Buffalo Bills: Can A.J. McCarron hold off Josh Allen?
By Randy Gurzi
The plan for the Buffalo Bills will surely be to take their time with rookie quarterback Josh Allen, but can A.J. McCarron provide enough to keep him sidelined?
This offseason, the term “bridge quarterback” was thrown around more than ever. It seemed like every team was in the market for a guy to start this season, while saving a place for a young quarterback. The Buffalo Bills were one such franchise.
After trading away starting quarterback Tyrod Taylor (who oddly enough is now a “bridge quarterback” himself for the Cleveland Browns) the Bills needed some options.
First, they added free agent A.J. McCarron. The three-time NCAA Champion from Alabama has been a backup the past four seasons for the Cincinnati Bengals and now looks forward to his chance to be the starter with Buffalo.
McCarron started three regular season games and one playoff contest for the Bengals back in 2015 and played well enough to be considered a decent starting option. That small sample size isn’t enough to declare him the future, which is why the Bills then selected Josh Allen out of Wyoming.
Allen is an interesting case as he struggled with accuracy and consistency while at Wyoming. What he didn’t struggle with is slinging the ball downfield with ease.
All it takes is a flick of his wrist, and he can heave it 70-plus yards. Even more impressive is how he can deliver the ball while moving and it barely affects the velocity he throws.
Josh Allen puts a lot of trust in his WRs and TEs. He will throw 50/50 balls & expect his teammates to come down with the football.
— RAP Scouting (@RAPScouting) May 8, 2018
Do the Buffalo Bills have players who can make consistent plays like this? pic.twitter.com/B7GZuJVbyX
It’s easy to see why the Bills were interested in him. It’s also easy to see why they want him to learn the game and clean up his footwork before being thrown to the wolves.
The question is whether or not McCarron has what it takes to keep him sidelined. The veteran has already admitted he doesn’t have the strongest arm, and playing cold weather games outside in Western New York could make that problematic.
If so, expect McCarron to struggle as the year goes on. Such struggles would cause unrest amongst the fans, especially with a rocket-armed rookie sitting in the wings.
For his career, McCarron has completed 64.7 percent of his passes for 920 yards with six touchdowns and just two picks. To his credit, he did play in the AFC North and weather was no issue there for him. Hopefully that stays the case as the Bills truly need him to start for at least 2018.
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Allen is the future of this team and has traits than can make him special. The key will be allowing him to grow as a player, which is all about their ability to stick with their bridge quarterback. Whether or not they can has yet to be seen.