Who is 2nd string QB?

[ALLEN1QB]

I agree keep both.

[FLFan]

FWIW Rex has said multiple times he plans on keeping all 3.

 

So lets assume all 3 remain...TT is clearly the starter now, so I would assume EJ is the #2 given he had a great preseason and the game plan wouldn't have to change drastically like it would with Dr. Boring Cassel

If they keep these three I would agree, but Rex has only said he is likely to keep three QB's. He has never said these three. I would not be surprised if Simms was number three. If they get a decent offer for Cassel I think he goes. Maybe they cut him anyway.

[Formerly Allan in MD]

This article by Brian Billick has me feeling better about EJs future as a Bill.

 

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000519135/article/tyrod-taylor-over-ej-manuelmatt-cassel-right-move-for-bills

Makes sense to me.

I don't want either EJ or Cassel going anywhere. EJ showed he still has a future and Cassel is the perfect guy to have on your roster because he's a guy that excels in short passes and takes little risks.

And Cassell is a great insurance policy if you're going with a quarterback who's never started previously and another who's been quite inconsistent in the past and injury prone.

[PlayoffsPlease]

Whaley insinuated letting Fred go was in part salary cap related. It seems like in a "ground and pound" offense, that Fred is more valuable to keep on the shelf in case McCoy gets hurt, than having Cassel who makes more than Fred sit on the roster doing nothing.

[BillsFan-4-Ever]

With our defense. EJ is easy to defend. Blitz him and keep a deep safety. Make him try to beat you by throwing underneath which he still hasn't shown he can do. He has a pretty long ball, but give him little time, take away the deep patterns and you can stick a fork in him.

 

I suspect a trade for EJ will happen before Friday as a team will want to get him on the field for a few series just to get him acclimated to their offense.

You just don't quit do you?

 

Find someone else that sees EJ the way I do and argue with them. I'm trying to not argue with trolling posts.

 

Curiosity kills the cat ..... If EJ is so easily defensible how is it he's scored the most TD passes so far in the offseason?

[Jobu]

I see Cassel getting the axe, EJ has shown steady progress, put up the best numbers in preseason, has no cap savings, and clearly has more upside than Cassel. Time on the bench for EJ will only make him more comfortable in this offense. Tyrod's ability to assimilate the offense was clearly one of the reasons he was chosen. The fact he has had four? different OC's in Baltimore probably played into that.

[Luxy312]

EJ has thrown the most TD passes in the preseason and has looked far better than Cassel. My guess is Cassel gets cut (saving $4.5m in cap space) and Simms goes to the practice squad. It feels like what makes the most sense.

[John from Riverside]

The rest of the world be surprised, however. Nobody would pay more than a 6th or 7th for E.J. Manuel. What team would give up a 1st ?

And in that scenario you keep him

 

What is a team that is stacked with this much talent going to do with a 6th or 7th round pick?

 

QBs are so hard to come by....qbs that can actually step on the field and not fall on their face. EJ appears to be in that company now.

[VABills]

http://bills.buffalonews.com/2015/08/31/ej-manuel-on-his-future-in-buffalo-im-still-on-the-team-thus-far/

 

With Monday's announcement from coach Rex Ryan that Tyrod Taylor will be the Buffalo Bills' starting quarterback, it's fair to wonder what will happen with the other two players who were competing for that job.

One of them, third-year pro EJ Manuel, is wondering just the same.

 

"I'm still on the team thus far, so just continue to work and we'll see what happens," Manuel said Monday after practice when asked what he thought his future with the Bills might be.

 

Asked whether he expects to be with the Bills beyond this week, after the team cuts down to it's 53-man roster, Manuel said "I think so."

 

As to whether he wants to be, he said "I think that's out of my control. For me, like I said, I just want to continue to work hard and get better."

[Bleeding Bills Blue]

My vote is EJ. Guy seems hungry this year and wants the job. Cassell is who we all thought he was - mediocre.

[ToGoGo]

And in that scenario you keep him

 

What is a team that is stacked with this much talent going to do with a 6th or 7th round pick?

 

QBs are so hard to come by....qbs that can actually step on the field and not fall on their face. EJ appears to be in that company now.

 

Just two years ago our backups QBs were Thad Lewis and Jeff Tuel. Fans were screaming for improvements.

 

Now we have solid and deep depth at the QB position, but many fans want them cut or traded for cap gains that are unclear if we actually even need.

 

Once you dig in, the logic makes no sense. I really wish somebody would explain it to me better.

Edited September 1, 2015 by musichunch

[KOKBILLS]

 

Just two years ago our backups QBs were Thad Lewis and Jeff Tuel. Fans were screaming for improvements.

 

Now we have solid and deep depth at the QB position, but many fans want them cut or traded for cap gains that are unclear if we actually even need.

 

Once you dig in, the logic makes no sense. I really wish somebody would explain it to me better.

 

Valid point no question...

[Rocky Landing]

As much as Tyrod has earned the starting position (and he did), I think EJ has earned the #2. However, I don't think his performance in the preseason games was as good as many have hyped them up to be. EJ's TD pass to Palmer in the end zone vs. Pitts, for example, while being a very nice throw, was against a defender who blew the play so badly he might as well have not been there. The defender (a safety, I think?) was so lost on the play-- he had no play on the ball, or on Palmer-- he looked absolutely confused. The Pitts D is terrible this season. Their #2 D is really, really terrible.

 

The other side of that coin is that as EJ has played much of the preseason (including that Palmer TD) with our second string O-line, and skill positions, which makes it a little difficult to evaluate how well he was reading the field.

 

Be that as it may, I have far more faith in EJ's abilities than at any other time, and I think that is a fairly common sentiment. I hope he gets some mop-up duty this season, and continues to develop while riding the pine. It certainly didn't do Tyrod any harm.

Edited September 1, 2015 by Rocky Landing

[KollegeStudnet]

If they trade EJ it would be for a late round pick. Odds are it would be a 6 or a 7.

With his rookie deal set to expire soon. Teams would only gamble a late round pick for his rights

[Rocky Landing]

If they trade EJ it would be for a late round pick. Odds are it would be a 6 or a 7.

With his rookie deal set to expire soon. Teams would only gamble a late round pick for his rights

If Tyrod doesn't turn into a franchise QB, those late round picks could end up being quite valuable if we want to trade up for Cook, or Goff.

[BmarvB]

I like Tyrod but putting all the eggs in one basket would be very stupid at this point. Trading EJ right now would be insane, he should be the back-up in case Tyrod is not up to the challenge.

 

There's more invested in EJ long term than Cassel, and his improvement warrants keeping him. Cassel's only advantage now is his experience. Keep him as #3 if possible. EJ must be the #2 in case Taylor gets hurt, or his lack of real game experience + other teams figuring him out comes back to bite the team in the crotch.

[Big Blitz]

Keeping Cassell probably means he's the backup. You don't pay him that kind of money to be 3rd string.

[LB3]

EJ is #2, unless OBD is offered something nice in a trade for him.

[Prickly Pete]

As much as Tyrod has earned the starting position (and he did), I think EJ has earned the #2. However, I don't think his performance in the preseason games was as good as many have hyped them up to be. EJ's TD pass to Palmer in the end zone vs. Pitts, for example, while being a very nice throw, was against a defender who blew the play so badly he might as well have not been there. The defender (a safety, I think?) was so lost on the play-- he had no play on the ball, or on Palmer-- he looked absolutely confused. The Pitts D is terrible this season. Their #2 D is really, really terrible.

 

The other side of that coin is that as EJ has played much of the preseason (including that Palmer TD) with our second string O-line, and skill positions, which makes it a little difficult to evaluate how well he was reading the field.

 

Be that as it may, I have far more faith in EJ's abilities than at any other time, and I think that is a fairly common sentiment. I hope he gets some mop-up duty this season, and continues to develop while riding the pine. It certainly didn't do Tyrod any harm.

 

Tyrod was playing the same crap defenses, so are his accomplishments any more impressive?

 

And Cassel couldn't do jack crap against these preseason defenses, so what are we to make of his performance?

 

I'm not going to argue that the preseason is the true litmus test, but in the previous preseason's he was going against crap defenses too, and wasn't nearly as productive. He wasn't even getting the ball to the wide open guys back then. It's obvious that EJM has made some progress.

 

I think it's important to note that this was the first preseason that EJM had to compete for a job, and I think that had an effect on him (as it should). He rose to the occasion pretty well. The guy was a dead man walking going into this season, and worked himself out of a hole much deeper than the other 2 Qb's.

Edited September 1, 2015 by HoF Watkins

[Rocky Landing]

 

Tyrod was playing the same crap defenses, so are his accomplishments any more impressive?

 

And Cassel couldn't do jack crap against these preseason defenses, so what are we to make of his performance?

 

I'm not going to argue that the preseason is the true litmus test, but in the previous preseason's he was going against crap defenses too, and wasn't nearly as productive. He wasn't even getting the ball to the wide open guys back then. It's obvious that EJM has made some progress.

 

I think it's important to note that this was the first preseason that EJM had to compete for a job, and I think that had an effect on him (as it should). He rose to the occasion pretty well. The guy was a dead man walking going into this season, and worked himself out of a hole much deeper than the other 2 Qb's.

I think you may have interpreted my post as a bash on EJ. It wasn't-- quite the opposite. I believe he has earned the #2 spot ahead of Cassel.

 

And, Taylor has had a lot more time against first string D, and with first string O-line than EJ-- including against the Steelers. He kinda got the shaft in that respect. And, I don't think the scrimmage carries as much weight. My point is that that makes it harder to evaluate EJ. That is all.

Edited September 2, 2015 by Rocky Landing