E.J. Manuel has been struggling in a big way throughout training camp and preseason action, and there is a lot of concern about him. The Buffalo Bills have both Tyrod Taylor and Matt Cassel above him on the depth chart right now, and there is just one more preseason game left before the 2015 regular season gets started. Perhaps the biggest question now is whether or not Rex Ryan will cut his struggling quarterback.
There haven't been a ton of bright spots for Manuel over the past year or two, but he did put together a nearly perfect preseason game this past week against the Pittsburgh Steelers. He completed seven of his eight passing attempts for 170 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions.
Rex Ryan is not the type of head coach to cut a talented young player, which is exactly the category that Manuel falls in. Cassel and Taylor are definitely the top two quarterbacks right now, but that could change very quickly when the regular season opens up. Manuel has had some experience in the regular season, and has shown flashes of the star potential that many saw in him when he came out of Florida State.
At just 25 years old, Manuel still has plenty of time to turn his career around and plenty of football left to play.
Buffalo isn't going to need their quarterback to be a star, although they do need a player that can make some plays in the passing game from time to time. LeSean McCoy was acquired by the Bills from the Philadelphia Eagles this past offseason, and he is going to be the primary workhorse for the Buffalo offense.
Manuel stands in at 6-foot-4 and 237 pounds, which gives him a very impressive physical presence. He possesses quite a bit of athleticism to go along with his size, which can make him very dangerous outside of the pocket. His arm is definitely an NFL caliber arm, although he needs to work on his accuracy a bit more.
Looking ahead at the final roster cuts, it will be a very difficult decision for the Bills. More than likely he will not get cut, but it certainly cannot be counted out if he doesn't have a good game in Buffalo's final preseason game.
It is unfortunate to see how fast Manuel has fallen in the early stages of his career. He was originally drafted with the 16th overall pick in 2013, and there are already rumblings that the Bills could be done with him. Hopefully he can get his legs back under him and turn his career around, but he is certainly in the danger zone at this point in time.
