1 – Josh Allen's athleticism sticks out
As the nephew of legendary sports commentator Howard Cosell, Greg Cosell has built his own legacy as one of the league's most knowledgeable analysts. Cosell now serves as a senior producer for NFL films, and he recently shared his thoughts on Bills rookie quarterback Josh Allen in an appearance on One Bills Live.
"With Josh Allen, I think you are dealing with a different kind of player," said Cosell of Allen as compared to Nathan Peterman and A.J. McCarron. "His ability to make the more spectacular kind of throws in the pocket and his ability to get outside the pocket and make plays is a little different than [A.J.] McCarron and [Nathan] Peterman."
Quarterbacks of Allen's stature are not usually exceptionally athletic, but Cosell has been particularly impressed by Allen's athleticism and ability to extend broken plays.
"He looked like a young [Ben] Roethlisberger," said Cosell. "If you are the Bills, you are trying to channel the physical talent that is there."
Allen's physical traits are undeniable, and rookie wide receiver Ray-Ray McCloud recently recalled a memory of Allen at this year's NFL Scouting Combine.
"At the combine I kind of knew," said McCloud. "I didn't know we were going to be on the same team, but I knew of Josh Allen. We did a drill, it was a pat and go type of drill, he [Allen] kind of hitched a couple of times to let the receiver run farther and he threw the ball about 75 or 80 yards."
2 – Decision looms large
During training camp and the preseason, NFL teams often have to make tough decisions. These decisions are almost always made with the best interests of the organization in mind, and the Bills have a few decisions that could impact their performance in 2018.
Recently, Bleacher Report put together a list of every team’s biggest decision that needs to be made before the start of the regular season. Here is what they said about one of Buffalo's most pressing issues, the decision at quarterback.
The Buffalo Bills wouldn't have anything to lose in starting quarterback Josh Allen if there's no chance at a playoff berth. However, head coach Sean McDermott talked about taking a "calculated" approach to the rookie's development.
Coach McDermott and his staff certainly seem to have a plan in place for the seventh overall draft pick, as they have used a consistent quarterback rotation at camp. This rotation is designed to allow each quarterback to see a similar amount of reps with each group on offense. Allen has shown a lot of promise early, but the analysts at Bleacher Report believe that it may be best to allow for him to sit back and learn for a short while.
There's no need to hastily start the future at the position. It goes without saying that AJ McCarron and [Nathan] Peterman will have opportunities to audition as stopgap options under center for the upcoming season. [Sean] McDermott also strengthened his job security after leading the franchise to its first postseason appearance in 18 years. It's possible Allen takes a professional redshirt year to develop behind the scenes.
3 – Bills' place emphasis on morale
You probably heard a whole lot of your parents telling you to go out on the field and "have fun" as a kid, and the Bills' coaching staff understands that player morale is important to overall success; even as adults. Head coach Sean McDermott recently spoke about the importance of ensuring that each and every player is enjoying themselves on the field.
"I hope they're having fun," said McDermott. "It's fun to do something we love."
With that being said, McDermott acknowledged the fact that it is easier to perform on a daily basis if you are passionate about your job.
"They're passionate about it," he said. "If you're not passionate about it and having fun, then you don't really want to come to work."
Although having fun at your place of employment is sometimes seen as an added bonus, and not a necessity; McDermott says that Brandon Beane and the entire Bills' scouting staff makes it a point to identify players who love the game of football.
"That goes back to our scouting and the people that Brandon [Beane] and his staff identify," said McDermott. "We put a lot of time into that; they do a great job of it."
McDermott acknowledged that he saw some good things from his team in their first preseason action, but he also recognized that in order to make a jump to the next level, they must make sure they place the right guys are in the locker room.
"That'll come down to the types of people that we bring into the building and we've brought into the building to this point and the leadership part of it as well," he said.
