draft pick.

I think that Smith would’ve been held back by the terrible 2012 Bills defense led by led by Magnum DW.  
 

But in his career Smith has been a more productive QB than Fitz, committing less turnovers, and winning more games.  The talent around him wouldn’t be the best, so he’d be up against that as well.  But I don’t think it’s fair to say he wouldn’t have done anything more than Fitzpatrick, who has a history of falling apart down the stretch 

[Rico]

52 minutes ago, Phil The Thrill said:

I think that Smith would’ve been held back by the terrible 2012 Bills defense led by led by Magnum DW.  
 

But in his career Smith has been a more productive QB than Fitz, committing less turnovers, and winning more games.  The talent around him wouldn’t be the best, so he’d be up against that as well.  But I don’t think it’s fair to say he wouldn’t have done anything more than Fitzpatrick, who has a history of falling apart down the stretch 

See Thrill, to me, I was never an Alex Smith fan.

I would say

Good Fitz

.

.

Alex Smith

.

.

.

.

Bad Fitz

[Hardhatharry]

1 hour ago, Phil The Thrill said:

I think that Smith would’ve been held back by the terrible 2012 Bills defense led by led by Magnum DW.  
 

But in his career Smith has been a more productive QB than Fitz, committing less turnovers, and winning more games.  The talent around him wouldn’t be the best, so he’d be up against that as well.  But I don’t think it’s fair to say he wouldn’t have done anything more than Fitzpatrick, who has a history of falling apart down the stretch 

Smith was held back by himself he is like Fitz in the way he will only ever give you a bad draft pick... No Super Bowl wins for QBs like him. That is why 2 very smart coaches also moved on from him.

 

Stats make Alex Smith look better than he was. He was very limited and it showed when you watched him.

Edited April 19, 2020 by Hardhatharry

[Happy]

3 hours ago, Hardhatharry said:

Alex Smith wouldn't have done anything for Buffalo. He is a different type of Fitzpatrick, someone who won't get you anything but a bad draft pick.

 

With what we had back in 2013, probably not.  It still would have been better than EJ Manuel.  

[Mr. WEO]

This thread has lasted longer than EJ's "Career As The Future Bills QB"

[Hardhatharry]

1 hour ago, Happy Gilmore said:

 

With what we had back in 2013, probably not.  It still would have been better than EJ Manuel.  

Doesnt matter though neither was any good...

[Phil The Thrill]

3 hours ago, Hardhatharry said:

Doesnt matter though neither was any good...

The discussion was about finding a better option at QB.  I think Smith would have been better

[Straight Hucklebuck]

On 4/18/2020 at 3:14 PM, Groin said:

I don't get the dislike of TT.  I really don't.  Was he going to elevate his play and take the Bills to the playoffs on a regular basis, deep into the playoffs, and/or to the Super Bowl?  Probably not, if almost certainly not.  But I remain of the opinion that he brought stability (not greatness, but stability) to the QB position while the team tried to figure the roster out.  EJ was a flame out.  Orton wasn't coming back.  Cassel, uh, no.  Peterman, definitely no.  Etc, etc, etc. 

 

Getting rid of the lousy FO situation, bringing in capable coaching, and yes having TT under center in the interim finally seems to have stabilized my favorite moribund NFL team.

Out of the recycled back ups that the Bills have tried to give the starting spot to over the years: Holcomb, Orton, Edwards, Fitzpatrick, Kolb, Tyrod was the best. 

[LSHMEAB]

On 4/17/2020 at 11:36 AM, C.Biscuit97 said:

The funniest thing is he had a really strong arm.  I always thought he was too nice and tried to do exactly what his coaches told him but to a fault.  

Yeah. His throwing motion during games was robotic. He was never "just playing ball." Case study in not having the right mentality to be an NFL starting QB.

 

You have have an internal killer instinct to excel; so many external influences that the greats are able to ignore. 

 

Very likable dude who just didn't have the "it" factor. 

[Hardhatharry]

8 hours ago, Phil The Thrill said:

The discussion was about finding a better option at QB.  I think Smith would have been better

No he wouldn't have been. Also that wasn't the whole discussion, talking about how it was a mistake to not get Alex Smith... Was never a mistake, he is not good. Wouldn't matter of you had him or EJ neither QB was good enough. That is why 2 very smart coaches also agreed and let him go...

 

Alex Smith was average and wouldn't have made the team any better unless you wanted a worse draft pick. So funny when people argue for Alex Smith as if he was any better or could have don't anything. He was on Super Bowl teams and couldn't do it b.c he isn't good.

Edited April 20, 2020 by Hardhatharry