When the Buffalo Bills selected EJ Manuel 16th overall in last year’s NFL draft, they were betting the house that he would pan out to be the quarterback they needed, in order to end the longest playoff drought in NFL history.
Well, according to Steve Calhoun, QB guru and owner of Armed and Dangerous Football; Manuel may be well on his way to doing just that. In an interview with Fox Sports, Calhoun explains what Manuel has been working on and just how far his game may have improved:
“I think he can be a Pro Bowl quarterback this year. With the draft they had and all the other pieces they put around him, I think they have a great game plan in regards to understanding their personnel, and I believe they will create an offense that highlights their strengths. I know EJ really is focused on taking his team to the next level” Calhoun said.
Manuel underwent a minor procedure on his left knee following last season, missing the final two games with a sprained LCL. But Calhoun says he’s 100% healthy and he’s displaying many of the talents in his game that prompted the Bills to draft him so high, after months and months of extensive analysis of all the quarterbacks available (all of which were on the board when Manuel was selected).
“When you have an injury, you start to compensate on other body parts so you don’t have to feel as much pain,” Calhoun said. “I think that had a lot to do with it. Now he’s coming in completely healthy, I think he’ll see the results.”
EJ Manuel clearly knows there were many areas of his game that needed improvement from last year, but the true test will be when bullets are live and it’s time to make a mature decision to keep himself on the field. I do believe he will get better every year, working with these nationally acclaimed coaches and other good NFL QBs, however, what good is making vast strides in your game if you’re not on the field to help your team?