Should EJ Have Gone In The First Round?

Oct 3, 2013; Cleveland, OH, USA; Buffalo Bills quarterback EJ Manuel (3) rolls out of the pocket to pass during the first quarter against the Cleveland Browns at FirstEnergy Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports

As I watch the Bills in the beginning of a rebuilding year with many new components I wonder if this organization started with the right choices. This team let alone this city were in need of a franchise quarterback and to some have believed they may have found him but I’m not too sure if that’s the case.

EJ Manuel was selected 16th overall as everyone knows when the Bills traded down to acquire picks with the Rams. Other quarterbacks on the board seemed like the likely choice for this team until a few days before the draft and EJ’s name appeared more and more on the Bills radar. With the Bills selecting him where they did told it everyone they believed he was their guy of the future. So far what we have seen I hope it’s only going to get better.

EJ since his time here has not only gone through two knee injuries but also has shown many of his flaws in his game. The knee injuries scare me when they come that close and also is this the type of guy that will go down with something frequently? The flaws in his game really make me think as to who we have in the Bills checking out these players. In no way am I saying he can’t play the game but when the flaws are this noticeable to me a 1st round selection should not be used on the player. The things in his game that need fixing right away are: footwork, awareness in the pocket and also accuracy throwing the football.

Footwork to me has been the most noticeable as we’ve watched EJ play. It just seems like he doesn’t throw the ball off the right foot often. That has effects on other parts of his game and fixing this problem would pick up his game but shouldn’t this have been looked at prior to making this commitment?

The interesting part to this selection is that the Bills have no excuses and have put all their trust in belief in this guy. I hope he does work out and it turns around the franchise but if he doesn’t we will continue to look for that guy we are all hoping for. My last question is why didn’t you just take the player that you knew was going to contribute and wait for next year’s big QB class? Just seems like this Bills organization is always one step behind. Thoughts agree? Disagree?