Bills quarterback EJ Manuel has been working long and hard in an effort to get back on the practice field next week. On Thursday he was on the game field during warm-ups prior to the Bills preseason finale against Detroit.
Manuel kept his feet stationary initially just lightly throwing 10-15 yards passes with an assistant coach and a couple of teammates.
Later when the receivers came out for warmups, Manuel joined the other quarterbacks and threw short passes from a stationary position.
Manuel did take a few three-step drops, but appeared to move carefully on and off his left leg. Shifting his weight from his back foot to his front foot was also very deliberate.
"He has thrown the ball moving-wise and we're just working as hard as we can," said head coach Doug Marrone.
Marrone is not at a point yet where he knows if practice for Manuel is a possibility on Monday or Wednesday this coming week. Wednesday sounds like the cut-off day for Marrone to consider Manuel for the season opener against the Patriots.
"I think that if he's back by Wednesday of this week he'll have an opportunity depending on how he looks on Wednesday," said Marrone. "If he's not back by Wednesday I'm not going to look to play him in the first game.
"We'll know day by day how it's coming. Right now I don't want to give the wrong impression. Everything right now is progressing well and Friday will be a big day for him out there. Then there's a day off. Then Sunday and Monday will be big days.
"Then there's a day off for the players and by Wednesday we'll have a good feel of exactly where we are. It's going to come down to the doctor and EJ and him working out and how they see it."
