Two years ago, EJ Manuel was selected in the first round of the NFL Draft by the Bills. Two years later, his future in Buffalo is uncertain.
Rex Ryan and the Bills have handed the reins to the offense to Tyrod Taylor and he will be under center when Buffalo hosts the Colts in Week 1 on Sept. 13, according to a tweet from Fox Sports' Jay Glazer.
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Ryan, who dealt with myriad issues at the most important position in football during his time with the Jets, has been very impressed with Taylor in the preseason. The 2011 sixth-round pick of the Ravens out-dueled Manuel and Matt Cassel in a quarterback competition to land the starting gig.
Bills are going w Tyrod Taylor as their starting a QB
— Jay Glazer (@JayGlazer) August 31, 2015
The 6-foot-1 Taylor is 24-for-31 (77.4 percent) in the preseason and though he doesn't have a single touchdown pass, he's wowed with his passing ability and his agility on his feet. Taylor has 11 carries for 108 yards and a touchdown run thus far in the preseason.
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Much like in past years with the likes of Mark Sanchez and Geno Smith with the Jets, Ryan had his potential starters vying for the starting gig and in his first year at the helm in Buffalo, he came away very impressed with Taylor. The fifth-year signal caller spent his first four seasons in the league as the backup to Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco, but this year he received a fresh start and a huge opportunity in Buffalo. Flacco sang the praises of his former protégé:
Flacco on Tyrod: "He’s going to do a great job up there. They have a great team and he’s going to help them get to where they want to be.” — Jeff Zrebiec (@jeffzrebiecsun) August 31, 2015
Taylor seized the opportunity and was able to hold off strong competition from Manuel, while Cassel proved himself to be not much of a threat with his preseason performance. After Manuel, the Bills' 2013 first-round pick (No. 16 overall), went 7-for-8 for 170 yards and two scores against the Steelers on Saturday in a 43-19 drubbing, it appeared as though he might be back in the thick of the race.
Ryan looked to keep the decision under wraps, according to NFL.com, but word leaked out on Monday that Taylor had surpassed Manuel. It is expected that Manuel or Cassel will be off the Bills roster by Week 1 of the regular season, but it seems more likely Manuel will earn the backup job based on preseason performances.
Taylor will look to help the Bills get into the postseason for the first time since 1999. Manuel will either watch from the bench or be off the team altogether.
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