1. What Josh Allen thinks about a long-term contract extension
Bills quarterback Josh Allen appeared on the ‘10 Questions With Kyle Brandt’ podcast where he talked about his progression as a quarterback, the 17-game schedule, his thoughts on the AFC Championship loss, a long-term contract extension and more. NFL Network's Good Morning Football host Kyle Brandt gives guests 10 questions that relate to them in a unique way and it's up to them to get the question right. Brandt keeps score to see which guests finish with the most correct answers.
A question related to the movie Step Brothers that Allen got right led to Brandt asking the QB about his thoughts on a long-term extension. Allen shared that he trusts general manager Brandon Beane and ultimately wants to be in Buffalo for many years to come.
"There's a lot of different ways you can go about it," Allen said of how contract extensions can come together. "Honestly, I love playing football. I want to listen and be engaged in the contract talks. Ultimately that's why you pay your agents, and that's why you hire a guy like Brandon Beane, (assistant general manager) Joe Schoen and the front office guys and what they do. They'll iron out the details and if we can get to something soon, I'd obviously love to be locked down in Buffalo for a very long time.
"It's a place that I call home. I love being there. I love the fan base. I love the city, everything that I want is there. If they called up and wanted to talk tomorrow, I'd be willing. But we'll see, we'll cross that bridge when we get there."
Brandt brought up that Beane had been on the Huddle & Flow podcast with NFL Network’s Jim Trotter and Steve Wyche and said if an extension doesn't happen this year, it could happen next year. Allen was asked about his thoughts on the difference in a year and he said he's going to focus on his play for the Bills.
"I think Brandon Beane is extremely good at his job," Allen told Brandt. "He gets paid to be the general manager of the Buffalo Bills and I get paid to be the quarterback. So until any of that changes, I'm just going to be the best version of myself, the best quarterback, the best teammate I can be for the Bills."
One thing that was for certain, Allen is not a fan of the franchise tag.
2. This draft analyst predicts this Bills trade in the first round
Trade up? Trade down? Stay at No. 30? These options can be debated for a long time. At the end of the day, Bills general manager Brandon Beane has the best pulse on what's right for the Bills when it comes to options in the first round.
NFL Network Draft Analyst Chad Reuter wrote about seven possible Day 1 trades that make sense. Buffalo was one of the seven. Reuter thinks the Bills should trade down seven spots and receive two extra picks for the move.
Philadelphia Eagles RECEIVE: No. 30 AND Buffalo Bills RECEIVE: No. 37
Bills also receive: 2021 fourth-rounder, 2021 fifth-rounder.
The Eagles own 11 selections in this draft, so I suspect they'll look for movement opportunities. They could trade back into the first round for a receiver (Terrace Marshall, Kadarius Toney) to help anointed starter Jalen Hurts, a tight end (Penn State's Pat Freiermuth) if Zach Ertz is traded, a starting cornerback (Eric Stokes, Florida State's Asante Samuel Jr.), or one of the pass rushers mentioned above to ensure their defense is good enough to compete for the NFC East title.
Buffalo is also looking for a young edge rusher or cornerback, but the Bills' roster is so solid, they can afford to find value later while picking up good middle-round selections to foster competition at the back end of the depth chart. Or they could use those mid-round picks to move up in the second round to get a top-50 prospect.
The Eagles would also send a fourth- and fifth-round pick to the Bills in this swap.
3. Is this defensive player a good fit for the Bills at No. 30?
There are many mock drafts that go around this time of year as we are under a month out from the 2021 NFL Draft. We have been tracking most, and the recent favorite for the Bills has been drafting a corner at No. 30. In PFF’s latest mock draft by Ben Linsey, he has the Bills taking a different position than corner with their first round selection.
30. BUFFALO BILLS – EDGE JAELAN PHILLIPS, MIAMI
There is a real argument to be made that Phillips should be the top edge defender in this class. Like all of the players competing for that title, Phillips isn't the Nick Bosa– or Chase Young- level prospect who comes with almost no red flags. The cause for concern with Phillips is that he medically retired from football before the 2019 season due to a history of concussions.
The former No. 1 overall recruit coming out of high school opted to return to the field with Miami in 2020 and showcased his talent in that return. Phillips came away from last season with PFF grades of 83.0 or higher as a run defender and pass-rusher. This would be a strong addition for Buffalo to add some more youth behind what is currently an older edge rusher rotation with Jerry Hughes and Mario Addison penciled in as starters.
