Buffalo Bills general manager Brandon Beane took exception to a quote from an anonymous NFL executive, who called quarterback Josh Allen "overrated" in a recent ESPN article.
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday from the Bills' training camp site at St. John Fisher University in Pittsford, Ny., Beane, who said he believes Allen is underrated, questioned the credibility of the executive cited in the story, and pointed out what he didn't like about the style of the article written.
"These things that come out," Beane said. "I know people love the rankings of whoever, but when you don't put your name to it and you make comments like that, like, who is this executive? Executive's a loose term. I was probably referred to as an executive well before I should have been."
"So I just say, if you're not going to put your name on it, we really shouldn't validate it. I know it gets validated because it's on ESPN. I'm not a fan of that style. I wish the writer wouldn't include a comment like that. I don't think Josh deserves that and again, I'm biased, but I'm tired of hearing it."
The article, a rankings list of the top 10 players at 11 different positions in the NFL based on a survey of executives, coaches and scouts, listed Allen as the third-best signal-caller in the league.
"One of the most overrated players in the NFL," the executive said of Allen. "Immense talent but he makes a lot of mistakes."
When asked by a reporter how anyone could come to the conclusion that Allen is overrated, Beane had a pointed response.
"Sal, there's idiots everywhere," Beane bluntly said.
The Bills GM went on to explain that he believes much of the criticism of Allen comes from talent evaluators' initial opinions that Allen would not be a productive QB when he first entered the league back in 2018.
Entering his seventh season in the NFL, Allen has been selected to the Pro Bowl twice, finished second in the MVP voting in '20, and has thrown the second-most touchdown passes in the league since '19, behind only Kansas City Chiefs star Patrick Mahomes, while establishing himself as a premier dual threat.
Allen has led Buffalo to the postseason in each of the last five years, but the club hasn't been able to navigate the Chiefs'-dominated AFC, having lost to Kansas City three times in the playoffs during that span.
The Bills will begin the 2024 season at home against the Arizona Cardinals on Sept. 8.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Bills GM on Anonymous Executive Who Called Josh Allen Overrated: 'Idiots Everywhere'.
