Chris Trapasso: A Plan for the Bills to Get the Most Out of Josh Allen

[26CornerBlitz]

Here's a plan for the Bills to get the most out of Josh Allen, and it involves Cam Newton

When creating a scheme for Allen, the Bills should look to a quarterback head coach Sean McDermott knows well

 

by Chris Trapasso

 

By drafting Josh Allen, the Bills took the biggest risk of all the teams that selected a quarterback in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft.

 

Despite being the most physically-imposing quarterback to enter the NFL in some time, the Wyoming product joins the league with three major flaws to his game. That combination led to Allen being one of the most polarizing signal-caller prospects of the last decade, but he was still a top-10 pick.

 

The moment his name was announced by Roger Goodell, I was confused as to why the Bills decided to take a risk on such a dicey project at quarterback in this draft of all drafts, and I'm skeptical it will work out for him in Buffalo.

 

My concerns with Allen are as follows:

 

• Lack of consistent accuracy
• Habitually leaving the pocket at the first sign of pressure
• Tendency to "overextend" plays while improvising, frequently throwing off-balance into precarious situations

[No Cease Fires]

Was just about to post this. Great article, and I too hope the Bills embrace the boom-or-bust quality of Allen's game. 

[Zac]

I'd be surprised if Allen is never a 60%+ completion % guy, but that's just me.  I understand the principal of the article though.  

[Dr. Who]

I bet Trapasso still has a pic of Mason Rudolph pinned up somewheres.

[D. L. Hot-Flamethrower]

2 minutes ago, Dr. Who said:

I bet Trapasso still has a pic of Mason Rudolph pinned up somewheres.

I have very little respect for his ability to anaylze QBs after following him this spring prior to the draft. Hell for that matter all his ratings were weird. When I compared his position ratings to a consensus of the other experts he was always the outlier.

[No Cease Fires]

Regardless of how you feel about his opinions, it's an interesting piece on how best to use Allen. The first of its kind I've seen. 

[D. L. Hot-Flamethrower]

This plan sounds to me like surrender now he can't do it.  I bet he hits 60%!

[3rdand12]

15 minutes ago, No Cease Fires said:

Was just about to post this. Great article, and I too hope the Bills embrace the boom-or-bust quality of Allen's game. 

nice avatar btw

Edited May 2, 2018 by 3rdand12

[MrEpsYtown]

3 minutes ago, Dr. Who said:

I bet Trapasso still has a pic of Mason Rudolph pinned up somewheres.

It's so sad that he couldn't mention him in the article because he only compared Allen to the other first round quarterbacks?

[No Cease Fires]

5 minutes ago, 3rdand12 said:

nice avatar btw

 

Thanks. I like McDermott and Frazier but oh what coulda been. 

[26CornerBlitz]

10 minutes ago, Zac said:

I'd be surprised if Allen is never a 60%+ completion % guy, but that's just me.  I understand the principal of the article though.  

 

3 minutes ago, No Cease Fires said:

Regardless of how you feel about his opinions, it's an interesting piece on how best to use Allen. The first of its kind I've seen. 

 

Beane talked of a plan for each QB they might potentially draft and it will be interesting to see what Daboll has in store for Allen that plays to his strengths.  

[bills11]

While i agree with certain aspects of the article...i dont agree with " hell never be a 60% passer..his low completion percentage in college was more

of a system thing. Just watch baker mayfield vs ohio state..literally 70% of his passes were designed for easy completions..option te flat passes..

screens...option pass pitches..allen was asked to throw far more seam and deep comebacks and other throws which are much harder to complete

[No Cease Fires]

17 minutes ago, bills11 said:

While i agree with certain aspects of the article...i dont agree with " hell never be a 60% passer..his low completion percentage in college was more

of a system thing. Just watch baker mayfield vs ohio state..literally 70% of his passes were designed for easy completions..option te flat passes..

screens...option pass pitches..allen was asked to throw far more seam and deep comebacks and other throws which are much harder to complete

 

Yep. In this very article:

 

In 2017, a whopping 67 percent of Allen's passing yards came through the air, not after the catch, per Sports Info Solutions.

Here's how that stacks up with the other quarterbacks picked in the first round of the 2018 draft:

• Baker Mayfield: 49 percent
• Sam Darnold: 53.1 percent
• Josh Rosen: 50.5 percent
• Lamar Jackson: 54.0 percent

[HappyDays]

21 minutes ago, Dr. Who said:

I bet Trapasso still has a pic of Mason Rudolph pinned up somewheres.

 

If Rudolph turns out good he'll look like a genius. Might be worth waiting to see what happens before assuming he's wrong.

[White Linen]

Stopped reading after this:

 

By drafting Josh Allen, the Bills took the biggest risk of all the teams that selected a quarterback in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft.

[26CornerBlitz]

2 minutes ago, White Linen said:

Stopped reading after this:

 

By drafting Josh Allen, the Bills took the biggest risk of all the teams that selected a quarterback in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft.

 

I think that's a pretty fair statement given the boom or bust nature of Allen as a prospect in combination with a trade up that cost them two 2nd round picks. 

[Kangaxx]

Who's to say Allen wouldn't be able to change his game so that he'd be able to get to 60%? His short passes to the sidelines are outside the hashes and those are for the most part are on the money. Most QBs throw those within the hashes if i'm not mistaken. People think it's impossible, but if you change up just a few things I bet he's be able to get to 60%.

[HappyDays]

The last 2 paragraphs make a lot of sense:

 

Allen almost assuredly won't be a 60 percent (or higher) passer in the NFL. The Bills shouldn't try to make him into one. They should accept he's going to turn the ball over and miss open targets at higher-than-league-average rates due to his inherent flaws.

 

But he'll also make throws of which very few quarterbacks are capable and will significantly threaten defenses deep with his arm. Coupled with a steady dose of the ground game and a strong defense -- two other Carolina staples -- Buffalo can get the most out of Allen and his high variance.

 

Basically just take a lot of shots past the 1st down line and hope his abilities there make up for his shortcomings on quick passes.

[noacls]

25 minutes ago, HappyDays said:

 

If Rudolph turns out good he'll look like a genius. Might be worth waiting to see what happens before assuming he's wrong.

Sounds like you should take your own advice when it comes to Allen

[quinnearlysghost88]

Former Bills first-rounder EJ Manuel had a ball-placement issue, meaning the vast majority of his throws that were technically accurate enough for his receivers to make a catch were typically a little too high, too low, behind, or too out in front of their intended target. 

Allen will throw five strikes in a row with pinpoint accuracy, then launch a pass three yards over a wideout's head. That style is most manageable in a system with lower completion percentage expectations in the first place. 

[White Linen]

14 minutes ago, 26CornerBlitz said:

 

I think that's a pretty fair statement given the boom or bust nature of Allen as a prospect in combination with a trade up that cost them two 2nd round picks. 

 

I just disagree and so does history.  No one on this planet can accurately determine risk factor of college QB's in total.  Chris Trapasso now has the ability to not only do that but rank them in order by round?

 

 

[C.Biscuit97]

54 minutes ago, horned dogs said:

This plan sounds to me like surrender now he can't do it.  I bet he hits 60%!

He has to be a viable NFL starter.  But he never has on any level since pop warner.

 

 

[26CornerBlitz]

Just now, White Linen said:

 

I just disagree and so does history.  No one on this planet can accurately determine risk factor of college QB's in total.  Chris Trapasso now has the ability to not only do that but rank them in order by round?

 

He offered his opinion and of course you are more than welcome to disagree. 

[D. L. Hot-Flamethrower]

2 minutes ago, C.Biscuit97 said:

He has to be a viable NFL starter.  But he never has on any level since pop warner.

 

 

That is worrisome. I'm hopeful that he is unique by being a late bloomer.  It certainly isn't a regular occurance, but we have to hope as Bills fans that he is the outlier.

[Green Lightning]

26 minutes ago, White Linen said:

Stopped reading after this:

 

By drafting Josh Allen, the Bills took the biggest risk of all the teams that selected a quarterback in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft.

Almost a universal feeling by analysts. Your banking on him doing something he has yet to do in his career, demonstrate accuracy.

[Max Fischer]

1 hour ago, 26CornerBlitz said:

Here's a plan for the Bills to get the most out of Josh Allen, and it involves Cam Newton

When creating a scheme for Allen, the Bills should look to a quarterback head coach Sean McDermott knows well

 

by Chris Trapasso

 

By drafting Josh Allen, the Bills took the biggest risk of all the teams that selected a quarterback in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft.

 

Despite being the most physically-imposing quarterback to enter the NFL in some time, the Wyoming product joins the league with three major flaws to his game. That combination led to Allen being one of the most polarizing signal-caller prospects of the last decade, but he was still a top-10 pick.

 

The moment his name was announced by Roger Goodell, I was confused as to why the Bills decided to take a risk on such a dicey project at quarterback in this draft of all drafts, and I'm skeptical it will work out for him in Buffpalo.

 

My concerns with Allen are as follows:

 

• Lack of consistent accuracy
• Habitually leaving the pocket at the first sign of pressure
• Tendency to "overextend" plays while improvising, frequently throwing off-balance into precarious situations

 

I like and respect Trapasso but he seems to get too locked into a narrative without much consideration of circumstance. 

 

There is reason to believe Allen will improve with coaching and a decent supporting cast that would certainly help with all three of these “flaws.” 

 

On most snaps Josh is running for his life, and without the toughness to shake off tackles and athleticism to avoid the rush he would’ve been sacked much more often.  Put Rosen or Rudolph behind that line and they might not be considered top prospects. While Mayfield was a scrambler it seemed to be more style than necessity and he often seemed to have at least one receiver open.  Only Jackson seemed to encounter consistent pressure as Allen. 

 

Yes, you can see Allen taking the extra chance which was often the cause of an interception or bad throw but so often it seemed he was trying to make something happen. To me, his team lived and died on his ability to will them to a win. That’s a ton of pressure on one player. Again, see Jackson compared to other QBs. 

[White Linen]

5 minutes ago, 26CornerBlitz said:

 

He offered his opinion and of course you are more than welcome to disagree. 

 

Of course, but that wasn't an opinion.  He stated that as a fact - then lets talk about how to deal with the biggest risk....

 

Too many people just think it is, period, and they're wrong.  No one knows who's the riskiest pick let alone specifically in each round.  

 

What's wrong with saying the Bills didn't have a shot at Mayfield or Darnold and they chose Allen over Rosen and Jackson?  No, it's got to be that he knows something he literally can't.

5 minutes ago, Green Lightning said:

Almost a universal feeling by analysts. Your banking on him doing something he has yet to do in his career, demonstrate accuracy.

 

This has been challenged several different ways.  Some just want to believe what every one else says, so...

[26CornerBlitz]

1 minute ago, White Linen said:

 

Of course, but that wasn't an opinion.  He stated that as a fact - then lets talk about how to deal with the biggest risk....

 

Too many people just think it is, period, and they're wrong.  No one knows who's the riskiest pick let alone specifically in each round.  

 

What's wrong with saying the Bills didn't have a shot at Mayfield or Darnold and they chose Allen over Rosen and Jackson?  No, it's got to be that he knows something he literally can't.

 

You're reacting to phraseology. Of course it's his opinion. 

[Green Lightning]

5 minutes ago, White Linen said:

 

Of course, but that wasn't an opinion.  He stated that as a fact - then lets talk about how to deal with the biggest risk....

 

Too many people just think it is, period, and they're wrong.  No one knows who's the riskiest pick let alone specifically in each round.  

 

What's wrong with saying the Bills didn't have a shot at Mayfield or Darnold and they chose Allen over Rosen and Jackson?  No, it's got to be that he knows something he literally can't.

 

This has been challenged several different ways.  Some just want to believe what every one else says, so...

Do or not do, there is no challenge. Some say challenge some say excuses.

[White Linen]

5 minutes ago, 26CornerBlitz said:

 

You're reacting to phraseology. Of course it's his opinion. 

 

Of course I'm reacting to the phrasing because it was phrased incorrectly.  

8 minutes ago, Green Lightning said:

Do or not do, there is no challenge. Some say challenge some say excuses.

 

I guess you can look at it that way but I think some of the finer details are important.  

[Green Lightning]

5 minutes ago, White Linen said:

 

Of course I'm reacting to the phrasing because it was phrased incorrectly.  

 

I guess you can look at it that way but I think some of the finer details are important.  

Hey I hope you're right! It's just been my experience that if you haven't seen something from somebody in the past why would you expect in the future? That said, I hope to hell you're right.

[NewEraBills]

Look, I get it, he's our QB now and we live or die with him.  But some people are trying to ignore that he has a major uphill climb.  That mountain doesn't magically move because he's the Bills 1st round selection and because as fans we want it to evaporate.

Edited May 3, 2018 by NewEraBills

[LikeIGiveADarn]

1 hour ago, No Cease Fires said:

 

Yep. In this very article:

 

In 2017, a whopping 67 percent of Allen's passing yards came through the air, not after the catch, per Sports Info Solutions.

Here's how that stacks up with the other quarterbacks picked in the first round of the 2018 draft:

• Baker Mayfield: 49 percent
• Sam Darnold: 53.1 percent
• Josh Rosen: 50.5 percent
• Lamar Jackson: 54.0 percent

 

That's what stood out to me. It screams that Allen's receivers WERE NOT GOOD AT ALL. That number screams of "his receivers weren't athletic enough to separate, weren't strong enough to overpower DBs after the catch, but Allen still got the ball in their hands."

[White Linen]

3 minutes ago, NewEraBills said:

Look, I get it, he's our QB now and we live or die with him.  But some people are trying to ignore that he has a major uphill climb.  That mountain doesn't magically move because he's the Bills 1st round selection and because as fans we want it to evaporate.

 

No, you don't get it.  You're believing things that aren't as simple as look at this number, etc.  They all have an uphill climb and are all likely to fail.  Their mountains aren't smaller because another team drafted them.  It's also a near certainty the best to worst will not be in order they were drafted.  

 

For your own good stop believing we got the worst one and now we have to just hope he overcomes how bad he is.  This just isn't true.  We drafted a prospect just like all the other teams and he has as much good about him as the others.  

[NewEraBills]

2 minutes ago, LikeIGiveADarn said:

 

That's what stood out to me. It screams that Allen's receivers WERE NOT GOOD AT ALL. That number screams of "his receivers weren't athletic enough to separate, weren't strong enough to overpower DBs after the catch, but Allen still got the ball in their hands."

1

 

Well, his nightmare continues here unfortunately, at least for now.

[HappyDays]

49 minutes ago, noacls said:

Sounds like you should take your own advice when it comes to Allen

 

I am definitely in wait and see mode with Allen. He was not my first choice but I'm accepting it and more optimistic than I was before the draft.

[LikeIGiveADarn]

2 minutes ago, NewEraBills said:

 

Well, his nightmare continues here unfortunately, at least for now.

 

Being athletic enough to separate in college and in the NFL are two completely different things

[NewEraBills]

1 minute ago, White Linen said:

 

No, you don't get it.  You're believing things that aren't as simple as look at this number, etc.  They all have an uphill climb and are all likely to fail.  Their mountains aren't smaller because another team drafted them.  It's also a near certainty the best to worst will not be in order they were drafted.  

 

For your own good stop believing we got the worst one and now we have to just hope he overcomes how bad he is.  This just isn't true.  We drafted a prospect just like all the other teams and he has as much good about him as the others.  

1

I actually do.  I am not forecasting anything.  All I said was his climb doesn't disappear just because he's the Bills QB and because fans want it to disappear.  I'm not saying anything negative about him.   These are facts. 

Just now, LikeIGiveADarn said:

 

Being athletic enough to separate in college and in the NFL are two completely different things

True.  Route running and setting people up may or may not have much to do with how athletic people are too.

[qwksilver]

Trepasso And J Palmer are definitively on opposite ends of Allen's statistical short comings. I tend to believe Palmer might be onto something. I'm praying it was an awful surrounding cast (his o-line was brutal). Plus they say he did look better at senior bowl.

[LikeIGiveADarn]

Just now, qwksilver said:

Trepasso And J Palmer are definitively on opposite ends of Allen's statistical short comings. I tend to believe Palmer might be onto something. I'm praying it was an awful surrounding cast (his o-line was brutal). Plus they say he did look better at senior bowl.

 

is there any other player at Wyoming that is forecasted to make the NFL? I legitimately do not know...