Should EJ Manuel be rated higer?

Granted, I didn't see him any higher than a 3rd or 4th rounder to begin the offseason. But, now, I'm beginning to wonder if he's not STILL being undervalued.

Tall, accurate (for NCAA standards), smart, killer intangibles, mobile, graduated early, awesome attitude, brought a national power BACK to prominence. Up and down the list, he's got it. I dont see how Nassib or maybe even Geno are rated higher than Manuel. What am I missing?

Sure seems like a talented dude, with all the traits you look for in a franchise face.

Qb seems likely this draft. I don't think we had him in for a look see. That's not always a sign.

Oh, I'd LOVE for the Hawks to draft Manuel. But, I'm speaking generally. I think he's underrated a tad by draftperts.

I was wondering the same thing. Kip? Rob? Weigh in?

The physical tools are there, but I was under the impression that his performance was generally underwhelming. He's looking like a probable early 2nd rounder (Eagles would make sense), although it wouldn't surprise me to see somebody trade up into the late first for him ala JP Losman or Brady Quinn.

Looks like the Jets now own the #13 pick in the draft, as part of the compensation for Darrelle Revis. I wonder if there's any chance Manuel could Christian Ponder himself into consideration for that pick.

The impression I got watching him is that he's still too much up & down with his game. He has the upside to justify taking higher than most, but then you watch his game against Florida and you see how far he has to go.

Rat":2qp83uzg said:

Looks like the Jets now own the #13 pick in the draft, as part of the compensation for Darrelle Revis. I wonder if there's any chance Manuel could Christian Ponder himself into consideration for that pick.

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Or maybe the Vikes take him. Apparently, the staff began to lean EJ's way for bowls and clutch time over Ponder. I read that in this forum via a FSU fan, IIRC.

I think someone will sneak up and grab him late 1st, ahead of Jax in the 2nd. He's very impressive off the field, IMO. In a culture of finding the next Russell Wilson, EJ's intangibles may cause a "reach".

If anything for me he should be lower. At no point in two years of college football did he look like a NFL quarterback IMO. Willing to be proven wrong.

You see him as that raw of a thrower, English?

I wouldn't draft him. I had a 3rd round grade on Kaepernick and Kaepernick was far better across the board.

Now, if SF drafted EJ Manuel I bet Harbaugh could turn him into a functional contributor. Not a good QB, but a cog in the machine. If he could do it with Alex Smith, he could probably do it for just about anyone with tools.

I like him a lot. If he was available I would take him at the right spot. The other QBs are not Elite like last year. Most have a good upside, but with flaws .

Could he be a 1st string NFL starter? I have my doubts but he could be a good pick for the right system as a backup. I doubt he will be available as I see him as a 2nd round pick

pehawk":2lnejxet said:

You see him as that raw of a thrower, English?

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Yes... he was downright infuriating in college. Like he barely progressed at all. The guy I watched in his Senior year was the guy who replaced Ponder. I never felt like I was watching a quarterback who felt truly comfortable in the position. Like nothing came naturally to him.

He has the physical tools and that's why he was a big recruit along with Landry Jones way back when. If you want a lump of clay to mould, you want a guy like Manuel. However, I suspect he'll never truly pick it up.

There's some piss poor tape out there. His best game that I saw was probably Clemson last year. I recall wondering whether the switch had been flipped. Then I saw him contribute zilch in a terrible defeat to NC State, look out of his depth against Florida, struggle against Georgia Tech and look 'okayish' in the Bowl game. And then I remembered Clemson gave up +70 points to WVU last year.

I'd only take him to be a backup.

Word! Thanks, Rob!

I think Manuel is waayy underrated. A lot of draftniks watch his gametape and come away unimpressed, but they don't take into consideration that he tried to be a pocket passer as much as possible, despite having a lackluster offensive line to work with. Take this into consideration... There are only two draftable offensive players from Florida State, Menelik Watson and Rodney Smith, and both of them will probably not be drafted on the first day. Not many quarterbacks are going to look that great in an offense that only produces two draftable players, especially if the QB tries to play from the pocket in that offense.

E.J. Manuel is a victim of a poor offensive system and the number of offensive players Florida St. produced in the draft this year is very indicative of that. If you put him in Wisconsin or Alabama with their offensive line or put him in West Virginia or Tennessee with their receiving weapons or put him at USC or Cal, he'd probably be projected as a sure-fire top 10 pick in the draft.

EJ Manuel didn't struggle because of his supporting cast. He struggled because he isn't a natural QB.

That said, Kaepernick isn't a natural QB either. He's a mechanical QB that thrives within an excellent structure. I think if you are in position to look for a mechanical QB, Manuel is the best the draft has to offer. That said, I don't know how many teams could make that pick work. SF could. Seattle could, probably. Problem is, you need to have a LOT of supporting talent on offense AND have outstanding coaches to get top shelf results from a non-natural QB. So I think Seattle and SF might be the only teams in the NFL where I'd call the pick a smart one. If Seattle got Manuel in the 4th round, I'd be okay with it, but he'll probably be gone in round 2 by some team that is overestimating themselves.

kearly":2autdqey said:

EJ Manuel didn't struggle because of his supporting cast. He struggled because he isn't a natural QB.

That said, Kaepernick isn't a natural QB either. He's a mechanical QB that thrives within an excellent structure. I think if you are in position to look for a mechanical QB, Manuel is the best the draft has to offer. That said, I don't know how many teams could make that pick work. SF could. Seattle could, probably. Problem is, you need to have a LOT of supporting talent on offense AND have outstanding coaches to get top shelf results from a non-natural QB. So I think Seattle and SF might be the only teams in the NFL where I'd call the pick a smart one. If Seattle got Manuel in the 4th round, I'd be okay with it, but he'll probably be gone in round 2 by some team that is overestimating themselves.

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Are you referring to Philly. With Chip Kelly, I'd almost guarantee them taking Manuel in the 2nd if he's still on the board when they pick. Just look at the QBs Chip Kelly used at Oregon.

firebee":2fn6dc7y said:

kearly":2fn6dc7y said:

EJ Manuel didn't struggle because of his supporting cast. He struggled because he isn't a natural QB.

That said, Kaepernick isn't a natural QB either. He's a mechanical QB that thrives within an excellent structure. I think if you are in position to look for a mechanical QB, Manuel is the best the draft has to offer. That said, I don't know how many teams could make that pick work. SF could. Seattle could, probably. Problem is, you need to have a LOT of supporting talent on offense AND have outstanding coaches to get top shelf results from a non-natural QB. So I think Seattle and SF might be the only teams in the NFL where I'd call the pick a smart one. If Seattle got Manuel in the 4th round, I'd be okay with it, but he'll probably be gone in round 2 by some team that is overestimating themselves.

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Are you referring to Philly. With Chip Kelly, I'd almost guarantee them taking Manuel in the 2nd if he's still on the board when they pick. Just look at the QBs Chip Kelly used at Oregon.

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I think Chip would take Matt Scott before he took EJ Manuel. In fact, wouldnt surprise me if Manuel wasnt on his draft board at all. Manuel is an underachiever, I have a feeling to Chip Kelly thats one of the worst attributes you can have as a football player. Especially at QB where you're supposed to set the tone for the rest of the team.

If he switched positions, maybe.

Living in ACC country, I've seen him play many times and I've been impressed with his QB skills. He is not underrated now (chatter is second or third round), but if he were taken in the fifth round as a backup it would be a steel. I don't think he's ready to start as a rookie ala Russell, but he would be a great backup and would have been a valuable trade piece in a few years if the Hawks would have taken him. He's not great at going through progressions and throwing receivers open yet, but he's an amazing athlete that throws with accuracy and power.