“The guys are depending on you a little bit more, and they recognize it, but they also need to trust the coaches, trust your teammates, and have that humility that allows you to admit when and when you’re mistaken. And in my opinion, that’s what we’ve discovered over the past several years—not just with [Diggs], but also with other guys and receivers. Each person has a unique relationship style and a unique motivator that drives them.”
It is still unclear who the Bills’ other new leaders will be. In addition to mentioning that the team is always focusing on cultivating leaders behind the scenes, McDermott said he has a list of about ten to fifteen “candidates” that he is keeping an eye on.
Terrel Bernard, a starting middle linebacker in his third season who earned his spot last season, is one example of it. He missed the most of training camp and the preseason, but he cemented his place during the season.
“[Taking more of a leadership role is] something that I’ve put a lot of effort and a lot of time into this offseason,” Bernard stated on Thursday, “preparing to take that next step and put myself out there and try to be one of the guys that’s helping lead this team and doing everything that I can to help everybody around me.”
With a crucial draft for this franchise coming up next week—the Bills have ten picks—the team captain’s message is that the objectives remain the same.
Regarding the expectations, Allen remarked, “we’re doing everything we can to make the playoffs and give ourselves a shot to win the Super Bowl.” “The best way to make the playoffs is win your division and that starts with winning the first game and taking it one game at a time and that’s how we’re gonna approach it.”
New York’s Orchard Park — Josh Allen, the quarterback, is still an essential member of the Buffalo Bills despite all of the offseason changes and the draft being less than a week away.
Six of the eight team captains for the 2023 Bills are not players on the squad at the moment. Von Miller and Allen are the two that are left. Although Allen’s on-court accomplishments have received a lot of attention, his position off the field is still developing.
Allen is and has been “the leader of our football team,” as head coach Sean McDermott put it on Thursday. He serves as the brand’s spokesperson.”
Although Allen’s status as the organization’s cornerstone is nothing new, he is considering the leadership that role entails this offseason since the team has lost long-standing leaders like Jordan Poyer, Micah Hyde, Mitch Morse, and Stefon Diggs.
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Allen, who will turn 28 in one month, has stated that he leads by example, something he has done all of his professional life. He also frequently emphasizes the need of honesty in leadership. He’ll be starting his eighth NFL season, the third of his career, under new offensive coordinator Joe Brady. He sees an opportunity to continue to grow in the important position he now plays for the Bills.
“I think it’s an opportunity for myself to grow as a leader and to bring along some of these young guys and new guys that we’ve brought into our team,” Allen stated on Thursday. “To be honest, I’m quite enthusiastic about that possibility. It will be a really difficult task, but I am fully prepared to undertake it.
“To think that I’m starting my seventh season is just a little weird. However, it’s simply another chance for me to go out there and embody the man I think I am and the guy I should be, and I’ll need guys to help me along the way.”
Compared to previous years, Allen will be leading a much younger squad because the majority of the important players that were moved or dismissed are older than thirty. During his pre-draft press conference on Thursday, general manager Brandon Beane mentioned that the number of established veterans who moved on means that prospects the Bills choose in the later stages of Day 3 will have a higher chance of reaching the squad in 2024.
“I don’t believe that growing older is a good or negative thing. Allen stated, “I think there’s a really exciting opportunity to be able to come in as a coaching staff, as a leader, and kind of mold these guys into the team that you want to be.” It takes two to tango, once more. I’m confident in saying that we now have the right players in this locker room that are ready to work hard and do things the correct way. You need those folks.”
The Bills started their optional offseason activities on Monday, and McDermott mentioned that he knows Allen is working on improving his leadership skills and that this is just one more way he can develop as a player. With Allen’s leadership throughout the first week of offseason practices, the coach declared that he has “been very happy”.
That strategy draws in part on Allen’s own experience and the lessons he’s learned from managing relationships in the past. He acknowledged the responsibility that comes with his profession when asked what he learnt from managing his connection with Diggs.
“A quarterback for a franchise, those who earn a second contract—you don’t get compensated for being the quarterback alone. Being the best quarterback naturally follows from being the best leader, for which you are paid,” Allen remarked.
