The Athletic: Inside the Bills’ decisions, meetings and scouting trips that led to Josh Allen

[elroy16]

Paid site, so I'll only post parts. The Athletic is well worth the price, tons of great articles. 

 

Quote

While Allen was informing his coaches that he would be back for the 2017 season, Sean McDermott was in his first days on the job as the Bills’ head coach. He was still finding his way from his temporary apartment to his new office in Orchard Park. The 2017 quarterback class wasn’t at the front of his mind.

Meanwhile, Brandon Beane, who would end up drafting Allen with the No. 7 overall pick in the 2018 draft after a series of calculated moves, was still the assistant general manager in Carolina.

In the 15 months between when Allen returned to school and when he walked across the stage as a member of the Bills, a series of hires, firings, trades, interviews, scouting trips and meetings led the Bills to their decision to make him the highest drafted quarterback in franchise history.

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The same group would attend each workout. That included owners Terry and Kim Pegula, Beane, Schoen, McDermott, Daboll and then-quarterbacks coach David Culley. Beane wanted the quarterbacks to set up the dinner plans for the night before the workout and to organize their own receivers as a way of testing their maturity. Then there was Daboll’s test. It included a few basic formations, motions, defensive fronts, run concepts and pass concepts. He sent the test ahead of time to get a baseline for each quarterback’s football knowledge, which he could revisit during the workouts and test their ability to retain information.

 

Allen’s private workout was scheduled for March 16 and 17 in Laramie, Wyo. The Bills’ private charter flew out to Wyoming and almost didn’t land. The plane hit a mountain wave while descending in Wyoming, sending those onboard into a panic due to the turbulence. Daboll freaked out and FaceTimed his wife. Beane and Terry Pegula, watching film, scrambled to their seats. Schoen has video of the whole thing.

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In the coming weeks, the Bills finished their visits with the quarterbacks, each one going through the same process. Beane only smiles when asked if Allen scored higher on Daboll’s tests than any other quarterback.

Then they had Allen out to Orchard Park for a pre-draft visit, the final box to check.

 

“By the time he was here, I remember putting him up on the board and going through a much more extensive deal than what we did and he had a really good recollection of what we did there,” Daboll said. “Then I threw a lot at him. He was pretty smart.”

 

 

 

https://theathletic.com/1167351/2019/08/29/is-your-guy-ready-for-the-league-inside-the-bills-decisions-meetings-and-scouting-trips-that-led-to-josh-allen/

 

 

The video of inside the plane while they're hitting strong turbulence would be very interesting to see. 

 

 

Nothing crazy new or anything, but a good article going through their process. 

[Logic]

This article alone is a good reason to get a trial subscription to the Athletic, if you don't have one already.

It's articles like this that make me feel that my money is well spent.

[17islongenough]

I think the Athletic is free if you download the app

[Phil The Thrill]

19 minutes ago, 17islongenough said:

I think the Athletic is free if you download the app

 

Yes the app is free....but it only gives you access to 2 articles a month

[Ed_Formerly_of_Roch]

Interesting the part by McD about why he didn't want to take a QB the first year about not having enough time to properly evaluate, is a valid point.  

[Logic]

I know that at the end of the evaluation process, the Bills had Josh Allen ranked as their number 1 QB in the draft. It worked out well for them that the first two teams taking QBs didn't see things that way.

t's funny, looking back, knowing that the Dolphins were looming and wanted a QB, that they wound up with Rosen just a year later.

I also remember hearing on draft night that the Cardinals LOVED Josh Allen and were absolutely crushed when they couldn't jump the Bills to get him. Not surprising, then, that they player they "settled" for, Josh Rosen, is no longer a Cardinal.

Oh, and one of the little tidbits I found interesting: Josh was scheduled to fly to New Jersey to meet with the Jets after his workout here, but his flight was cancelled, so he stayed in Buffalo for the night and wound up having dinner at Bar Bill with some of the Bills braintrust and bonding more. Kind of neat.

Last but not least: I don't want to be a downer, but speaking of the plane turbulence thing: They make it sound pretty serious in the article. Like, Daboll was Facetiming with his wife because he thought they might not make it. Can you imagine if that plane DIDN'T make it, and the Pegulas, Beane, and McDermott, well, ya know...Yikes. I don't want to even ponder that reality. Phew.

Edited August 29, 2019 by Logic

[Seasons1992]

12 minutes ago, Logic said:

Can you imagine if that plane DIDN'T make it, and the Pegulas, Beane, and McDermott, well, ya know...Yikes. I don't want to even ponder that reality. Phew.

 

Things happen, and DON'T happen, for a reason.

Our reason is coming soon.

[sherpa]

28 minutes ago, Logic said:

Last but not least: I don't want to be a downer, but speaking of the plane turbulence thing: They make it sound pretty serious in the article. Like, Daboll was Facetiming with his wife because he thought they might not make it. Can you imagine if that plane DIDN'T make it, .....

 

Mountain wave is an interesting phenomena, and very troubling when it occurs, but like most turbulence, it isn't threatening.

It was probably the worst they'd experienced, and really unpredictable, but it's more a pain in the rear than anything threatening the airplane.

[eball]

I think that of all the first round QBs who were drafted last year the Bills wound up with the one who is the best fit for them and vice-versa.  That's all you can hope for.

 

Go get 'em, Josh.

[JoeF]

“I’m just happy that I’m here,” Allen said. “That’s really what it comes down to. I can honestly say this: I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.”

 

This makes me really happy.....really, really happy.   Who knows where this will go, but this young man fits this team and Buffalo like a glove.

 

Great story by Matt Fairburn..

[jletha]

Overall a great article. I love the Athletic coverage. I always will wonder if Allen was their #1 going into the draft day if they would have had the first pick. We will never know because theyre not gonna say "We had Baker and Darnold higher but they were gone before Josh". But I love Josh and I feel better about him than I have other Bills QBs. Im very excited to see him with our new WRs with a year under his belt. And I love how much he seems to enjoy Buffalo.

 

One thing that stood out to me, almost disappointed me, was that Beane said the Jets timelines was different than theirs. If they wanted to have the best chance of getting their guy, you'd hope they would be trying to make moves at all times to get up into the top 5 irregardless of how the board ends up. If youve got a QB you feel good about it doesnt matter if you move up to third or seventh. I hope they learned their lesson and wont get beat out by the Jets or other teams again.

 

Now if you just dont have the capital or they can offer a better package, theres little you can do. But to just say they beat you to it kinda bums me out.

Edited August 29, 2019 by jletha

[JoeF]

1 hour ago, Logic said:

I know that at the end of the evaluation process, the Bills had Josh Allen ranked as their number 1 QB in the draft. It worked out well for them that the first two teams taking QBs didn't see things that way.

t's funny, looking back, knowing that the Dolphins were looming and wanted a QB, that they wound up with Rosen just a year later.

I also remember hearing on draft night that the Cardinals LOVED Josh Allen and were absolutely crushed when they couldn't jump the Bills to get him. Not surprising, then, that they player they "settled" for, Josh Rosen, is no longer a Cardinal.

Oh, and one of the little tidbits I found interesting: Josh was scheduled to fly to New Jersey to meet with the Jets after his workout here, but his flight was cancelled, so he stayed in Buffalo for the night and wound up having dinner at Bar Bill with some of the Bills braintrust and bonding more. Kind of neat.

Last but not least: I don't want to be a downer, but speaking of the plane turbulence thing: They make it sound pretty serious in the article. Like, Daboll was Facetiming with his wife because he thought they might not make it. Can you imagine if that plane DIDN'T make it, and the Pegulas, Beane, and McDermott, well, ya know...Yikes. I don't want to even ponder that reality. Phew.

Buffalo's weather advantage comes into play again!  Love it...❄️

[mramefa]

3 hours ago, elroy16 said:

The video of inside the plane while they're hitting strong turbulence would be very interesting to see. 

Found it

 

[Whites Bay]

1 hour ago, sherpa said:

 

Mountain wave is an interesting phenomena, and very troubling when it occurs, but like most turbulence, it isn't threatening.

It was probably the worst they'd experienced, and really unpredictable, but it's more a pain in the rear than anything threatening the airplane.

I used to live in Salt Lake, and crossing the Wasatch was always "Buckle Up".

 

But nothing compares to landing in a turboprop in Jamestown in the middle of February whiteout conditions.  Come on.  Daboll should give THAT a try once, and he'll never worry about the Rockies ever, ever again.

[sherpa]

31 minutes ago, Whites Bay said:

I used to live in Salt Lake, and crossing the Wasatch was always "Buckle Up".

 

But nothing compares to landing in a turboprop in Jamestown in the middle of February whiteout conditions.  Come on.  Daboll should give THAT a try once, and he'll never worry about the Rockies ever, ever again.

 

That is normal turbulence.

Mountain wave can be something entirely different, and I suggest that it was in this case.

 

[elroy16]

1 hour ago, jletha said:

Overall a great article. I love the Athletic coverage. I always will wonder if Allen was their #1 going into the draft day if they would have had the first pick. We will never know because theyre not gonna say "We had Baker and Darnold higher but they were gone before Josh". But I love Josh and I feel better about him than I have other Bills QBs. Im very excited to see him with our new WRs with a year under his belt. And I love how much he seems to enjoy Buffalo.

 

One thing that stood out to me, almost disappointed me, was that Beane said the Jets timelines was different than theirs. If they wanted to have the best chance of getting their guy, you'd hope they would be trying to make moves at all times to get up into the top 5 irregardless of how the board ends up. If youve got a QB you feel good about it doesnt matter if you move up to third or seventh. I hope they learned their lesson and wont get beat out by the Jets or other teams again.

 

Now if you just dont have the capital or they can offer a better package, theres little you can do. But to just say they beat you to it kinda bums me out.

 

 

Beane talks about that.

 

 

Quote

“Well, I hope they had to give up a lot,” Beane thought. “If two teams want to make a trade, there’s nothing you can do about it. Their timeline was different than our timeline.”

The Bills hadn’t yet met with every quarterback, so they weren’t comfortable making a premature trade. Beane needed to determine not only how he would rank the quarterbacks, but for which ones he’d be willing to trade.

 

 

The last part is the most important. If they had traded up to say 3, then met with all of the QB's, and then realized they really only were in love with Mayfield and Darnold, they could have been screwed. In that case, maybe the Jets jump to 2 and then Mayfield and Darnold are gone and the Bills are sitting there with their thumb up their ass with no plan. 

 

 

I see what you're saying, but I don't think you should be disappointed by their timeline / plan. They wanted to do their due diligence so that they wouldn't be stuck with a high pick they paid a premium for and then not have a QB they loved when it was their time to pick. 

[Forward Progress]

50 minutes ago, jletha said:

One thing that stood out to me, almost disappointed me, was that Beane said the Jets timelines was different than theirs. If they wanted to have the best chance of getting their guy, you'd hope they would be trying to make moves at all times to get up into the top 5 irregardless of how the board ends up. If youve got a QB you feel good about it doesnt matter if you move up to third or seventh. I hope they learned their lesson and wont get beat out by the Jets or other teams again.

 

Beane's scouting expectations go well beyond watching film and picking the most talented football players.  He's drafting players for who they can become and to do this he needs to understand their character.  He's looking for players who play to win, put the team first and will show up to work everyday to get better.  This approach to talent evaluation takes much more effort, but will pay out in the long run.  Allen's college performance isn't worth drafting if that's the QB he will always be.  It is Allen's character that convinced Beane that he is the type of person who will continue to grow as an NFL football player.

 

I understand your point - just get up into the top five and grab your quarterback.  What if three QB's are gone in the top three and you are sitting at 5 without a QB that you want on your team?  All of the draft equity we had would be spent to move up and we still don't get our QB.  Beane had several trades lined up for draft day to move up, but only if a QB worth drafting was available.  I think the draft played out pretty well for us where we got both Josh and Edmunds in the first round.

2 minutes ago, elroy16 said:

If they had traded up to say 3, then met with all of the QB's, and then realized they really only were in love with Mayfield and Darnold, they could have been screwed.

 

It looks like you and I were making similar points at the same time.

[jletha]

2 minutes ago, elroy16 said:

 

 

Beane talks about that.

 

 

 

 

The last part is the most important. If they had traded up to say 3, then met with all of the QB's, and then realized they really only were in love with Mayfield and Darnold, they could have been screwed. In that case, maybe the Jets jump to 2 and then Mayfield and Darnold are gone and the Bills are sitting there with their thumb up their ass with no plan. 

 

 

I see what you're saying, but I don't think you should be disappointed by their timeline / plan. They wanted to do their due diligence so that they wouldn't be stuck with a high pick they paid a premium for and then not have a QB they loved when it was their time to pick. 

I disagree with you. While they were busy figuring out whether they were worth trading up for the Jets actually moved up and made their situation much more difficult. You can move up to 3 in the mean time and figure it out from there. If you determine you need to get to 2 then its a lot easier to get there from 3 than it is from 12. By delaying any decision at all until a full evaluation was done the Jets got up there and it made it almost impossible to get ahead of them. If Beane ultimately wanted Darnold after their evaluation, they screwed themselves. Of course we will never know and I dont want to imply that Beane did want Darnold, but the concept still applies.

 

"so that they wouldn't be stuck with a high pick they paid a premium for and then not have a QB they loved when it was their time to pick."

 

They were taking a QB 100% so they should be putting themselves in position to draft the guy of their choosing at all times, if you like the guy it doesnt matter that you had to trade up for him. For any other position you want to protect assets but for QBs, you go up and get them. By letting the Jets get ahead of them they were letting the Jets dictate part of their decision.

[Augie]

2 hours ago, sherpa said:

 

 Mountain wave is an interesting phenomena, and very troubling when it occurs, but like most turbulence, it isn't threatening.

It was probably the worst they'd experienced, and really unpredictable, but it's more a pain in the rear than anything threatening the airplane.

 

I’m afraid it might have been very threatening to my seat cushion! 

[jletha]

14 minutes ago, Forward Progress said:

 

This approach to talent evaluation takes much more effort, but will pay out in the long run.

I think this is true for every other position besides QBs. Because of how eager other teams are to trade up for them, you need to be a little more aggressive in making moves to secure the one you covet. If Darnold ends up great and Allen not as much, it could be that Beane wanted Darnold but due diligence tripped them up.