EJ Manuel's day started with the news that he could be on his way out of Buffalo if he doesn't show signs of improvement throughout the summer. His day ended with Bills legend Jim Kelly going to bat for him.
In an appearance on NFL Network's Total Access, Kelly said that he thinks Manuel "has it all."
"I think that with the new offensive system Greg Roman brings from San Francisco, I think it might be something that EJ needs," Kelly said. "I hope he does it. He's a good kid. I've heard him talk to the players, I heard what type of leader he is. He has it all."
As Kelly alluded to, Roman was the offensive coordinator for the 49ers for the past four seasons. Under his tutelage, Alex Smith went from a bust to a competent quarterback, and Colin Kaepernick emerged from the bench to lead the 49ers to the Super Bowl.
Now, Roman's job will be to turn Manuel -- a former first-round pick -- into an NFL-level quarterback. In 15 career games, Manuel has completed less than 60 percent of his passes and his passer rating sits below 80.
For Manuel, at this point he might just be hoping for a roster spot. Early Monday morning, Joe Buscaglia of WKBW reported that the organization might be willing to part ways with Manuel if he doesn't improve throughout the summer.
Though Kelly is hopeful for Manuel, even he understands that new head coach Rex Ryan isn't just going to hand the job to Manuel. The Bills brought in Matt Cassel this offseason to compete with Manuel, and if Cassel ultimately outperforms Manuel, well, it'll be his job in September.
"He knows he's got to get it done on the field," Kelly said of Manuel.
If he doesn't, there's a chance Manuel won't stick around much longer in Buffalo.
