Josh Allen---has your opinion changed on him since draft night?

[Big Turk]

For me, I didnt want him. I believed all the hype with his terrible completion percentage, that he wasn't ready, etc etc...

 

I am a pretty big fan after watching his first year play out I have to admit. Accuracy is an issue but not as much as I think most people believe. Yes he makes some bad throws, but throwing the ball away, deeper throws than normal and dropped passes are a much bigger factor in his incompletions than his inaccuracy. in fact I was surprised to see his accuracy be so much better than i imagined...I was envisioning balls all over the place and terrible ball placement but I didnt see a lot of that. Were there some throws he would like back? Yeah sure there were...did he appear to be a 51.4% completion QB based on the accuracy of his throws? No way...

 

His athleticism is off the charts, dude is crazy fast for his size and is explosive when running. He hits top speed quickly and can really move...you can see this by how many times a defender thinks they have him and takes a bad angle only to have Allen blow by the guy without him even touching him.

 

I think shoring up the protection, and giving Allen some more weapons to work with will do a lot towards helping him improve his completion percentage.

 

Do i think he will ever be a 65% completion QB? No. He will probably be similar to Cam Newton hovering around upper 50s to low 60s. I think we can still win with that based on how often he throws deeper passes and improving the talent around him.

 

Needless to say I'm excited to see how things work out as he gets a full off season and all the work in minicamps and training camps as the undisputed #1 QB with continued help from Anderson and Barkley who he credits for a lot of his development in little nuances and understanding the game better.

 

So has your opinion changed on Josh Allen from the draft to now? 

 

Edited January 2, 2019 by matter2003

[Stank_Nasty]

I talked myself into it within a hour after the draft and was all in. I’ve always been able to do that as a fan. 

 

I also thought everyone coming in here like they knew how these qb’s would pan out one way or the other looked like fools and I told them as much. 

 

If people come on here and act like they “know” how a qb is gonna workout it usually says to me they hadn’t watched a ton of the nfl or drafts over the years. 

[TaskerTough]

As soon as I heard that he trained to become a QB by throwing rocks into a barrel on his family farm - I was in. 

 

[US Egg]

Another season, preferably a full one, is definitely needed to see if Allen is legit.

 

So I guess that is a no.  

 

   

 

 

[Original Byrd Man]

With out a doubt.  He was the last QB I wanted to see land here.  My how things change!  NowI'm not saying I'm ready to anoint him as THE guy, but he's shown me some promise.

[BillsFanSD]

Allen was the guy I was hoping the Bills would draft.  I'm still very optimistic about his future, so no I guess nothing has really changed my mind since draft day.  

 

21 minutes ago, Stank_Nasty said:

I also thought everyone coming in here like they knew how these qb’s would pan out one way or the other looked like fools and I told them as much. 

 

If people come on here and act like they “know” how a qb is gonna workout it usually says to me they hadn’t watched a ton of the nfl or drafts over the years. 

 

Agreed 100%.  

 

Edited January 2, 2019 by BillsFanSD

[BananaB]

I wasn’t a big fan on the pick, would of rather had Rosen at the time. Watching him play all year with probably the worst supporting cast in football, i’m glad Beane moved up to grab him. Now it’s time to build around him.

[Freddie's Dead]

I liked the pick then, I love the pick now.

[PaattMaann]

I was firmly aboard the "ANYONE BUT ALLEN" train at the draft. 

 

Yes I have done a 180 on that since draft night, and would take Allen over any QB from that draft aside from Baker Mayfield. 

 

He is not finished, but the best part is, he knows that and WILL get better in all aspects. Of that I am highly certain. Kid is a worker. He wants to be excellent. 

[PetermansRedemption]

He was the guy I wanted throughout the entire process. I watched college film, watched the senior bowl, watched the combine, watched his pro-day, wanted him the whole way. Obviously I am very pro Allen. That being said, my opinion has changed. I did not think he would have the type of running ability in the pro game that he has shown. My opinion has grown higher of Josh Allen. 

[Juice_32]

I didn’t want him, I was yelling at the TV for Rosen. My initial fears were that Allen would be EJ 2.0. 

 

I can say today that I’m glad he was the pick and he is fun to watch. He still needs to work on his touch, accuracy and decision making (be willing to check down) but I think we’re going to be set with Josh for a long time.

[Buffalo_Stampede]

Somewhat. His game doesn't typically translate into consistent NFL success. He has a very long way to go to become a franchise QB. What he did show me was playmaking ability running the football. 

 

Would I make the pick over Rosen? Yes. So that's major change of opinion. I would still rather have Darnold, which was possible. 

 

 

 

 

Edited January 2, 2019 by TheTruthHurts

[Mango]

29 minutes ago, matter2003 said:

For me, I didnt want him. I believed all the hype with his terrible completion percentage, that he wasn't ready, etc etc...

 

I am a pretty big fan after watching his first year play out I have to admit. Accuracy is an issue but not as much as I think most people believe. Yes he makes some bad throws, but throwing the ball away, deeper throws than normal and dropped passes are a much bigger factor in his incompletions than his inaccuracy. in fact I was surprised to see his accuracy be so much better than i imagined...I was envisioning balls all over the place and terrible ball placement but I didnt see a lot of that. Were there some throws he would like back? Yeah sure there were...did he appear to be a 51.4% completion QB based on the accuracy of his throws? No way...

 

His athleticism is off the charts, dude is crazy fast for his size and is explosive when running. He hits top speed quickly and can really move...you can see this by how many times a defender thinks they have him and takes a bad angle only to have Allen blow by the guy without him even touching him.

 

I think shoring up the protection, and giving Allen some more weapons to work with will do a lot towards helping him improve his completion percentage.

 

Do i think he will ever be a 65% completion QB? No. He will probably be similar to Cam Newton hovering around upper 50s to low 60s. I think we can still win with that based on how often he throws deeper passes and improving the talent around him.

 

Needless to say I'm excited to see how things work out as he gets a full off season and all the work in minicamps and training camps as the undisputed #1 QB with continued help from Anderson and Barkley who he credits for a lot of his development in little nuances and understanding the game better.

 

So has your opinion changed on Josh Allen from the draft to now? 

 

 

 

These two two points will keep the fan base pretty polarized about JA. 

[colin]

i wanted him then, and im a big fan now.

[Kirby Jackson]

He wasn’t my guy. I had him behind the other 4 but ahead of Rudolph (who some people loved for some strange reason). As it stands now, I’m thrilled with the Allen pick. He looks like a future star to me. He makes A LOT of plays with a very limited supporting cast. To me, his future is the brightest of the group. I was scared by his boom or bust qualities but I think the odds of “boom” are WAY better than I initially believed. 

[Not at the table Karlos]

I did not like the pick at the time. Thought he needed way too much work. Wanted baker, darnold, or Rosen in that order.  I thought allen was going to be a complete joke of a nfl qb. 

 

I was wrong. The kid hasn't been perfect and needs a lot more work but I'm much more excited about the future now compared to after the draft. His potential is thru the roof. 

[teef]

i didn't like it at all at time, but the pick has made me very optimistic about the future.  not that we really know if allen is the guy yet, but i'm excited to see next season.

[billsbackto81]

I wasn't thrilled draft night considering Rosen was still on the board. Didn't watch any Wyoming football so I didn't know much about the kid. I could only go by his limited highlight reel and what all the pundits thought. At that point I had  no choice but to trust McBeane since they get paid to know more than me. My thoughts on him have definitely changed and feel like many that his potential is sky high. Tremendous heart and athleticism. He may or may not be the answer but one thing is certain, we have exciting football back in Buffalo.

[DCOrange]

He wasn't my #1 QB, but I had been high on him dating back to the year before so I was happy to end up with him; made his jersey my first ever Bills jersey too. I thought he would play early on and obviously that came to fruition. His running ability has been utilized more than I expected, but beyond that, I think he's pretty much been exactly as advertised, and I view that as a good thing.

[Flip Johnson]

22 minutes ago, I am the egg man said:

Another season, preferably a full one, is definitely needed to see if Allen is legit.

 

So I guess that is a no.  

 

   

 

 

 

I am convinced that there are some people on this board who would have watched Dan Marino in 1983 and said, "we need to see more."

[bmur66]

Nope. He is still The Man!

[Brianmoorman4jesus]

Yes. Hated the pick on draft night. Now I am at least optimistic and even probably impressed. I still have reservations but I do genuinely like him.

[teef]

9 minutes ago, billsbackto81 said:

I wasn't thrilled draft night considering Rosen was still on the board. Didn't watch any Wyoming football so I didn't know much about the kid. I could only go by his limited highlight reel and what all the pundits thought. At that point I had  no choice but to trust McBeane since they get paid to know more than me. My thoughts on him have definitely changed and feel like many that his potential is sky high. Tremendous heart and athleticism. He may or may not be the answer but one thing is certain, we have exciting football back in Buffalo.

this is where i was too.  i never actually saw any live play when allen was at wyoming.  all i had were clips and terrified opinions of him.

[US Egg]

Just now, Flip Johnson said:

I am convinced that there are some people on this board who would have watched Dan Marino in 1983 and said, "we need to see more."

Not me, it was clear Marino was the real deal in the 9 games he started in his rookie year. His rookie passing stats blow away Josh Allen's.  

[Royale with Cheese]

Complete 180 after his injury.

[hemma]

I think he'll end up being more consistently accurate than Newton.

 

[drf1835]

36 minutes ago, TaskerTough said:

As soon as I heard that he trained to become a QB by throwing rocks into a barrel on his family farm - I was in. 

 

 

As soon as I knew his family had a barn so his errant passes could hit that, that sold me. 

 

Really though, prior to the draft I first wanted mayfield, then convinced myself on rosen, then allen when I guessed the Bills wanted him, or when I knew he would likely be available to the Bills.. I trust the process. I rather have Allen than Mayfield now. I do not like Mayfield's ego. Prefer the more coachable, likeable and down to earth player. I think Allen has far more potential to be really great than the others.

Edited January 2, 2019 by drf1835

[Steptide]

Yes. I was in the same boat as many. I thought he was losman 2.0. I saw some pre draft interviews with him and thought he even had some of that cockiness that losman had. Now that we've gone through a full season though, I realize his cockiness or lack thereof is just leadership. I'm super excited for his future here. I have no doubt he'll work hard to improve this off season. I'm not 100% convinced he's our next franchise qb yet, but I'm really close. 

[ganesh]

41 minutes ago, Original Byrd Man said:

With out a doubt.  He was the last QB I wanted to see land here.  My how things change!  NowI'm not saying I'm ready to anoint him as THE guy, but he's shown me some promise.

+1.   From day one, I was happy to have him as our QB.  With Darnold and Mayfield gone, our decision came down to between the two Josh's and each one had their own pro's and cons.   Allen fits the mould of this town and was the choice.   What he showed through the entire season was the eagerness to  *continue* to learn every day and become better.  We got the right one!

[gobills1212]

 

Maybe one of the other 19 'now how do you feel about josh allen' would have been a good place to offer your opinion? But, as YOUR opinion is special it no doubt deserved its own thread. 

 

Happy New Year!

Edited January 2, 2019 by gobills1212

[Mark80]

Draft Day - Allen was the guy I wanted least out of the 5 projected first rounders.  Being the homer that I am I was on board as soon as we picked him (this was the exact same scenario with EJ for me).  Now my perspective has completely changed.  This kid has something special.  Not only is his talent off the charts, but he has the intangibles too.  This guy can lead a team (haven't seen this at all from Darnold or Rosen yet, have seen it from Mayfield and Lamar though).  Guys seem to respond to him and like him a lot.  So much more so than just watching Tyrod on the bench every week not talking to anyone or celebrating with anyone.  Just sitting there.  Josh is pumping up the D, celebrating with the team, truly leading.

 

So excited to see what he can do with another year of development and adding additional talent around him this off-season.

Edited January 2, 2019 by Mark80

[SMAKCruiser]

My stomach sank when they announced the pick.   The only thing I knew about him was what I heard from the draft analysts and what WGR said on the morning show.  The next day I spent a good 10 hours watching his workouts, interviews and his play at Wyoming.  After that I made my own judgement and felt good about the pick.   

[Antonio]

Like night and day.

 

He was the QB I didn´t want at all and with Rosen sitting there for us to take I almost had a heart attack when he was announced. 

 

I admit I was wrong, he could still "bust" by not beeing an Elit QB like we want him to be, but I don´t think he would be a Bortles/Locker/EJ/Losman/Russell kind of QB.

 

 

But still, my guy was Mayfield and I still think he would be the better QB in the long run. He just has it. 

 

I just hope that Allen vs Mayfield vs Darnol are our new rivarly ala Kelly vs Marino and Elwey

 

Edited January 2, 2019 by Antonio

[TroutDog]

I trusted the pick then and love it now. 

 

When looking at Josh, I believe it’s important to remember that he was a four sport guy in HS, never fully concentrating on football. Then, at JUCO and Wyoming, he never received true QB coaching. 

 

He has off the charts potential and I am so thankful we landed him. He is a winner and has a winners mentality along with unparalleled physical traits. 

[Big Gun]

Originally wanted Mayfield but was extremely happy with Allen. After watching the combine and highlights I liked what he offered. Didnt really want Rosen, Jackson and was meh on Darnold. Very happy that we seem to have found our guy. IMO Allen has "it". Its been along time since any Bills QB has had "it".

[WideNine]

21 minutes ago, I am the egg man said:

Not me, it was clear Marino was the real deal in the 9 games he started in his rookie year. His rookie passing stats blow away Josh Allen's.  

 

Yep - we tend to have rose-colored glasses a bit about the feats of NFL heroes past. Different age and time and different skill sets, and different rules. You could still tell he was going to be a keeper in the NFL of the 80's.

 

Marino had one heck of an offensive line as NFL free agency had not kicked in and teams could build and retain veteran players. He was not extremely mobile and played in 11 games (started 9) and was only sacked 10 times. Was a pocket passer and only scrambled for 45 yards on 28 attempts (do the math) with 5 fumbles and 2 TDs, so.... not Josh.

 

He had one of the quickest releases I have ever seen since Allen - not really needing a full or exaggerated throwing motion to get the ball downfield. Like Allen he pushed the ball past the sticks, unlike Allen he had two all-pro receivers in Duper and Clayton.

 

His completion % was 58.4

[dpberr]

I did not like the pick because of those accuracy issues.  I figured he'd be Jeff George where he'd throw for a billion yards but have a completion percentage of 55% every year.  

 

I am impressed with his play, football intelligence and his attitude. 

 

Bright future ahead.    

 

 

[Sammy Watkins' Rib]

Yes.

 

1. His athleticism was greatly underrated. Everyone said he was an athlete but none of us knew he was this much of an athlete. I think only Mike Vick has a more prolific six consecutive game rushing streak. Not Newton, not RGIII, not Kaepernick.

 

2. He showed progress as a passer in his first season. Six games before the bye week: 2 TDs / 5 INTs 21 sacks. Six games after the bye week: 8 TDs / 7 INTs only 7 sacks. The better awareness is obvious in the huge drop off in sacks taken. And he also learned how and when to use his legs after the bye. 

 

 

[bdutton]

I was cautiously optimistic.  I thought Josh Rosen was the best choice at that position and was very surprised when Allen was taken.  The plan at the beginning to have an open competition in camp with a rotation with number 1 team reps between the QB's with Peterman becoming what I thought the obvious choice having performed well in preseason would allow Josh to sit and learn.

 

With the Peterman crash and burn and the injuries that lifted Peterman into the premature starting role and his performance since he came back from his injury has me now very optimistic that we have our QB of the future.  He still has some rough edges that needs to be worked out but his ceiling is much higher that any of the other QB's taken in the draft IMO.

[CodeMonkey]

1 hour ago, matter2003 said:

So has your opinion changed on Josh Allen from the draft to now? 

 

No it hasn't.  What we knew going in was very strong arm, can run, accuracy issues.  And that's exactly what we saw this season.