SOW | RG3 Paved the Way for EJ Manuel

[E-Dog Night]

I don't think people think you're saying E.J's going to become the next RG3.

I think the bone people have to pick is that you're trying to put say E.J getting drafted in the first was due to Robert. I don't think it had much to do with Robert, in the same way Cam having success with the pistol and read-option didn't influence us. After all, Geno Smith had experience running the read-option too.

The Bills just thought E.J Manuel was the best quarterback on their board and that he had a skillset they liked. Just because they wanted to run some read-option (which Marrone already did with Ryan Nassib at Syracuse, so why didn't they just draft Nassib then...) doesn't mean that it was due to Robert.

Fine, but following the logic, who ran the read option with the most regularity, with the most success? Robert Griffin III. That's why other team's started copying it, because (in deference to the Panthers and Cam Newton) the Redskins made it a larger part of their offense then anyone else ever had in the NFL, and it worked.

Then Seattle and the Niners started running it. When Kaepernick had the success that he had with it, it pretty much solidified the notion league-wide that it could work as long as you had the right guy to run it.

The Bills have all but come out and said they like the idea of it. For whatever reason, the Bills think that Manuel runs it better than Geno Smith. Hence, Manuel went higher than expected.

[KCClybun]

Fine, but following the logic, who ran the read option with the most regularity, with the most success? Robert Griffin III. That's why other team's started copying it, because (in deference to the Panthers and Cam Newton) the Redskins made it a larger part of their offense then anyone else ever had in the NFL, and it worked.

Then Seattle and the Niners started running it. When Kaepernick had the success that he had with it, it pretty much solidified the notion league-wide that it could work as long as you had the right guy to run it.

The Bills have all but come out and said they like the idea of it. For whatever reason, the Bills think that Manuel runs it better than Geno Smith. Hence, Manuel went higher than expected.

I really think you're trying to give Robert credit for something he didn't have much to do with.

To say the pistol and read-option weren't large parts of Carolina's offense is sort of shoving what Cam did his rookie year off to the side. Love it or hate it, they ran it a lot and with a lot of effectiveness before we did.

We may have used the pistol more, and we may have influenced other teams to go that direction (Kaepernick was running read option stuff in preseason and was doing it with some regularity before he became the full time starter), but I really think we didn't have much to do with it.

Especially since Bills head coach Doug Marrone and his offensive coordinator were running the pistol offense with Ryan Nassib at Syracuse before Robert even came here. That was the new Bills coaching staff's mentality anyway, so that's another knock against it having anything to do with Robert.

[Lavarleap56]

Robert Griffin III really has nothing to do with EJ Manuel lead frogging Geno Smith in the draft. A lot of teams had EJ Manuel as one of the better QB's in this draft class based on highest upside alone. Geno had a lot of knocks against him from his play on the field, interview process, and even his physical traits. EJ on the other hand has the prototypical size - 6-5 230lbs -, the physical ability, and plus intangibles teams look for in a franchise QB. Smiths leadership ability, arm talent, and deep accuracy were causes for concern.

The read option is a nice ability to have but it isn't the reason they took Manuel with the 16th pick in the first round. Teams run the read option a few times a game, hardly enough to justify starting the clock on Marrones tenure in Buffalo. They liked the overall package and upside of the player over what Geno brought to a team..

EJ Manuel is in Buffalo for his

- personality

- leadership ability

- believable as a "face of a team"

- prototypical size , arm strength , & plus speed for the position

- Meshed with the staff on his pre-draft visit

And after all that the most important for Buffalo is.... His ability to perform in inclement weather which was the main quality the Bills were looking for in a QB. Marrone talked a lot about doing extensive research into all the North East teams playing in bad weather and the QB's that had success. They apparently studied all the common traits and prioritized the need for big hands, long arms, and a strong arm.. Read more on it here http://blogs.buffalobills.com/2013/04/30/bad-weather-at-ejs-workout-helped/

All of which lead you to EJ Manuel who had the largest hands and arms at the combine. Geno was horrible in inclement weather over his career and Marrone saw it first hand at Syracuse.

The Bills are saying they would like to run some read option BUT Marrone and the team are playing it coy heading into the season. Marrone's offense at Syracuse was based out of the Pistol which gives them the ability for the read option as a add on but not a foundation. It's more about running the ball and needing a QB with a big arm to drive boundary throws.

You need to look at EJ Manuel as just a better player & fit than the other QB's.. I look at EJ like a more athletic version of Nassib for Marrone but with a much higher ceiling.

[RedskinsCountry]

I understand where E-Dog is coming from. Had the Redskins not shown the pistol can work in the NFL, odds are the Bills never would have gone that router. However at the same time I see why EJ was taken so soon with his play and the other QB's on the market. I think the decision to draft EJ, was made a lot more reasonable because of what RGIII, Kaepernick and Wilson showed. Newton doesn't belong in this conversation though.

[pjfootballer]

As long as the Bills do to the Patriots what we did to the rest of the NFC East, I'd be happy for them and him.

[Laxpunk2006]

Fine, but following the logic, who ran the read option with the most regularity, with the most success? Robert Griffin III. That's why other team's started copying it, because (in deference to the Panthers and Cam Newton) the Redskins made it a larger part of their offense then anyone else ever had in the NFL, and it worked.

Then Seattle and the Niners started running it. When Kaepernick had the success that he had with it, it pretty much solidified the notion league-wide that it could work as long as you had the right guy to run it.

The Bills have all but come out and said they like the idea of it. For whatever reason, the Bills think that Manuel runs it better than Geno Smith. Hence, Manuel went higher than expected.

The bolded above seems to be an argument that misses the point. RGIII/Kyle may have popularized the read option. Personally I think Cam Newton did the prior year but thats really opinion and semantics. The Redskins may have popularized the Pistol as well, but again, that's been in the league at least since 2010.

The point that most of us are making is that Buffalo didn't draft Manuel because they are shifting to a fundamentally read option based offense. Will they use RO concepts? Probably. But you don't draft a QB in the first round because you think he does 10% of your offense better than the other guys. You draft a guy in the first round that does 90% of your offense better, the 10% is inconsequential in comparison.

From : http://www.buffalobills.com/news/article-2/Buddy-Nix-and-Doug-Marrone-comment-on-drafting-EJ-Manuel/f1c81a79-1804-4e0e-99dc-48a109e7ff6f

Q: How much did you like the idea of having a quarterback who is a true threat in the zone option play?

BN: I do not think that the NFL is going to get to be an option league. I think this thing is going to be something you use some, but I do like the idea that he could do it if you wanted to. Now I do not see, Doug (Marrone) will be in here in a minute and you can ask him, but this guy…if you can get a guy that can take you either way it is a good thing.

Q: Most people though would say that he has the best athleticism of the quarterbacks in the Draft. How was attractive was the opportunity he could present to run the option?

DM: I don’t know if I would specifically talk about being able to run the option. Just the ability to make plays with his feet is what I would concentrate more on and that is what we looked at.

Q: You mean elude the rush with his size and more?

DM: Take him out on the perimeter, elude the rush, make plays down the field, eyes down the field. And then again, I’m not going to tell you anything different that you already know that, yes that is something that we appreciate and that we look for in a quarterback.

[big#44]

As someone who watched about 98% of Manuels plays at FSU, I can tell you his ability to run the read option isn't what landed him in Buffalo. Can he run it? Sure he can. Is he all that great at it? No, not really.

[#BgMase76#]

Sorry, and I don't mean to be contrary, but I fail to see how Robert "paved the way" for EJ or how his "ascent is due" to Robert. I just think the Bills happened to view EJ differently than the 'experts'.

I agree w/ you. If you watched Manuel's career. It resembles nothing of RGIII's. Manuel had major issues w/ consistency. Could you imagine if RGIII had the athleticism and blue chippers around him at Baylor? Manuel never played w/ a middle of the road defense let alone one worth speaking of. Talent levels don't remotely compare. The other thing I noticed about him is his accuracy. Manuel throws high most of the time. Saw a lot of his game film. His throws left the WRs hanging out there. The kind that'll get a guy hurt in the pros.

[darrelgreenie]

I think this is probably true. My point was purely about where Manuel went in the draft, and the success of the read-option (particularly as executed by Griffin) influenced the Bills in taking him that high.

I think you, like many are underestimating EJ Manuel as a standard pro-type NFL QB regardless of whether or not he can execute read option. EJ Manuel, like Christian Ponder before him and unlike Geno Smith comes from a NFL style rhythm drop back passing offense. EJ Manuel can command a huddle, make checks and audibles at the line and execute a 3-5-7 step drop passing game. He has proto-type size and above average arm strength and is a playmaker. EJ was more efficient then Christian Ponder in the same pro-style offense. Those are the main reason's EJ Manuel was the top QB off the board in the draft.

II think you are overestimating the read-option factor in the QB selection process. f all the Bills were looking for is someone to run read option they could have taken Geno Smith and if read-option was such a key factor in the NFL decision making process a QB like Matt Scott gets drafted.

[skinzwiz]

EJ Manuel is nothing like RGIII so how did he pave the way for Manuel?

He didn't.

[TheLongshot]

So, I guess the real point of this thread should be, "Draft experts suck.", since the premise of the article is based on Manuel's perceived value based on "draft experts".