The Buffalo Bills made a seemingly crazy decision to draft E.J. Manuel with the 16th pick in the first round of the draft, but after the dust settled and OTAs started, it's clear that Manuel has the skills to be a starter and the Bills coaching staff has already started raving about him.
According to Pro Football Talk, head coach Doug Marrone said that he feels that Manuel is further ahead of any rookie he has seen and that the group has done better than expected as work outs continue. Manuel is considered to be one of the only rookies with a chance of starting this year after being taken in the first round, although Geno Smith with the Jets is another. The Bills have been looking for a franchise quarterback since Jim Kelly retired and Marrone is hoping that Manuel is that guy.
Marrone said that the rookie class is ready to step up for the team and that Manuel has been better than any other rookie QB he has been able to work with. Marrone last was with the Jets and was able to get a look at things back in 2003, but the league is different now and the Bills feel that his experience combined with his arm strength makes Manuel a great starting option. The Bills had a rough season last year, but with Marrone at the helm the offense is expected to get better and with two running backs like CJ Spiller and Fred Jackson, the team will be ready to move the ball.
Manuel likely will start over Kevin Kolb and if Spiller can have the season he had last year, there is a good chance that the team will improve. Manuel is behind Kevin Kolb and Tarvaris Jackson at OTA workouts, but that doesn't mean he won't vault ahead in training camp. Spiller was in the top 10 in rushing last season and if the team can get more depth for Stevie Johnson, the offense could be special after what Marrone did at Syracuse with Ryan Nassib.
Last season the team ranked 25th in passing yards with Ryan Fitzpatrick while going just 6-10 and the team hopes Manuel can improve that. The team was ranked sixth in rushing and 10th in passing yards allowed per game and one of the biggest issues was on run defense, where they ranked 31st. From Twitter: Doug Marrone on development of #Bills rookies: "Better than expected"
