Does EJ Manuel Deserve to be the Bills’ Starting QB for 2015?
- Alex Rugile
- Apr 25, 2015
- 3 min read
He’s had his shares of up’s and down’s, highs and lows, and everything in between during his short time in a uniform. He’s one of those guys that gets along with everyone in the locker room and works hard to prepare for game day. He’s a team player and is willing to do whatever it takes to put the team in the best position to win; whether it’s being relegated to a backup role after only four games into a season, or taking the reigns as a rookie and learning on the fly; EJ Manuel is a workhorse who at least deserves a fair shot at winning the starting QB job this season.
Here’s the thing; whether you like him or not, EJ Manuel serves as a great topic of discussion all year round for Buffalo Bills fans. Sammy Watkins praised him in a recent interview, calling EJ “his guy.” He’s the god son of one of the greatest Bills players (and my personal all-time favorite), Bruce Smith. And now, he has an Offensive Coordinator who has shown the ability to turn what some people may think is a mediocre QB into a starting caliber QB and one that can lead his team to the playoffs, and even the Super Bowl (Colin Kaepernick, anyone?).
New head coach Rex Ryan has stated there will be an open competition in camp for the starting job; EJ will have to win a battle against journeyman Matt Cassel (who has shown some success in the NFL and even been named to the Pro Bowl), former Ravens’ backup Tyrod Taylor (who has won a Super Bowl with the Ravens and may be the fastest QB in the NFL), and his draft mate Jeff Tuel (who has shown promise at times, but may be the odd man out in this competition). While all four men have their good and bad attributes, EJ Manuel may have the best opportunity to flat out win the job. In his rookie season, Manuel led the Bills to a comeback win against the Panthers with a late TD pass to Stevie Johnson. He’s shown poise in the pocket at times, but was also quick to tuck the ball and run, which led to his rookie season ending early with a hard hit to his knee against the Browns on Thursday Night Football. After the injury, Manuel worked hard in his rehab to recover fully and start practicing again.
During his rookie season, he was supposed to be on the sidelines and learning from Kevin Kolb, who ultimately suffered a concussion, ending his career, and thrusting EJ into the spotlight before he was ready, which led to some costly rookie mistakes. During his sophomore season, he started the first four games and had a 2-2 record, before being benched yet again for another NFL journeyman in Kyle Orton. This time, though, Manuel embraced the benching and picked the brain of Orton, learning how he handles the huddle, what he expects from the offense, and how he watches game tape. All these things have only helped Manuel grow as a player and may help vault him into the starting role for the 2015 season.
It seems as though Manuel is ready to take control of this team that’s heading in the right direction after their first winning season in over a decade and he learned how to run the offense more effectively and efficiently than he could have before by watching Orton last season. Rex Ryan and Doug Whaley have provided Manuel with all the tools necessary to succeed, thanks to the LeSean McCoy trade, the signing of wide receiver Percy Harvin and tight end Charles Clay, and adding Richie Incognito to the offensive line.
EJ Manuel appears to be on track to be the franchise QB that former coach Doug Marrone thought he could be. One thing is for sure; this is probably going to be his last shot at winning the starting role. If he ends up winning the job, he’ll make sure he makes everyone proud; from the coaches, to the front office, to the players, fans, and his family members. EJ has paid his dues in his short time in the NFL and should be given the chance he deserves but never got, to become the starting QB for the Buffalo Bills.
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