Being a first-round pick doesn't carry the same status it used to. Ask Blaine Gabbert or Jake Locker. Or maybe even EJ Manuel.
The Bills quarterback could reportedly "be done" in Buffalo before his third year even begins if he doesn't make major strides during the offseason, according to a report from Joe Buscagilia of WKBW in Buffalo.
"If former first-round pick and quarterback EJ Manuel doesn't show some serious progress this spring and summer at OTAs, minicamp and training camp, he very well may be enjoying his final few months in Buffalo as a member of the organization," Buscagilia wrote Monday.
Considering the Bills depth chart at quarterback it's impossible to imagine them simply shuttling the former first-round pick out of town.
Matt Cassel was acquired in the offseason via trade from the Vikings, Jeff Tuel is from the same rookie class but less heralded and Tyrod Taylor is Tyrod Taylor. This is arguably the worst position group in the entire NFL.
It would be a massive admission from GM Doug Whaley of his failure in the 2013 NFL Draft -- even though Buddy Nix stepped down as GM after Manuel was selected, Whaley said he was "an integral part" of selecting the former Florida State quarterback.
Manuel even going in the first round was stunning. He was the only quarterback taken in the first 32 picks in a disappointing year for signal callers.
He's lived up to the hype in the sense of everyone panning the pick out of the gates, but he's hardly justified the selection. If Manuel is shuttled -- and ultimately this probably ends up being more of a motivational ploy than anything else -- it's also an economic statement on the current CBA and rookie-wage scale.
