Bills Star on rookie QB Allen - 'I don't want to make him a Jim Kelly already'
LeSean McCoy has been around for a long time.
According to CBS Sports, he’s played with 90 rookies since completing his first season eight years ago.
So when “Shady” doesn’t throw shade on a new player, it definitely means something.
Throughout the Bills’ three-day minicamp, all eyes were on rookie quarterback Josh Allen.
And, at least according to McCoy, nobody should be disappointed.
Video: Josh Allen deep ball going right over you. pic.twitter.com/jeQp71Nz0P
— Sal Capaccio 🏈 (@SalSports) June 13, 2018
“I got to be honest,” said McCoy. “He’s pretty good, and I’m not a big fan of rookies. … He’s good, he’s smart.”
Now granted, Allen needs to rein in his gunslinger mentality just a bit, according to McCoy.
“He has to learn, of course. He throws some passes that probably shouldn’t have been thrown,” the running back said. “But other than that, he has a strong arm, very intelligent.”
Shady has always been one of the more thoughtful players in the league, so it says something that even while praising the seventh overall pick in this year’s NFL draft, he was sure to keep some perspective.
“I don’t want to make him a Jim Kelly already, but he’s got to learn different things,” he said. “He’s a rookie. Quarterback is such an important role. He’s like a coach on the field as far as making the right reads, being confident. He has so much he has to learn from his position to the wide receivers to the lineman, protections. He has a lot on his plate. Other than that, just talent wise and intelligence, he has it to be a starting quarterback and also a franchise quarterback.”
For Allen to earn the starting job, he’ll have to beat out free agent signee A.J. McCarron from the Bengals and second-year man Nathan Peterman, whose claim to fame is that he threw five interceptions in his first start last season — in the first half.
But according to McCoy, who played with the likes of Donovan McNabb and Michael Vick, Allen has some tools that you just can’t teach.
“He’s impressive, you’ve seen him,” Shady said. “He’s confident. One of the practices, he threw a pick, he came back, it was a two-minute drill, came down and scored. He does things like puts the ball in the right places, jump balls, back shoulders, all the things that you have to remind [and] emphasize to a player. He [already] kind of has it.”
"I’m usually not a big fan of rookies but this kid is pretty good."
Shady shares his thoughts on Josh Allen… pic.twitter.com/9a707U3BU0
— Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) June 12, 2018
The Bills ended an 18-year playoff absence last season with Tyrod Taylor under center, so even if Allen wins the job, he’ll need to produce.
After three days of minicamp, so far, so good.
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