PITTSFORD, N.Y. (AP) ā After watching Josh Allen pick apart the Bills' defense in red-zone drills to open training camp on Wednesday, general manager Brandon Beane had a few things to say regarding the quarterbackās latest ā and anonymous ā naysayer.
āThereās idiots everywhere,ā Beane said.
He was responding to a recent quote from a person , who referred to Allen as āone of the more overrated players in the NFL.ā
Beane called the comment ignorant and rallied to the defense of Buffaloās franchise player, who in six years has rewritten many of the franchiseās single-season passing and scoring records while leading the four-time AFC East champions to five straight playoff appearances.
āI donāt get it. If I was going to use rated, I would say underrated before I would say overrated,ā he said. āIām biased, but Iām tired of hearing it.ā
As to whether the comment might fuel Allen's competitive nature, Beane said the quarterback is self-motivated.
āHeās got a natural chip, and I donāt think what this person said would change that,ā he said. āI think heās coming in this year with a chip. He wants a title. Every year that we donāt win it, itās digging a deeper chip, and I think thatās what motivates him.ā
Allen should be the least of Beane and the Bills' concerns. Though he threw a career-high 18 interceptions last season, the dual-threat player had 15 rushing touchdowns and 29 passing, and he led the NFL with a combined 4,830 yards passing and rushing, while finishing 11th in completion percentage at 66.5%.
The bigger question facing the Bills is how they expect to remain competitive following a salary cap-forced overhaul that led to Buffalo . The cuts went deeper with Buffalo releasing center Mitch Morse, safety Jordan Poyer and cornerback TreāDavious White, while losing sack leader Leonard Floyd and No. 2 receiver Gabe Davis to free agency.
The Bills opened training camp with 43 newcomers, and just 11 players left from the 2020 squad that won Buffaloās first division title since 1995.
Allenās expectations havenāt dipped, with the quarterback referencing his objective to win a Super Bowl. And he looks forward to breaking in that features Khalil Shakir as the lone returning player ā outside of tight ends ā to have caught a pass from Allen.
āItās learning on the fly, but making sure that weāre adapting as we go,ā he said.
The offense was humming on Wednesday, with Allen completing several touchdown passes, including a leaping grab by tight end Dalton Kincaid just inside the end zone.
Coach Sean McDermott expressed confidence in his retooled receivers group, which includes veteran free-agent additions Curtis Samuel, Chase Claypool, Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Mack Hollins, and .
āItās kind of like you open the drawer to your silverware at home and youāre like, āOK, tell me what this does?āā McDermott said of getting to know each playerās strengths.
āWe donāt really know what we have, but we know what we have. And itās interesting to see theyāre a very diverse group,ā he added. āI know a lot of people talk about we donāt have a true No. 1 and this and that. But I think these guys will rise to the occasion.ā
On defense, the Bills are breaking in a new safety tandem to replace Poyer and Micah Hyde, who is unsigned and considering retirement. cleared to practice after missing the final 13 weeks of last season with a broken right leg.
Edge rusher Von Miller is hoping for a bounceback season. The 35-year-old, who leads active players with 123 1/2 sacks, failed to register one in 12 games last season while coming back from right knee surgery.
āIām excited for Von. Coming off an ACL, as long as Iāve been around this game, is not easy,ā McDermott said. āIt's usually in that second season where athletes are able to recapture their form. And thatās going to be a challenge. But thatās what Vonās here to do.ā
The Bills also face a leadership void. They must replace six of eight captains from last season, which places an emphasis on younger players such as Shakir and linebacker Terrell Bernard.
Beane understands the challenges while remaining upbeat about the teamās potential.
āThere have been some years where theyāve said weāre the favorites or weāre supposed to win. That doesnāt mean anything. Every team is new,ā Beane said. āThis is a new team that will have to define itself. Whether people predict us to be 6-11 or 11-6, it really wonāt matter. Once games start, thatās what you guys are going to be writing and reporting about.ā
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AP NFL:
John Wawrow, The Associated Press
