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Look I am not anointing EJ Manuel as the next Jim Kelly, I am not even prepared to say he's the next Andy Dalton. But I will say for a quarterback who was so criticized in the draft as being a prospect, a player who needed 2 years to develop, EJ very much looks the part of an NFL Quarterback.
His 95.9 QB rating has him top ten in the NFL. Above guys like Brady, Brees, Griffin, Eli and Roethlisberger.
Credit goes to Marrone and Hackett for putting him in a position to complete high percentage passes and avoid mistakes. However EJ has to be smart enough to execute the game plan and the throws. And he's doing that.
He's top also 5 in completion percentage.
Does he check down a lot. Hell ya he does. But when you have Freddy and CJ, tell me why he should force it when these guys can turn a 3 yard dump into a 8 yard gain. Watch Brady in 2001. This was his entire season.
He's only been sacked once.
Sam Bradford is the only QB yet to be sacked. Manuels first sack was a costly one as he was stripped in the process. But Summers was completely destroyed on this play. EJ has shown great awareness and the type of escapability people go nuts for when it's Newton or Griffin.
NFL.com
WEAKNESSES
Gives opponents too many chances for turnovers by forcing throws into coverage trying to make a play. Area code accuracy -- short throws are often low or wide, preventing receivers from making a play after the catch. Deep ball accuracy is uneven as well. Gets happy feet under pressure, spins to the outside to avoid the rush. Inconsistent recognizing blitz. Must step into his throws more consistently to fully utilize his arm strength. NFL COMPARISON
Blaine Gabbert BOTTOM LINE
As gifted as any quarterback in the class, with a strong arm and good mobility. Scouts appreciate his leadership qualities and toughness (played through his mom's cancer treatments and a broken leg in 2011's Champs Sports Bowl win over Notre Dame), and hope he can improve on his consistency. Manuel has the velocity and mobility teams look for in a project quarterback.
CBS
Walter Football
and finally.
Todd McShay ESPN
Look, EJ has work to do. He needs to balance his game, and continue to develop. But this is his team now, he's shown he can compete on the big stage.
He's going to have some ups and downs but he's already proven many of these assessments wrong. Time will further develop chemistry, film study will help his reads, and his confidence will grow. It's going to be to watch him continue to prove people wrong.
His 95.9 QB rating has him top ten in the NFL. Above guys like Brady, Brees, Griffin, Eli and Roethlisberger.
Credit goes to Marrone and Hackett for putting him in a position to complete high percentage passes and avoid mistakes. However EJ has to be smart enough to execute the game plan and the throws. And he's doing that.
He's top also 5 in completion percentage.
Does he check down a lot. Hell ya he does. But when you have Freddy and CJ, tell me why he should force it when these guys can turn a 3 yard dump into a 8 yard gain. Watch Brady in 2001. This was his entire season.
He's only been sacked once.
Sam Bradford is the only QB yet to be sacked. Manuels first sack was a costly one as he was stripped in the process. But Summers was completely destroyed on this play. EJ has shown great awareness and the type of escapability people go nuts for when it's Newton or Griffin.
NFL.com
Gives opponents too many chances for turnovers by forcing throws into coverage trying to make a play. Area code accuracy -- short throws are often low or wide, preventing receivers from making a play after the catch. Deep ball accuracy is uneven as well. Gets happy feet under pressure, spins to the outside to avoid the rush. Inconsistent recognizing blitz. Must step into his throws more consistently to fully utilize his arm strength.
Blaine Gabbert
As gifted as any quarterback in the class, with a strong arm and good mobility. Scouts appreciate his leadership qualities and toughness (played through his mom's cancer treatments and a broken leg in 2011's Champs Sports Bowl win over Notre Dame), and hope he can improve on his consistency. Manuel has the velocity and mobility teams look for in a project quarterback.
With great size, athleticism and intriguing arm talent, Manuel has as much upside as any quarterback in the 2013 draft. But despite statistical gains in 2012, Manuel largely remains the unpolished passer he was a year ago. His tendency to rely on initial reads and vacate the pocket when pressured could lead to significant growing pains in the NFL if pushed onto the field early.
Manuel is going to need a lot of work at the next level on the practice field and in the film room before he is ready to be a starter. There is no doubt that Manuel has the athletic skill set to be a special player, but he will require developmental time in the NFL.
Weaknesses:Not a natural passer
Decision-making
Field vision
Struggles to work through progressions
Runs to quickly
Spotty accuracy
Can panic at times
Didn't play as well against good defenses
Weaknesses:Not a natural passer
Decision-making
Field vision
Struggles to work through progressions
Runs to quickly
Spotty accuracy
Can panic at times
Didn't play as well against good defenses
Todd McShay ESPN
"EJ Manuel has tremendous upside; don't get me wrong," McShay said. "He's big. He has a strong arm. He's got the mobility. But when you look at him and you study his tape, I think he has slow eyes. I think he's late with his throws. He does not anticipate the way you need to as an NFL quarterback, and I also think his accuracy is nowhere near where it needs to be.
"I had him as the sixth-best quarterback in this draft, and he winds up as the first quarterback taken."
"I think it's going to be a long time before he's ready," McShay said. "That doesn't mean he's not going to be on the field, but it's going to be a long time before he's NFL-ready as a quarterback. This is not a great pick for the Buffalo Bills."
"I had him as the sixth-best quarterback in this draft, and he winds up as the first quarterback taken."
"I think it's going to be a long time before he's ready," McShay said. "That doesn't mean he's not going to be on the field, but it's going to be a long time before he's NFL-ready as a quarterback. This is not a great pick for the Buffalo Bills."
Look, EJ has work to do. He needs to balance his game, and continue to develop. But this is his team now, he's shown he can compete on the big stage.
He's going to have some ups and downs but he's already proven many of these assessments wrong. Time will further develop chemistry, film study will help his reads, and his confidence will grow. It's going to be to watch him continue to prove people wrong.
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