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

[The Real Buffalo Joe]

I woke up on draft day, and read the stories about his tweets. I somehow knew right then and there he was gonna be our QB. That said, even before I knew for sure, I was able to quickly dismiss them as tasteless jokes made by a teenage kid. Didn't think he was actually racist, just attempting to be funny and edgy. 

 

That said, I was on board with drafting him for his raw talent, but was adamantly opposed to him starting until at least midway into the 2019 season. He had too much fine tuning and, in my opinion, needed to sit behind a veteran. 

 

The Peterman/McCarron fiasco happened, and I think were were all a bit flustered at that. I didn't like the idea of Allen being thrown to the wolves, but have been pleasantly surprised. 

 

His issues have largely been due to fixable problems, and protection/personnel problems that will hopefully be fixed this offseason. 

[LABILLBACKER]

I hated the pick. Hoped we would trade up for Darnold and when the Jets out positioned us I thought we had a shot at Rosen. The knock on JA was never his arm strength but poor accuracy and weak opponents. I had no idea this kid would show immediate leadership and athletic qualities we haven't seen in a very long time. Yes he threw some bad passes his rookie season but there were tons of drops and pass protection issues.  I don't think there's a better quarterback more suited for this city, this community, and the Bills style of play then Josh Allen. He's the kind of quarterback you can build around. Surround him with better WR's,  TE's and an improved OL and he will flourish here. I'm now glad we didn't take Rosen and I see Allen, Darnold and Mahomes being the top qbs for years to come in the AFC....

[TBBills Fan]

Yes...I was sold on Rosen based on everything I read....however I dont watch college ball so it wasnt my eyes that made that choice.....

 

Then draft night I saw Rosen on TV and  thought damn that kid looks little and started to wonder if we were screwed.....because I thought it would be Rosen. Was worried about Allen because of I kept hearing raw, needs time etc...and I know how that worked for us before....EJ, JP..

 

Since then Allen has shown and done all the right things and Ive seen him make plays and Im super excited to see how he develops this offseason and what we see next year

 

Long term....he can be GREAT.....

 

 

Edited January 2, 2019 by TBBills Fan

[JoeF]

Starts:

Chargers L 31-20

Vikings W 27-6

Packers L 22-0

Titans W 13-12

Texans - L - 20-13* Winning when injured

Jaguars W-24-21

Dolphins L 24-21

Jets L - 27-23

Lions W-14-13

Pats L - 24-12

Dolphins W- 42-17

 

Dropping the Texans game that's 5-5 in starts that Josh finished.  This is pretty impressive given the offense's supporting cast and the deficit special teams often gave us this year with little return game and weak coverage.  After the bye week, I saw a great athlete develop into a pro QB. It was a gradual development, but it was there. A five yard back shoulder throw to Robert  Foster is the play that I point to that is evidence of that development.  That was a placement throw for an athlete who relies on a canon.  It was thrown hard and accurate.

 

I wanted us to draft the best QB available.  My personal ranking was Darnold, Mayfield, Rosen and Allen.  When it came to Rosen and Allen, I wanted Rosen, but I am convinced now that Allen was the correct pick given the two choices the Bills had.  I think the Bills had Allen #1 for their situation despite the rumors to the contrary.

 

I think the Bills will have plenty of skill position UFAs who will want to come play with this kid.  That will be another indication that the Bills made the right choice.

 

 

 

[ProcessAccepted]

I have to admit it that my opinion has changed. I honestly had a lot of doubts about his maturity and frankly was concerned that he'd struggle with adversity. Boy was I wrong!!!

[WhoTom]

Hold your beer and watch this:

 

[Tenhigh]

36 minutes ago, Joe in Winslow said:

 

I suggest yelling COME AT ME BRO! That always works.

 

I'm in this boat, too, though I recovered from the initial shock quickly

 

It took me a little longer, and when he couldn't get above 3rd on the depth chart through training camp, I was even more skeptical.  Now I am an official poultrytarian:

 

[Rocky Landing]

My thought going into the draft was that Darnold, or Mayfield would be the only two QBs worth trading up for, and if they were unattainable (which, of course, they were), then we should not have traded up and gone for Lamar Jackson. I would have been happy with Allen at that spot, also, but didn't think he would be there, and was wary of his perceived downsides.

 

And I very much didn't want Rosen. Attitude plays big with me, and I don't like his.

 

Looking at it now, I'm a huge Allen fan, period. I'd be a fan of whomever we got. But, as a football fan, I really like being able to root for guys I respect as human beings, and Allen is a guy I can get behind. Great attitude, great leadership. I also like QBs who can be exciting to watch, and man, Allen fits that bill. These are the reasons I liked Tyrod when he was here, but of course, he had nowhere near the ceiling that Allen has. Allen could be the best QB to come out of that draft. 

 

I will say that the one thing that did bother me after the draft was the interminable QB competition to see who could be the most consistently mediocre to start vs. the Ravens. What a waste of time that was!

 

[Lieutenant Aldo Raine]

No not at all.  I watched him at Wyoming and you could immediately see the enormous talent and untapped potential.  All he needed was the right coaching to teach him to harness that potential (TBD).  If you remember after the 2017 Draft - Schefter had told him several GMs had stated he would be the #1 pick of the 2018 draft.  I believe he went to the right situation - he personifies Buffalo.  

[bigK14094]

I thought Allen was a high risk high reward choice for whoever took him.  Initial results after one season show that he was a good bet....he has been better than I expected in terms of results....winning anyhow, near a 50 win rate.....of course, I did not expect him to be winning games with his legs.  But, the dude can throw...and he is light years ahead of EJ Manuel who was the last #1 QB pick.  So, McBean got this right it appears....mind you, I am saying it looks like it was a good bet and will contiune to be that going forward until a more final judgement can be made.   Lets have this conversation again in 1 and then again in 2 years.

[Gugny]

Right before the draft, I mentally prepared myself for "either Josh," and was going to be happy with either one.

 

When we picked Allen, part of me was relieved because I thought (still think) Rosen is a major douchebag.

 

All in all, I loved the pick when it happened and he performed better than I anticipated.  I couldn't be happier with Allen as our QB heading into next season.

[RochesterRob]

2 hours ago, dpberr said:

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.    

 

 

  I think that there is something to be said for a QB that may have a game average of 55 percent completions but gains 380 yards versus a guy that has a completion percentage of 72 percent but only gains 260 yards per game.  Yes, I think that completions are important but big yardage most likely means longer drives with more opportunity for scoring.

[buffalobloodfloridahome]

he's still inaccurate and runs too much in my opinion. Hopefully better protection and better weapons will reduce some of the issues and he can continue to work on his footwork and platform. I do love his intensity and leadership and willingness to sacrifice to make plays. His athletic ability is off the charts and if he can mold into more like Deshaun Watson than Cam Newton i would be thrilled.

[Virgil]

42 minutes ago, Captain Murica said:

It did for me. I wanted Baker, Darnold, Rosen, Allen, and then Jackson(if we didn’t trade up).

 

When we took Allen over Rosen I literally yelled, “Noooooooooooooo” and walked out of my friends house. But, after that night it was the mind set he is our guy and I have no ruling in the matter. 

 

Even though his completion rate is not good. Anyone that watches the game knows he is better than that, and his WRs/TEs did not help in the cause. 

 

I think in the long run if he’s anywhere from 59-63% throughout his career and with the ability to push the ball down field I’ll be okay with that. Plus, if we add some athleticism on the OL and can improve the screen game those numbers will inflate. 

 

I’m happy with our entire QB situation at this point in time and just want to build an offense around his skills to the best they can.  

 

Nailed it.  Did the same thing minus walking out of the house.  I mainly just sat there, paralyzed by anger 

[Ed_Formerly_of_Roch]

3 hours ago, 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."

 

Only if prior to the draft they had stated Marino will be  bust.  Whether Allen is good or bad doesn't really matter, all that matters is proving to themselves and most important to the rest of the world is to show that they were correct.  If it means somehow doubling down to prove your point, then by all means go for it!

[BillyWhiteShows]

Yes he has.  I was in the camp that wanted Rosen but was basing that purely on the majority of the coverage I was reading online.  Most of the coverage was terrible on Allen and analysts were predicting that he would bust before he threw a pass.

 

I also knew that there must have been a reason why several teams were high on him, despite the negative press from people like Jon Ledyard and “Mr. Grand Island” Joe Marino.  

 

I still dont know whether he will work out but I think we can agree that for the most part he exceeded the very dismal future that many predicted.

[Patrick Duffy]

He wasn't the 1st QB I wanted but the 1st QB I wanted was Baker Mayfield and of course he wasn't available. I was Kinda on the Rosen train a little bit after Mayfield and when they chose Allen I just basically hoped for the best case scenario.

 

He has absolutely surpassed my expectations and of course he still has a lot to learn, but I feel really good about him going forward and IMO he will continue to get better and better. So now I'm completely happy they decided to go with Allen and I think he gives me about the best hope for him becoming the franchise QB than I have had with any other QB in a long time.

[Magox]

23 minutes ago, WhoTom said:

Hold your beer and watch this:

 

 

What is equally amazing as his cannon arm and his ability to run the ball is his pocket awareness and how he stands in strong.  He will just sit there in the pocket and he seems to sense whether or not he's about to get hit to allow him to make the throws that take longer to develop.  And on the other hand, he senses when it's about to breakdown on him and he's able to get away and escape the pressure.

 

A light just seemed to switch on after his injury.  There is a huge pocket awareness presence difference in J.A pre and post injury.  The guy lives to make the big plays!

[clayboy54]

I was honestly disappointed on draft night. I watched a lot of clips on all the prospects and hoped that Mayfield would fall to us. I think it was the attitude and "it" factor that Baker showed. Since that time, I have seen that "it" factor from JA. I have become a true believer based exclusively on that. I could care less about completion percentage defining "accuracy". Take for instance, Brett Favre. He's a HOF QB that didn't have pinpoint accuracy, was a prototypical gunslinger, and was unequivocally a winner. Josh has every ability to be a Brett Favre type as a minimum. His real ceiling above that  will depend on his decision-making, ability to read defenses and continued work on mechanics. There is no doubt in my mind that he possesses the work ethic and desire to get there. The big caveat is that NFL football is the consummate team game. Will Beane and McDermott be able to build the championship-caliber team to support such a QB? This is what remains to be seen.

[hondo in seattle]

3 hours ago, Stank_Nasty said:

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. 

 

 

There's no certainty in drafting college players - especially QBs.   Some GM - I forget which one  - once said that no college QB is NFL-ready.  So you have to guess which will continue to develop their skills and which won't.  Due diligence only gets you so far.  In the end, you cross your fingers.

 

Josh's arm talent has been pretty much as expected based on the little vid I watched and the scouting reports I had read.  What he can do with his legs is a revelation.  And I've been pleased with the role he's developing as a team leader.  I'm not convinced yet that he's a franchise QB but I am hopeful.