Quarterback EJ Manuel got yanked from the starting lineup four games into last season, which represented a very quick hook for a player who was drafted in the first round of the 2013 draft with the idea that he’d be the long-term answer at the position.
Doug Marrone, the coach who benched Manuel, is gone with Rex Ryan taking his place and Manuel sounds like a man who is happy with the changes. One area where he feels offensive coordinator Greg Roman’s scheme is an improvement is in the willingness to take some shots that the Bills weren’t willing to take last season. Manuel thinks “more of those vertical passes will definitely be shown” as the team aims for a less predictable approach.
“I just think the dynamics that we have and the personnel that we have, you look at the receivers, running backs and the tight ends we have at the skill positions and the O-linemen getting better, getting stronger, getting nastier,” Manuel said on WGR 550. “But with the shifts and motions and the things we’ll do to mix it up for a defense is going to be really good. Instead of just being vanilla we’ll have a whole lot of different looks for opponents to prepare for.”
Manuel will have to beat out Matt Cassel and Tyrod Taylor to be part of those shifting looks, something that the Bills aren’t expected to decide until they’re in training camp this summer.
