Josh Allen's Leadership of Bills was Never Stronger
Just because Josh Allen will be the youngest person in the Buffalo Bills quarterback room this year, it doesn't mean the men inside and out it won't be counting on him to lead.
In fact, heading into his fifth season, Allen's grasp of the reins has never been stronger.
That's because throughout his transformation from a raw, struggling pass thrower into an NFL franchise quarterback and MVP candidate, he has remained the same. It is the one aspect of his approach about which the otherwise modest player boasts.
"I think if you talk to anybody on the team, they'll tell you I just try to be myself," Allen said. "That's it. I don't try to change who I am, no matter who's around me. I like joking, I like having a fun time. But when the pads get on, I mean business and I want to do everything I can do to help this team win football games. And when guys can see that from their quarterback, I think that kind of carries over.
"Again, I'm as selfless as possible. If we run it 40 times a game, if we throw it 40 times a game, if we win the game, I'm still going to be critical of myself after the game and try to find ways that I can be better. ... I think that's the job of a quarterback. You help win games, no matter which way you can."
Allen will have a different person calling plays into his radio helmet for the first time in his career this season. Ken Dorsey has replaced Brian Daboll as offensive coordinator, thanks in part to Allen's recommendation when he was consulted on the hire.
When Daboll left to become head coach of the Giants, he was reportedly hoping to take Dorsey with him as his offensive coordinator. But the Bills moved swiftly to promote their former quarterbacks coach to the same position on a team ready to win right away, as opposed to one in transition that just refused to pick up next year's option on quarterback Daniel Jones' contract.
In Buffalo, there is no such uncertainty, especially because Bills general manager Brandon Beane also moved prudently to add experienced playoff winner Case Keenum as the backup and bring back popular former backup Matt Barkley, who like Allen won't have to learn a new system.
Still, the voice will be different, literally as well as figuratively.
"It's been different," Allen said, "and the last three years I've had him in the meeting rooms every day. It's going to take time. Like even today, I was just like, `hey, I want you talking to me in the headset and just let me hear your voice,' because that's going to be a little bit of an adjustment and curve. When you talk into a microphone, it sounds a little different, and some words become different words and you've got to decipher what that means. So even now, we can find a way to get better.
"But in terms of what he's doing, how he communicates with the guys getting on guys and lighting some fires, it's been good to see. He's played quarterback, he understands what it's like when we're back there. So to have that open relationship and rapport with him and then for him to understand what we're seeing at the same time and not just expecting us to do something that he hasn't or wouldn't do, I think is the main, the most important thing. And he's been doing a really good job with it."
Allen also couldn't be happier with the new perspectives Keenum, Barkley and recently hired position coach Joe Brady bring to the meeting room.
A major point of emphasis for Allen this offseason is yards after the catch, a category in which the Bills finished last in the NFL, with 1,737 yards in 2021.
"The main thing is still limiting turnovers, limiting bad decisions and then ball placement on some of the underneath routes, allowing guys to get more YAC," he said. "You know, last year I don't think we were very good in that department. So it's kind of on me to put the ball where it needs to be and allow our guys to utilize their legs and run after catch."
While Allen's mechanics needed some serious tweaking upon entering the NFL and may always require some fine-tuning, he always had the intangibles, according to coach Sean McDermott. It's just that now they're on display more.
"I'll give some credit to our plan for Josh when we brought him on board," McDermott said, "but I think a lot of the credit has to go to the way he was raised — his mom and his dad the support system that he had at home. We talked about work ethic a few few minutes ago. Certainly growing up on a farm, there's a work ethic instilled in you. And there's also a set of core values that were instilled in him years ago by his mom and his dad. I know he was close with his grandparents as well and still is.
"So that was for us ... part of the evaluation, where getting a job is one thing, but being willing to put the work in to become really good at things is hard to find these days, right? ... So I think Josh has matured and then he's also used and drawn from that support system and those core values that he was taught years ago."
Added defensive tackle Jordan Phillips: "People aren't scared to talk to him. He's one of the highest paid players in the league and he doesn't act like that. You know what I mean? And that just goes a long way with everybody in the locker room. And when people do get to that status that he has, they change. And like he said, he hasn't changed. He does what he does, and he's great at it."
Bills offseason schedule
OTAs
May 26
May 31-June 2
June 6-7
June 9-10
Mandatory minicamp
June 14-16
Training camp
TBA at St. John Fisher College and ADPRO Sports Training center
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Nick Fierro is the publisher of Bills Central. Check out the latest Bills news at www.si.com/nfl/bills and follow Fierro on Twitter at @NickFierro. Email to Nicky300@aol.com.
