Buffalo Bills: The level of commitment to Josh Allen

The Buffalo Bills made a commitment to Josh Allen by drafting him so high in 2018. Yet things can change, as Bills fans have seen in the past.

Buffalo Bills fans didn’t witness a great season from Josh Allen in 2018. They also didn’t witness a terrible season from the young man.

It was somewhere in between, trending more toward the positive end of the spectrum.

What remains clear is that Allen is the starter for the foreseeable future. Barring a total collapse during the next two years, there is no reason why he shouldn’t get a second contract in Buffalo. I’m sure some wise men said this about other Bills quarterbacks in the past. And I don’t claim to be wise.

Dan Graziano of ESPN.com wrote a piece ranking NFL teams 1-32 in terms of commitment to the current starting quarterback. Matt Ryan showed up first while Dak Prescott showed up last. The latter is only because Prescott still needs a new deal. It is likely, but Jerry Jones is known to change his mind.

This is an article about the Bills so let’s get back on track. Josh Allen showed up in the No. 13 overall spot since he is signed at least through 2021 as of right now. He was taken so high in the draft that the team is going to try to make this work, given there isn’t a shocking change in leadership.

Showing up in the top half of the NFL is both fair and even a bit generous. Allen remains unproven after one year, even though he showed positive signs in his rookie season.

Yet it is clear that Allen is the quarterback for the next few years, for better or for worse. My prediction is that he will see a huge uptick in production this year with a competent offense around him. His rushing numbers will go down and his passing numbers will go up.

The Bills are in a nice situation where there is no quarterback debate in 2019. That will hopefully continue on for at least the next decade.