The Opening Drive 12/19: Do You Ever Think About Josh Allen on the Browns?
Playing Josh Allen serves as a reminder of "what if" around the 2018 NFL Draft.
We can’t help but be in reflection mode as the Bills come to Cleveland for the first time since 2019. Sitting at 10–4 and making another push for a division title and playoff run, the Bills have found the type of year-over-year consistency the Browns would cherish. The reason for that success is simple: the Bills landed the right quarterback, a shared history that will likely linger over Cleveland until the Browns find their own version of Josh Allen.
If you ever have the time, revisit the buzz surrounding the 2018 draft. There was only one quarterback publicly embracing the chance to turn the Browns around—welcoming the rare opportunity to be selected first overall and shoulder the pressure that would come with rectifying a struggling franchise. Allen was very vocal about that opportunity in Mobile during Senior Bowl week and again at his Pro Day in Laramie, Wyoming.
The Browns were also serious about him. They did extensive homework on all of the top contenders, and Allen had plenty of support inside the building. While the analytics were never going to favor Allen, his intangibles held significant appeal. John Dorsey and the “football guy” mantra were in full swing, and it may have been the right time to select someone like Allen where the previous regime would have hand-waved the possibility immediately.
But Dorsey, along with his close confidant Scot McCloughan, ultimately fell in love with Baker Mayfield’s bravado and college accuracy profile. Still, they took Allen very seriously throughout the process.
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I’m not going to be the one to sit here and tell you I wanted Allen. In fact, I wanted nothing to do with him in that draft. His accuracy profile and level of competition scared the hell out of me. His tools were undeniable, but tools are just tools until you figure out how to use them. I didn’t see that pathway from my lens at the time. The vast majority of others didn’t either—including many Bills fans who disliked the pick and preferred Josh Rosen, who went three selections later.
Who knows if Allen would have materialized into this version of himself in Cleveland. Many quickly dismiss that possibility, but I don’t think you can say that with certainty. Sure, his coaching staff has been more stable, but he worked through his throwing issues largely on his own. He grinded to overhaul the mechanics of his throwing motion and, in turn, helped solve his accuracy problems. He did that work. Yes, Brian Daboll played a role in the process, but Allen’s work ethic and passion shined through. He embraced everything it took to lead a franchise and figured it out. It might not have ever happened in Cleveland, but the percentage chance it does is higher than revisionists want to admit.
Allen will be in the Hall of Fame one day. Mayfield—who is a good quarterback and has had some very good seasons—will need many more versions of 2024 stacked together to ever reach that conversation. It’s fair to wonder what could have been. Allen’s 2020 breakout could have coincided nicely with Kevin Stefanski’s hire, and the two could be working together today. Who knows? It’s tough not to consider it.
Every time Allen and the Browns cross paths, he serves as a reminder of the 2018 class and what could have been. He shows you, up close and personal, what a true “culture changer” at the position looks like. He is one of the few examples where rare tools meet the necessary development curve. He is what every NFL franchise wants but it caught many by surprise. If the Browns are ever going to contend with the Bills, they will need a gunslinger who can go toe-to-toe with him. We’ll be reminded of just how tough that is in a few days.
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I was one of the folks who beat the drum for Josh Allen over Baker Mayfield. Was he raw coming out of Wyoming? Yes. But, he was the prototypical QB for Cleveland football, especially on the lakefront. It was simply a projection that he would become what he became, sure. But I wanted that over a shorter QB (Baker) or Sam Darnold. You could've even traded back. Was he worth #1 overall? Maybe not, but he went 7th, so he wouldn't have been much of a reach either.