E.J. Manuel article

[Coach Tuesday]

31 minutes ago, Buffalo716 said:

Listen people were saying EJ Manuel was a trash quarterback in college

 

I'm just here to say that is objectively far from the truth

 

Trash quarterback wouldn't climb to the top of the depth chart at Florida State while they had some of the top recruiting classes in the country

 

A trash quarterback would get buried on the depth chart and then transfer to UConn

 

 

Sorry but there is only “sucks” or “amazing.”

[Hapless Bills Fan]

10 hours ago, NoSaint said:

here we are watching him make excuses/share blame. 
 

I don’t recall but think it was Timmy g that made some comments during the super bowl week one year that EJ was a bit immature/not a leader.

 

Whaley made a comment at one point that EJM tried to get along with everybody "maybe too hard" or something like that - at some point the QB has to be willing and able to call out older guys who are not running the route the way he expects or not going hard

[BillsVet]

7 hours ago, BillsFan4 said:

EJ seems bitter about his time in buffalo. And he seems full of excuses why he didn’t succeed.
 

It’s giving me flashbacks to his post game press conferences after terrible performances where he wouldn’t take ownership of his mistakes, and when asked about a poor performance would say things like “well the coaches said I did ok”.

 

I always felt like EJ was lacking confidence.

 

I get the impression EJ had been told he was great by one too many people during his HS and college years and believed it. But the NFL quickly highlights your deficiencies and Manuel had plenty.  His mechanics were poor and didn't throw receivers open among other things.  You just cannot get away that in the pros.  

 

The first thing I remember about EJ as a Bill was his proclaiming the Bills playbook was easier than FSU's: 

https://miamiherald.typepad.com/florida-state/2013/05/ej-manuel-says-fsu-offense-harder-to-learn-than-buffalo-bills-.html

 

That's a clown statement if there ever was one from a rookie QB who hadn't even taken a NFL regular season snap.  How about being a little humble and say you're learning?  Nah.    

 

And then last thing to EJ's career was his "retirement" just prior to being cut by KC when he'd be competing with multiple QBs for the third string job.  

 

EJ's ego is the thing that needed to come down a peg and still apparently hasn't.  Claiming an injury as a Bill was at fault for his career is weak.  

[The Firebaugh Kid]

I dont really remember EJ. I think my brain protects itself from PTSD. 

[Bob in STL]

EJ should not have been a first round pick.  Even die hard Seminoles fan were shocked he was taken in the first round. 
 

His had marginal talent and slow reaction speed for the NFL game.  That is why he did not make it.  

Edited October 18, 2020 by Bob in STL

[LABILLBACKER]

13 hours ago, Nextmanup said:

We probably did rush him back sooner than he would have liked.  And that indeed may have had in impact on the direction of his career, somewhat.

But it is not why his career was what it was.

That comes down to a lack of talent, and that has nothing to do with an injury.

 

Too bad he seems bitter about it all now.  He always seemed like a good guy.

 

 

 

 

Life isn't exactly fair. Stuff happens. He was perfectly healthy when he pulled a Peterman in London. He had his opportunity and he wasn't good enough. End of story. 

[Rico]

[Cheektowaga Chad]

Ej was drafted as developmental QB, the bills didn't try to develop him. They threw him into the fire and pretty much told him him to sink or swim.

 

There were some circumstances that caused that like Kolb getting hurt or being drafted in the 1st but the coaching staff and GM did everything the exact opposite of what they should have done with ej.

 

With that said ej didnt have "it" and never would have gotten "it". All his lack of development caused is a short career as a back up rather than a long back up journeyman career

[NoSaint]

1 hour ago, Hapless Bills Fan said:

 

Whaley made a comment at one point that EJM tried to get along with everybody "maybe too hard" or something like that - at some point the QB has to be willing and able to call out older guys who are not running the route the way he expects or not going hard

 

actually talking opposite of timid. Perhaps entitled or egocentric would be more on the mark of what I’m talking. But I don’t recall the exact phrases used and they weren’t commonplace commentary. 

this was in the era of when Timmy was pulling moves like asking EJ if he thought the team should draft another qb then writing stories about how he didn’t take kindly to the question.
 

So i never put toooooo much stock in it but simply remembered a few ego comments when stories like this come out a decade later.

[Putin]

11 hours ago, soflabillsfan1 said:

Most prolific offense in FSU history?  Ward in 1993, and Weinke in 2000 disagree with you.  EJ throwing 23 TDs and 10 ints is not the most prolific offense in FSU history.

This ^^^^^
That’s what happens when someone just googles the stats but never watched him ACTUALLY PLAY , 

ACC is NOT SEC  conference so a lot of games are basically CAKEWALK with few exceptions 

But there’s ONE game that is circled on everyone’s calendar and that is the FL Gators 

and every time he’s been a disaster!!!

But on the good note HOW ABOUT THEM SEMINOLES BABY beating the # 5 North Carolina last night !!!!! 

 

Edited October 18, 2020 by Putin

[starrymessenger]

Bottom line: He was a bust that couldn't play.

[bmur66]

Ol slow eyes. I'm curious. Did any decent QB's come out of that class? 

Edited October 18, 2020 by bmur66

[machine gun kelly]

22 hours ago, Charles Romes said:

He had plenty of chances in Buffalo and elsewhere. The bottom line is that he couldn’t see the field or sense pressure. 

Agreed.    He was a nice kid, and yes they rushed him back, but he was given so many chances, and couldn’t even hold onto a backup job.  I lost track of him after the Raiders cut him.  I wish him well whatever he is doing now.

[Putin]

9 minutes ago, bmur66 said:

Ol slow eyes. I'm curious. Did any decent QB's come out of that class? 

No 

[soflabillsfan1]

1 hour ago, Putin said:

This ^^^^^
That’s what happens when someone just googles the stats but never watched him ACTUALLY PLAY , 

ACC is NOT SEC  conference so a lot of games are basically CAKEWALK with few exceptions 

But there’s ONE game that is circled on everyone’s calendar and that is the FL Gators 

and every time he’s been a disaster!!!

But on the good note HOW ABOUT THEM SEMINOLES BABY beating the # 5 North Carolina last night !!!!! 

 

Big win!  They needed something to get excited about this season.  The ACC in 2012 was so weak.  Out of the 11 teams other than FSU, only 1 was ranked.  Then they play N. Illinois the Orange Bowl.  Did N. Illinois have anyone get drafted? I don't think so.  EJ looked great on paper but when you watched him play, he had major flaws that he couldn't correct.

[Mr. WEO]

"Gave up a shot at the Super Bowl"???   

 

this guy....

 

he was a dunce.  They had to dumb down his Offense in college.  Then he takes one look at the Bills playbook and announced it was simpler than his Florida State Offense.

 

2 teams and 5 seasons convinced the world he was an unmitigated bust.  H should go with all evidence and accept that and let it go.  He got way more money than he earned or deserved.   Maybe if he prepared as much to play football as he now does to talk about it, he would be still playing.

 

 

[Big Turk]

23 hours ago, NoSaint said:

We did him no favors. 
 

that he continues to talk about it suggests he probably wasn’t doing himself many favors either 

 

who he was as a man behind the scenes always seemed an interesting story. We often heard the polished, mature story line but there were a few reports that suggested perhaps otherwise along the way.

 

The fact he couldn't overcome this speaks volumes as to the person he was.

[Hapless Bills Fan]

9 hours ago, NoSaint said:

 

actually talking opposite of timid. Perhaps entitled or egocentric would be more on the mark of what I’m talking. But I don’t recall the exact phrases used and they weren’t commonplace commentary. 

this was in the era of when Timmy was pulling moves like asking EJ if he thought the team should draft another qb then writing stories about how he didn’t take kindly to the question.
 

So i never put toooooo much stock in it but simply remembered a few ego comments when stories like this come out a decade later.

 

I don't think Whaley meant timid, but of course it was years ago and I don't know exactly what he meant.

 

I think Whaley meant EJ just didn't have the competitive fire, the juice, to demand the best from his teammates.  Like if you look at the piece about Stefon Diggs where  they interview one of the OLmen who played with him, and he said you come back to the huddle after a play and THOSE EYES are looking at you, and you're like "OK, OK, I get it, stop looking at me!"  Or playing with Josh - when you got a QB who will literally jump over a linebacker or stiff arm one to the ground in pursuit of a first down, it must be pretty hard to scamper OOB before the sticks to avoid a hit.  Too laid back on the field, maybe.

 

That's not necessarily incompatible with "ego" or "entitled" - if you think you've arrived, maybe you don't feel the need to strive with every fiber you've got to be the best and strive to lift your teammates.

 

 

[Bill from NYC]

17 minutes ago, Hapless Bills Fan said:

 

I don't think Whaley meant timid, but of course it was years ago and I don't know exactly what he meant.

 

I think Whaley meant EJ just didn't have the competitive fire, the juice, to demand the best from his teammates.  Like if you look at the piece about Stefon Diggs where  they interview one of the OLmen who played with him, and he said you come back to the huddle after a play and THOSE EYES are looking at you, and you're like "OK, OK, I get it, stop looking at me!"  Or playing with Josh - when you got a QB who will literally jump over a linebacker or stiff arm one to the ground in pursuit of a first down, it must be pretty hard to scamper OOB before the sticks to avoid a hit.  Too laid back on the field, maybe.

 

That's not necessarily incompatible with "ego" or "entitled" - if you think you've arrived, maybe you don't feel the need to strive with every fiber you've got to be the best and strive to lift your teammates.

 

 

Years ago @BADOLBILZ pointed out that EJ had arms as long as a 7 foot tall man, and that this slowed him down in terms of getting rid of the ball quickly. I then watched for this and lo and behold, it DID seem to take EJ forever to snap off a quick pass. Do notice that I don't claim to have spotted this on my own lol.

 

What I DID notice was that he ran fast in college but on the Bills he looked like he was running in quicksand. I never quite understood why.

 

There will always be players who have the talent to play in the NFL but have factors which stop them from doing so. For instance RJ (imo) had 10x the talent of EJ but even he could not put it to use in the big league. 

Edited October 18, 2020 by Bill from NYC

[starrymessenger]

Coming out of college both Allen and EJ were touted as physically dominant dual threat QBs with rocket arms. When he entered the league EJ was almost exactly the same size as Josh. That's where the comparison ends. But I also think that Allen got a lot more of the good stuff when the Man Upstairs was handing it out. He's a much more dominant athlete and presence than EJ (and than 99.99% of humankind) and I often think that  his otherworldly athleticism has largely contributed (and continues to contribute)  to buying him the time needed for him to work on the many refinements of playing the position, in transitioning from athlete to athlete and QB.

No doubt EJ was drafted into a bad situation by a desperate management. But his flaws were well known and well documented. A comprehensive article in the weeks before the draft in Tomahawk Nation by someone (whose name escapes me) close to and a friend of the FSU program listed in painful detail why EJ would likely be overdrafted and ultimately fail. The writer's detailed projections could not have been more accurate and predictive. I wish Whaley had read it but he was stuck between a rock and a hard place. At least he didn't draft Gino.