Buffalo Bills quarterback EJ Manuel seems to be in something of a strange spot as he heads into his third NFL season.
The former first-round pick of the Doug Marrone regime has appeared in just 15 games over his first two years as a professional. In that time, he's completed just 256 balls for 2,810 yards and 16 touchdowns. Unfortunately, he's also shown a propensity for boneheaded mistakes and a lack of command of both the scheme and the players around him.
In short, after only two seasons, it seems pretty safe to say that Manuel was over-drafted by Marrone and forced into a situation he simply wasn't ready for.
Now that Rex Ryan has taken the reigns of the NFL's Buffalo-based franchise, Manuel isn't just scrambling to try and save his starting spot; he's in a dogfight for his NFL life. Reports emerged earlier this offseason that Manuel was in danger of missing the Bills final 53 outright after Rex went out and added journeyman Matt Cassel and young veteran Tyrod Taylor to his cache of signal-callers and that the former FSU standout's Buffalo future depended very much on his performance in training camp.
Now, it sounds like with Ryan and the rest of the Bills brass having had a chance to peruse some of the quarterbacking talent - or lack thereof - at their disposal that Manuel may suddenly find himself in the odd position of either stealing the starting job back, or actually being jettisoned.
"Manuel might be a bit more decisive and better with his recognition than he has been the past two years, but he still seems capable of making the killer mistake at the least opportune time. He is the most complete talent of the bunch, so that might be the best reason to give him the job," writes Vic Carruci of The Buffalo News. "Cassel doesn't move well, he doesn't always throw the prettiest ball, and has easily had the worst-looking practice performances of all of the quarterbacks. Still, he's a smart, savvied, 11-year veteran. Taylor is true to his reputation as an exceptionally fast runner. The problem is, he looks much better running than throwing. But Ryan has touted him heavily since he was signed in the offseason, and if he believes he's the answer, then he wouldn't be going all that far out on a limb to pick him, given the question marks hovering over the others."
In short, what this all means is that no matter whom wins the Bills quarterback competition, they're likely to be put on a short leash and given little in the way of leeway to really open up the offense and sling the ball around.
With running back LeSean McCoy added to an already strong stable of running backs and mauling guard Richie Incognito added via free agency and John Miller nabbed in the third-round of the 2015 NFL Draft, it seems not only likely but sensible for the Bills offense to be predicated on the run game first and foremost.
Of course, it's a passing league and the lack of a franchise signal-caller was the same issue which eventually doomed Ryan's tenure with the Jets, so it's troubling that he chose to helm a team with a similar general makeup to the one he already had previously.
In the end, it likely matters little whether Manuel wins the job or not, because unless and until Ryan can bring aboard a top-notch signal-caller, the Bills will be forced to operate a one-dimensional offense and likely endure exciting, but ultimately disappointing, seasons.
