Michael Lombardi "Bills have a huge hole at QB".

[eball]

If I'm overly sensitive about Josh Allen so be it, but I'm sick and tired of projections that basically presume he will hold the Bills back.  Has there been a more polarizing QB prospect going into his third season who has performed as well as Josh has thus far?  He's not doing it the prototypical way but aside from his completion percentage he looks and acts the part of a winner.  I can not wait for this season to begin.

[billsbackto81]

Where's Adam Schein and Peter Schrager when you need them?

[Hapless Bills Fan]

6 hours ago, AlCowlingsTaxiService said:

I’m certain this is going to evolve into a “Destroy Lombardifest”, but this line of thought will be out there until JA puts an end to it ....

 

Look, Allen was a project as a QB, we all know that.

But

1) Jackson wasn't drafted later in the 1st round because he was viewed as a sure bet....and I don't think we'll find the pre-2018 draft "hot takes" from Lombardi extolling Jackson as the superior QB choice.

2) It's pretty clear Jackson had phenomenal success last season because the Ravens tailored an offense to his strengths, and put all the pieces he needed around him (great OL, a whole stable of great TE, talent at WR) - and because teams were slow to tailor their defense to defend the Ravens offense.

 

I really don't think Allen has an obligation to put revisionist "shoulda drafted Jackson" draft history to rest.

 

 

[Happy]

Last year was the first full season that the Bills committed to Josh as the starter.  He deserves more time, and ex GMs should see this.

[WhoTom]

[Lieutenant Aldo Raine]

4 minutes ago, WhoTom said:

 

I remember that!

[Shaw66]

3 hours ago, zonabb said:

You have multiple schools of thought on Allen, as follows:

Blind Homerism - He's awesome. People are mean to him. He's going to get better. The data on him is wrong. He's the outlier, he'll get better he just needs time. These are the folks that find every and all excuses to shine a positive light. They ignore thinks like this shred from the story that dont' bode well or help their argument "In Allen’s final four games (he only played for a quarter against the New York Jets in Week 17), he failed to post higher than 53% passing, including a 24-for-46 performance in the Houston playoff loss." These folks rely on faith and emotion rather than ration and data (past and present).

 

He'll Always Suck - those who want him to suck because they have been beating this drum since they drafted him and nothing he'll do positively will ever be mentioned, instead, a la Lombardi (if he's so smart, why is he a former GM?), cherry pick the data to support their agenda, as in the quote above and the complete unwillingness to recognize any improvement or give it any credence. 

 

Let's Wait and See - The in-betweeners. Those who recognize the flaws, see some improvement and think maybe, just maybe, he can be a really good QB. These people are the pragmatists and realists, those who tend to lean on the data that says he "can't improve because few if any have" while also leaning on his work that shows improvement. I would say these people also are certain he can't be a top 5 QB, but maybe a 5-12 kind of guy, good enough to keep the team competitive and in the playoffs and maybe with a ridiculous defense and conservative, mistake free offense, they can be the Dilfer Ravens with Allen. 

 

 

Let's Wait and See really means "I'm not willing to offer an opinion."  It's a yes or no question.  Do you think he'll make it as legitimate starter in the NFL?  Yes or No. 

 

 

[SoTier]

5 hours ago, Buff76ers said:

Honestly it seems like every time there is a player that the bills pass on in the draft then they always want to single out the Bills it seems as if the other many teams that passed on these players get a free pass but since its the Bills it is just a big huge mistake.  Taking John McCargo one pick before Gronk I believe, passing on Mahomes, passing on Jackson.  Jackson was the last pick in the draft right? Had to be for a reason.  Just my thoughts. 

 

Jackson was the last pick in the first round, not in the draft.  

 

I've never heard anybody claim that the Bills were stupid to take Jim Kelly while Dan Marino was still on the board.  However, if Kelly had busted (like Todd Blackledge who was taken ahead of him) or even been good but not great like Ken O'Brien, I think that the Bills would have been mocked for their pick and that Kelly would have always been unfavorably compared to Marino.

 

The Bills are under even more scrutiny for drafting Allen because they passed twice on QBs who have had immediate success in the NFL for a lesser product.  Trading away the pick that KC used to take Mahomes in 2017 and then using a fortune in talent and draft capital to move up to take Allen in 2018 when Jackson would have been available at the Bills original draft spot will haunt the Bills for the foresseable future unless Allen develops into a franchise QB who has a HOF worthy career.  I think anything less, especially if he fails to become a top tier QB, will always be part of the narrative of the Bills of the next decade and of Allen's career.  Very unfairly because he had no say in what team picked him, it will also be part of the narrative of Josh Allen's NFL career, too.

 

 

[SoTier]

29 minutes ago, Hapless Bills Fan said:

 

Look, Allen was a project as a QB, we all know that.

But

1) Jackson wasn't drafted later in the 1st round because he was viewed as a sure bet....and I don't think we'll find the pre-2018 draft "hot takes" from Lombardi extolling Jackson as the superior QB choice.

2) It's pretty clear Jackson had phenomenal success last season because the Ravens tailored an offense to his strengths, and put all the pieces he needed around him (great OL, a whole stable of great TE, talent at WR) - and because teams were slow to tailor their defense to defend the Ravens offense.

 

I really don't think Allen has an obligation to put revisionist "shoulda drafted Jackson" draft history to rest.

 

 

 

Allen doesn't have an "obligation" to put it to rest, but unless he does so by becoming a great QB, it will likely follow him forever.  FTR, if Mayfield and Darnold don't develop into great QBs, it's  going to follow them as well, but what makes it worse for Allen is that the Bills also passed on another great QB in 2017.

[Sherlock Holmes]

7 hours ago, Royale with Cheese said:

https://www.syracuse.com/buffalo-bills/2020/06/buffalo-bills-have-huge-hole-at-quarterback-says-former-nfl-gm.html

 

“It happened it college. Remember coming out, Josh Allen was viewed as a quarterback, not an athlete. Today he’s viewed more as an athlete than a quarterback. And the other issue is he doesn’t run with it enough to utilize his skillset. I think that’s the big question with the Bills. I love the Bills team from front to center. I’d easily support them to win the East but I have real questions. You go back and watch that Patriot game in New England. There were guys open in that game … (Allen) just misses them. And then the second half of the Houston game, he just misses them. We can all hope he gets better at it, and I hope he does. But I’ve yet to see a quarterback improve significantly his accuracy. It’s a hard thing to do.”

 

Themse are fightin' words!!

[Chicken Boo]

Replace "hole" with "question mark" and he'd be accurate.  

[thebandit27]

55 minutes ago, Hapless Bills Fan said:

As an NFL (effective) GM, Lombardi showed he had a great eye for QB talent?  ?‍♂️

Browns

Raiders

Is that Eric “Come on baby light my” Zeier?

[Over 29 years of fanhood]

45 minutes ago, eball said:

If I'm overly sensitive about Josh Allen so be it, but I'm sick and tired of projections that basically presume he will hold the Bills back.  Has there been a more polarizing QB prospect going into his third season who has performed as well as Josh has thus far?  He's not doing it the prototypical way but aside from his completion percentage he looks and acts the part of a winner.  I can not wait for this season to begin.

For that “can’t improve completion percentage crowd” 

 

drew brees second year as a starter comp % 57.6 

Josh Allen Second year as starter comp % 58.8

 

Anyone thinking Brees as plagued with accuracy issues? 

 

People who work to get better do. Josh can be what ever kind of QB he is willing to work his tail off to be. 

[longtimebillsfan]

7 hours ago, Ridgewaycynic2013 said:

I can't put much stock in a piece so badly written and edited.  I do not know if it's Lombardi's fault, Parrino's fault, or Parrino's editor's fault.  Looks like the work of a grade 9 student, written on the school bus on the way to school the morning the assignment was due.

Well said.

 

With Allen's work ethic and motivation, I am confident he will take a huge leap forward in year three.

 

Allen will always have his critics.  It is just the way some people are.

[Shaw66]

41 minutes ago, SoTier said:

 

The Bills are under even more scrutiny for drafting Allen because they passed twice on QBs who have had immediate success in the NFL for a lesser product.  Trading away the pick that KC used to take Mahomes in 2017 and then using a fortune in talent and draft capital to move up to take Allen in 2018 when Jackson would have been available at the Bills original draft spot will haunt the Bills for the foresseable future unless Allen develops into a franchise QB who has a HOF worthy career.  I think anything less, especially if he fails to become a top tier QB, will always be part of the narrative of the Bills of the next decade and of Allen's career.  Very unfairly because he had no say in what team picked him, it will also be part of the narrative of Josh Allen's NFL career, too.

 

 

I think you are prejudging the situation you create.  You seem to be giving Mahomes and Allen HOF status right now, and they both are very far from the HOF right now. Let's see how they progress.  All three may have very nice careers, similar stats, win a Super Bowl or even two.  If that happens, people might complain that the Bills took the wrong guy, but no one will be listening. 

[marky]

First Allen's downside I will not mention here. In the NFL, you can't let what Hardin and Jackson do without a response. The NE QB cannot finish the season. Same with JJ Watt. That hit on Allen's elbow was late. Next is star power. NFL is about making money. There's a pedigree to this. Take an outsider, you're saying no to dozens of people who paid a lot to get there. Winning makes money. Stars get special treatment and more wins. Agents and other players will tell someone you don't do that to someone who makes us all money and they will drive them out of the league.

 

You're in the NFL. You know how to throw an accurate pass at that level. People there are freaks. To win you really need to be a merciless cheat, every little dirty trick you have to exploit full force. Leave the throwing mechanics for gym class.

[Rubes]

52 minutes ago, Shaw66 said:

Let's Wait and See really means "I'm not willing to offer an opinion."  It's a yes or no question.  Do you think he'll make it as legitimate starter in the NFL?  Yes or No. 

 

 

 

"Maybe a 5-12 kind of guy" sure sounds like a legitimate starter to me. Unless there are only 4-5 "legitimate starters" in the entire league.

 

[buffalobillswin]

Remember when Mike Lombardi said the eagles needed to fire their coach to have any shot at a Super Bowl. Then they won the Super Bowl with a backup two months later?

 

He’s a complete moron. 

[Florida Bills Fanatic]

7 hours ago, Greg S said:

Year 3 for Allen, Darnold, Mayfield. I would say its put up or shut up time for all three. I do think Josh showed solid improvement from year 1 to year 2. He definitely needs to take another step. I mentioned this before but he should have sat and held a clipboard his rookie year and watched Peterman/McCarron. But since the Bills ****ed up their QB situation so bad at the time Allen got thrown out there in a sink or swim situation. To make matters worse the Bills were a bad team with a horrible offense. Considering where he started from I think Josh has done a good job. Hopefully he takes the next step to being a solid QB this year and quiets his critics.

I agree with you.  Mayfield and Darnold have really showed little progress.  Yet, their fan base doesn't seem as paranoid about being a bust as some posters on this site seem to be about Allen.  The WR situation for Allen last season was improved but not great.  The addition of Diggs and hopefully some improvement from Knox (eliminate the drops) should help Allen.  Mayfield suffered from a below average o-line and some terrible coaching.  Even with that he hasn't looked like a number 1 overall draft pick (too many interceptions).  Darnold has very little talent around him and a head coach that is apparently in over his head.  Allen and Mayfield have the best circumstances for this season to improve; Darnold, not so much.

[Hapless Bills Fan]

7 hours ago, mushypeaches said:

I really don't care about the stats or the obvious warts in his game.  They are great clickbait and obvious low-grade fodder for lazy TV analysts, but here's the basics for me:

 

He's a leader - his teammates love and respect him and he's worked hard to get to that spot in just 2 years

He's a winner - he does what it takes to make plays both with his arm and legs.  Early career John Elway

He's shown great improvement on harnessing his raw talent and getting markedly better at the mental side of the game, including prep & game plans

He's incredibly fun to watch and easy to root for.  He has fun playing the game and leads with energy which his teammates feed off of

 

Is he Drew Brees?  Nope, and never will be.  So we should stop worrying about why not.

 

Enjoy the ride and whenever we have a season, it will be fun to watch

 

Just a note that for the first 3 years of his career, Drew Brees wasn't Drew Brees.  And arguably, the San Diego Chargers must have believed he wouldn't be, since they used their 1st round pick on Philip Rivers**

 

**OK, technically not but you know what I mean

19 minutes ago, Shaw66 said:

I think you are prejudging the situation you create.  You seem to be giving Mahomes and Allen HOF status right now, and they both are very far from the HOF right now. Let's see how they progress.  All three may have very nice careers, similar stats, win a Super Bowl or even two.  If that happens, people might complain that the Bills took the wrong guy, but no one will be listening. 

 

Mahomes and Watson?

 

I agree they are far from the HOF at present but the success is undeniable and unlike Jackson, not entirely built on fleet feet and a specialized scheme.

Of course, I always point out Jackson, too, may develop - we believe Allen will, so why can't Jackson?