When Bills linebacker Lorenzo Alexander signed to come back for one more season, he said he thought the Bills were close to returning to the playoffs after a one-year absence.
And the young quarterback who looks to him for inspiration and advice agrees, thinking the Bills are on the right track.
“I think, if you look at this past year, we weren’t all that far off from being there this year,” Allen said, via Vic Carucci of the Buffalo News. I’d say there were a few games that got away from us, but for the most part, you can change four or five plays and the season might be a different story. So I definitely agree with him.
“We’re looking to build something special. We’re looking to go back to the playoffs and develop a sustainable success in Buffalo. And that’s what we want to do. That’s what the city deserves.”
The Bills finished 6-10 last season, but were 5-6 in the games Allen was healthy and starting. They won two of their last three, including a 42-17 win over the Dolphins to go into the offseason. And after spending last offseason prepping for the draft, Allen said he’s leaning on the lessons he learned from veterans such as Alexander and Kyle Williams to get ready for the coming year.
“The best advice that I’ve gotten is the best way to get in shape is to not get out of shape, so I can’t let this time get too crazy,” he said. “A lot of rookies may not know what this offseason’s about. But I’ve had Kyle, I’ve had Lorenzo and guys like that to kind of give me a little snapshot of what to expect this time. And I’ve been using their advice.”
The Bills may have farther to travel than Allen thinks, but they also have more cap space than most of the league (an estiamted $80 million worth of room), which will allow them to make some significant moves.