EJ Manuel Signs With Raiders, Bills Need New Cadence Specialist

Yesterday, former first round draft pick for the Buffalo Bills EJ Manuel signed with the Oakland Raiders. This leaves the Bills in a desperate situation as they are now in dire need of a cadence specialist.

For the past two years, the Buffalo Bills offense had the top rushing attack in the league. It wasn't their running game but rather their passing game that held them back on that side of the ball. On fourth and short, most teams rely on their quarterback or running back to dive up the middle for the first down. The Bills, however, had a different philosophy. Rather than rely on the NFL's best rushing attack, they relied on the greatest cadence specialist of all time, EJ Manuel.

His signing with the Raiders will be a huge detriment to the Bills this season in fourth and short situations. Buffalo needs to seek a replacement for their former cadence specialist. Maybe they should replace him with a politician -- you know someone who is able to talk the talk at the line of scrimmage, but who can't walk the walk once the ball is snapped.

The Bills also no longer need a kickoff specialist on their roster after signing Steven Hauschka to replace the combo of Dan Carpenter and Jordan Gay. They have plenty of roster spots now that they lack a cadence and kickoff specialist despite the fact that these are positions that other teams seem to have no need for.

This opens up space for the Bills to add a good #2 wide receiver specialist, a starting safety specialist, a starting cornerback specialist, or even a nickelback specialist. No not a Nickelback specialist like a groupie for the terrible band Nickelback, but instead an actual nickel cornerback who plays football.

Yes I know what you are thinking...Kickoff specialists and cadence specialists are wayyyyy more important than having a better #2 wide receiver, starting safety, starting corner or a nickel corner.

General manager Doug Whaley seems to have moved away from his prior "specialist" strategy and now is focused on a new position. Whaley saw all the open space on the roster and thought "let's sign as many fullbacks as we can". After all, you can never have too many players at a position which has increasingly become less important in the modern day passing NFL.

The Bills may no longer have a kickoff specialist or a cadence specialist with EJ Manuel and Jordan Gay gone, but there is no team with "fuller backs" than Buffalo after adding Mike Tolbert and Patrick DiMarco to the roster. Who knows, if things go right for Tolbert and DiMarco with the Bills, they might be lucky enough to get a Netflix special called "Fuller House, Fuller Backs - A Buffalo Bills Story".