The Buffalo Bills quarterback competition is now down to two players. Kevin Kolb and EJ Manuel have beaten out one person, leaving things down to a duel for who will start Week 1 for the Buffalo Bills. The team announced Monday that third-string quarterback Tarvaris Jackson was released from the team, leaving Kolb and Manuel the last two men standing.
Jackson signed with the Bills as a backup to Kolb. The team paid him a $500,000 roster bonus which they will eat, but apart from that they lose nothing by cutting Jackson. The Bills appear comfortable with letting Manuel be the backup to Kolb or the other way around. Jackson will certainly find a landing spot soon. Sources are reporting that he could find his way back to Seattle where he was once the starting quarterback and backup Russell Wilson.
If anyone benefits from Jackson being released, it is Manuel. This is another vote of confidence from the Bills towards the rookie. Manuel will now be able to get additional practice time with the first-team offense since the race to start is down to two. The two quarterbacks split reps during OTAs, with Kolb appearing to have the upper hand. As a sixth-year veteran of the league, he should be more comfortable running an NFL offense.
However, Manuel is slowly winning over the coaching staff in Buffalo. Head coach Doug Marrone indicated that he wanted to increase Manuel's practice time and first-team reps. As OTAs wrapped up, Marrone was clearly head over heels for the rookie, impressed with how he developed so quickly.
"From my standpoint, E.J. Manuel has done better as a rookie than any of the other organizations I've been a part of," Marrone said.
As the 16th overall pick for the Bills, Manuel is clearly being groomed as the future of the franchise, whether that future begins in September remains to be seen. Kolb was brought in during free agency to fix the short-term problem for the Bills. He has shown flashes of success, going 9-12 as a starter in both Philadelphia and Arizona. He has had a career hampered by injuries, but the Bills viewed him as a strong option to help the team win sooner rather than later.
Kolb certainly won the in-house battle with Jackson, but fighting off Manuel will not be as easy. If he wants to start, he will have to prove that his veteran experience makes him the best man for the job.