Buffalo Bills: A relief to ignore the rookie quarterback hype

Buffalo Bills fans don’t have to spend any energy discussing the quarterback prospects in 2019 and that is a huge relief.

The Buffalo Bills drafted a quarterback every year from 2016-2018.

First came the fourth-round selection of Cardale Jones, followed by the fifth-round selection of Nathan Peterman.

The picks came late enough to where there wasn’t much pressure on the front office for either to succeed, but there was still hope among fans that one of the two could lead the team to great things.

Then came 2018 when Brandon Beane said “enough is enough” and took Josh Allen with the No. 7 overall pick. It was the earliest the franchise took a quarterback since 2013 when EJ Manuel went No. 16 overall.

None of us yet know if Allen is going to end up being the quarterback of the future, or if the team will be back to looking for a new quarterback in the near future. What we do know, however, is that this 2019 draft process won’t be filled with any talk of the Bills considering quarterbacks.

In fact, the entire depth chart is filled and it is only February. And not only is it filled, but there are all the necessary pieces.

First is the young starter in Allen. Then the competent backup in Matt Barkley who is actually capable of leading the team to a victory if needed. So the exact opposite of what Peterman provided in the role.

And finally there is Derek Anderson, who serves as the veteran leader and mentor of the group. Having this system in place now is great for the development of Allen and for the stress levels of Bills fans. I remember last year when everyone hunkered down and declared their favorite quarterback prospect. It was a time filled with hot takes and hateful replies.

Not this year! Fans into the draft process can watch the NFL Combine this weekend and get to know all the other prospects outside of the quarterbacks. Let’s just hope this becomes routine after so many years of waiting for a franchise quarterback.