The Buffalo Bills acquired Kevin Kolb to finally bring stability to the quarterback position. After signing his contract, Kolb was already thinking Super Bowl. He even told the media that a Super Bowl was an easy expectation for the team. But then the Bills decided to draft quarterback EJ Manuel in the first round, leading many to believe Kolb was destined to become a backup once again.
So far, the Bills are loving their investment in Manuel. He has appeared confident and comfortable on the field so far in training camp. He offers a sort duel-quarterback skill set. He is mobile enough to run the read-option while accurate enough to through deep from the pocket. He is familiar with the type of offense the team runs. Many in the front office are taking notice, as general manager Doug Whaley is referring to the rookie as the face of the franchise over Kolb.
"Most successful quarterbacks have that 'it' factor. (Manuel) has that 'it' factor. When he walks into a room, there's a presence and people take notice. He's going to be the face of our franchise, and it's not too big for him," Whaley said.
Kolb's confidence must be through the roof right now. Kolb's career has a starter has yet to truly take off. He played backup in Philadelphia for four seasons, only starting when Michael Vick was injured. He showed enough promise to be signed by the Arizona Cardinals. Injuries hampered his ability to play every game and in two seasons he struggled.
Kolb thought the Bills were his chance to really shine, but Manuel is slowly becoming the heavy favorite to start under center Week 1. Doug Marrone does not plan on naming a starter until the final preseason game, but so far he is very impressed with the rookie in training camp.
"As far as the consistency, you're seeing that, you're seeing what we've talked about before with, we're starting to throw more stuff at him. We're seeing some good things, and obviously, we're seeing some things that we need to improve on. So he's really coming along nicely," Marrone said.
Right now, all signs point to Manuel being the Week 1 starter. The team is looking to start fresh and while Kolb has experience, Manuel is the future and that future likely begins this season.
