The Buffalo Bills, who were in critical need of a quarterback after releasing Ryan Fitzpatrick in March 2013, spent their first round draft pick on quarterback, Erik James Manuel, otherwise known as E.J. Manuel, the 23-year-old 6’5” product from Florida State.

These past few months leading up to the preseason, has triggered the Bills’ quarterback starting competition, leaving Manuel to compete against newly signed veteran Kevin Kolb, who was released by the Cardinals this past March. During summer practices and training camps, the snaps have been equally split between the two quarterbacks, blurring the lines as to who would become the clear starter for the regular season.

The tide in Buffalo shifted recently however, as Kolb injured his knee, by slipping on a mat during practice prior to the Bills preseason Week 1 game. The mat incident was unfortunate for Kolb, but in turn laid out a welcome mat for the rookie Manuel to debut as starter for last week’s first preseason game against the Indianapolis Colts.

With Kolb sidelined for preseason game one, Manuel took his opportunity to start seriously, and played a rather remarkable whole first half of the game which resulted in a 44-20 win over the Colts. Manuel impressively completed 16-21 passes for 107 yards and managed one touchdown. Showing an enticing sample of his mobility, Manuel also rushed for 28 yards on three runs. No major errors were made by Manuel either, compared to other team's veteran quarterbacks who did throw some interceptions during last week’s games.

It’s a bit early to assume, at this time, that Manuel will earn the permanent starting position going into the regular season since there are still three more preseason games to be played. Kolb is beginning to slowly work his way into practicing again and will likely make an appearance in the second or third preseason game.

At this point in time, however, Manuel appears to be the shiniest, new penny for the Bills and it would not be surprising to see Manuel ease his way into becoming the No. 1 starting quarterback, providing his level of concentration and preseason performance remains consistent as he enters into the regular season.

The Bills do rely heavily on their running game, but perhaps we will see more pass activity than in past years if Manuel can establish a fluent connection with rookie receivers, Robert Woods and Marquise Goodwin. Both played notably well in the first preseason game and if Manuel can keep connecting with them, and the regular starting crew, it would definitely yield a boost in his future fantasy value.

Manuel showed exceptional pass accuracy and play ability in last week’s game and if we factor in his mobility, youth and height, it makes for a boundless foundation for a new quarterback to build upon. Hopefully, sooner rather than later, we’ll be hearing the words “the starting quarterback job is Manuel’s to lose”.

Projected 2013 Statistics:  2140 Pass Yards, 11 Pass TD’s, 9 Interceptions, 325 Rush Yards, 2 Rush TD’s