There was plenty of shuffling going on among the Buffalo Bills' quarterback crew in the final week of the preseason. The bottom line, however, remains the same: E.J. Manuel is the starter.
The depth chart has seen six roster moves in the past eight days, the first being the release of Dennis Dixon Aug. 25. That came with the signing of veteran Jordan Palmer, followed by the release of Thad Lewis. As quick as he came, Palmer was history, and Jeff Tuel was also waived.
Now, the squad features 10-year journeyman Kyle Orton as Manuel's backup, with Tuel brought back for the tertiary practice squad role.
Like every quarterback who's cycled through the Bills roster this season, Orton was asked upon arrival whether he expects to see any time in the starting role. His answer? Vaguely familiar.
"My role on the team is a backup and to be ready to play whenever I need to be," he said this week, via The Buffalo News. "Job No. 1 is to help EJ and that’s what I plan to do.
"I’m just here as a sounding board for him. I don’t think I know everything, but I’ve seen a lot of looks, been around a lot of different offenses and played a lot of defenses.
"My role on the team is a backup and to be ready to play whenever I need to be," he said this week, via The Buffalo News. "Job No. 1 is to help EJ and that’s what I plan to do.
"I’m just here as a sounding board for him. I don’t think I know everything, but I’ve seen a lot of looks, been around a lot of different offenses and played a lot of defenses.
"Any questions that he has, I hope I can help him."
Orton's most recent stint was with the Cowboys, where he spent two seasons and played in four games before being released in mid-July. His most successful years were with Denver back in 2009-10, when he threw for 41 combined touchdowns and more than 7,000 yards.
