Kevin Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports
Rex Ryan and the Buffalo Bills have a lot of excitement surrounding them heading into training camp, and are expected to be legitimate playoff contenders during the 2015 season. They have made quite a few additions to their roster, but they haven’t yet figured out who will start in the quarterback position. E.J. Manuel and Matt Cassel are the two main contenders for the job, but Buffalo also has Tyrod Taylor in the mix.
At this point in time, it appears that Manuel is ahead. It isn’t a surprise, and there is no question that he has the talent to be an above average starting NFL quarterback. That being said, he still has some work to do during training camp in order to get to where he needs to be.
Last season with the Bills, Manuel played in just five regular season games before being benched in favor of veteran quarterback Kyle Orton. Manuel’s consistency has been an issue throughout his career so far, and it was the main reason that he was sat down last year.
During the five games that he ended up playing, Manuel threw for 838 yards, five touchdowns and just three interceptions.
His decision making has improved in a big way from when he first came into the league a couple years ago. Buffalo decided to make him their first round pick in 2013 with the No. 16 overall pick in the draft. He has yet to show what they were hoping to see from him, but perhaps 2015 will be the season that he finally breaks out into his full potential.
Beating out Cassel and Taylor shouldn’t be too difficult for him after seeing how they played during OTA’s and mini camp action. Cassel especially is on the roster bubble, and he was expected to be Manuel’s toughest opponent.
At 25 years old, Manuel has picked up enough from his two years in the NFL to put everything together this year. He has the physical ability to become something special, and has no more excuses for his lack of success. Buffalo has also surrounded him with the necessary talent to take pressure off of him and make the game easy for him.
Acquiring LeSean McCoy was a huge step for the Bills’ offense, but it will help Manuel out as well. Having a legitimate rushing attack will open up the passing game for the Bills, and they have put together plenty of weapons for Manuel through the air.
Sammy Watkins is heading into his second NFL season and has legitimate star potential. Percy Harvin was signed after a disappointing year last season and is expected to be a dynamic playmaker for the Bills. Charles Clay was signed this past offseason to fill the tight end position and be an upgrade, while Robert Woods has proven that he can be a solid all-around wide receiver himself.
There is nothing holding Manuel back as he looks ahead to the upcoming NFL season. This is his chance to prove that he can be a starting quarterback, and it appears that he is well on his way to doing just that. Ryan has always found ways to instill confidence into his players, and perhaps Manuel can feed off of his head coach and explode with a big season.
Evan Massey is a featured writer for www.RantSports.com, and contributes across the NFL, MLB, NCAA and NBA portions of the site. Follow him on Twitter at @Massey_Evan and like him on Facebook.
