‘Manuel had impressive back-to-back games in the preseason with the Bills but suffered a knee injury that caused him to miss the final two preseason games. An MRI revealed he needed a minor procedure. He returned but injured his knee again and missed six regular-season games. He finished the season with 1,972 passing yards, 11 touchdowns and nine interceptions in 10 games. He also rushed for 186 yards and two touchdowns. Looking back on it now, Manuel wished he — and his agent — would have spoken up. He felt he was rushed back to duty even though he wasn’t 100%. But he was a rookie and a No. 1 draft pick. Manuel knows that experience affected his career. “The perception of me was that I was a bust or that I couldn’t play,” he said. “Naturally, in the NFL, it’s a copycat league. So if one team feels like you can’t get it done, the other ones are going to start looking at you skeptically, too, without giving you a chance. It changed the projection of my career.”’