Even with all of the acquisitions the Buffalo Bills have made the last two years, there is still room for improvement. The first one that you should set your eyes to is quarterback Josh Allen. Coming off a leap-forward year, the Wyoming product has impressed fans and teams around the league with his dual-threat play with his arm and legs.
Last offseason, the Bills were able to acquire both Cole Beasley and John Brown to give Allen reliable weapons to utilize. The passing game slowly developed down the stretch which is great for the development of the young quarterback. At the beginning of free agency, the Bills were able to trade for Stefon Diggs from the Minnesota Vikings. Coming off back-to-back 1,000 plus receiving yards, he serves as Allen’s number one wideout. Even with his playmaking abilities, do not expect Allen to take an extra two steps in his development.
Part of the journey for Allen is to take the time to develop correctly and not go too fast. One factor that has been in Allen’s favor is stability. Since being drafted, he has the same head coach and offensive coordinator. His quarterback classmates cannot say the same thing. Baker Mayfield is on his third head coach, Sam Darnold is going into a second stint with Adam Gase and Josh Rosen could be heading to his third team very soon.
Sean McDermott and Brian Daboll use the same system and scheme that Allen is used to. Going into his third year, that is crucial for the youngster. Even with the acquisition of Diggs, expect the Bills to keep pounding the rock and planning a pass-system that Allen is comfortable. Diggs is an explosive playmaker who is due over $11 million dollars, so obviously he will not just block in this offense.
With Diggs on the outside, he serves a true down the field player for Allen to launch the ball for a big play. This is the next big step in the development for Allen, but it is necessary. Allen will need to take the next step in his career, but he needed a big time player on the outside. Insert Diggs into that role, Allen is now setup to potentially excel in 2020.
Trust. The. Process.
It’s quite simply put. The process keeps grinding in Buffalo and it has worked out so far. While it is hopeful to think Allen will take a giant step forward, do not have that mindset. The pressure is on Allen this year, but he needs to remain calm in the development stage.
-Brandon Ray is a Managing Editor for Full Press Coverage and covers the Buffalo Bills. Brandon can be followed on Twitter at @brandon_ray79. Make sure to also follow @FPC_Bills for all Bills coverage and analysis.
