Bill Polian has worked for the Buffalo Bills, Carolina Panthers and helped steer Indianapolis to a Super Bowl victory. He was also named the NFL's Executive of the Year six times. He knows a thing or two of how to manage a team. Polian no longer works in the front office; instead he now takes time to step in front of the camera as an analyst for ESPN. This allows him to give his opinion on his former teams every now and then. After spending hours studying potential draft picks, Polian believes the Bills first-round pick, EJ Manuel, will help define the team.
The Bills made a surprising move drafting Manuel with the No. 16 pick. Many experts had Geno Smith as the best quarterback available. Polian believes Buffalo got their guy in Manuel, believing that if the team has faith in a player, it is never too early to draft him.
"When you draft a quarterback first, that defines that draft. No one knows what he's going to be. I know how Buddy feels about him and how Doug feels about him. I hope they're right," Polian said.
Polian thinks Manuel will define the performance of the team going forward. He runs the read-option better than current assumed starter Kevin Kolb. With the NFL moving towards the mobile offense, Manuel could see himself starting sooner rather than later. With a little development and time to grow, Polian thinks Manuel could set the team up for long-term success.
"Not everybody steps right in and plays right away like Andrew Luck and RGIII. Colin Kaepernick actually sat for a year and a half. They can grow and develop. As long as he's ready to contribute to winning by year three, it's a good pick," Polian said.
The Bills took time to address offensive needs in the draft. With their second round pick, they drafted wide receiver Robert Woods out of USC. He was considered to be one of the draft class's best offensive weapons. Polian was quick to praise the selection, comparing Woods to six-time Pro Bowler, Reggie Wayne.
"I think he has many of the same qualities as Reggie Wanye. He's reliable. He runs really good routes. He gets in and out of his breaks. He's spectacular. I think he's a solid pro. He's a guy that's going to be a contributor.
Polian told NFL.com that he is still a big supporter of the Buffalo Bills despite not working for the team anymore. He thinks the team is headed in the right direction.
