The Bills traded Matt Cassel to the Cowboys this week, which leaves EJ Manuel as their No. 2 quarterback behind Tyrod Taylor.
Manuel was briefly in that position at the end of the preseason when the Bills released Cassel, but they signed the veteran back to a more cap-friendly deal so that he’d be their top backup. Another return this season is unlikely and coach Rex Ryan acknowledged some risk in sending away their most experienced quarterback, but said he was confident the move served the best interests of both the team and Manuel.
“How we feel about EJ Manuel is why a move like this is made,” Ryan said, via the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle. “At this spot, this was more done by how we view EJ Manuel than Matt Cassel. EJ will develop more as the two than the three.”
An increase in faith in Taylor since the start of this offseason’s quarterback competition likely played a role as well. While the Bills can’t guarantee Taylor will remain healthy, they may feel more confident that they won’t have to replace him for performance reasons after watching him through the preseason and the first two weeks of the regular season. If that turns out not to be the case, they’ll find out if Manuel is a better fit for the top job than the previous coaching staff determined he was in 2014.