Last year, the Buffalo Bills spent the offseason scouring for their franchise quarterback. After trading up to snag Josh Allen, general manager Brandon Beane's offseason has a different tenor.
The best part: He doesn't need to spend time searching for a QB.
"It's better," Beane said Tuesday from the Senior Bowl, via the team's official website. "It's a stressful thing to do and go through -- just the uncertainty. Last year we were sitting here at 21 and 22, and you're going, 'Man there are some good guys out there, but how do you get up in the top 10 and how far do you have to go.' It's weird -- this year we're in the top 10 and we don't need to be. It's funny how it all works out. It's nice to be able to focus a little bit more of our energy on all the positions."
As Atlanta Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff once said, "Until you find your quarterback, the search for him consumes you."
Beane believes he's found that signal-caller in Allen. As a rookie, the big-armed quarterback enjoyed an up-and-down season, displaying playmaking ability with his arm and legs, but struggled reading defenses and showing a need to clean up fundamentals. This offseason will be a pivotal one for Allen's progression.
With the quarterback position not in question this season, Beane can focus on building the rest of his roster, which has plenty of other needs. Buffering Allen with an improved offensive line and playmaking pass-catchers should be atop the list of Buffalo's needs this offseason.