Bills Josh Allen enters 7th season focused on increasing his leadership role on

sharonorn

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP)  There remain many signs of Josh Allen being his familiar playful self.Whether it was opening training camp boasting of his latest Catan board game conquest; celebrating touchdowns with leaping hip-checks with teammates; and name-dropping Tiger Woods in detailing his offseason golf course encounters: The in opening his news conferences with a smile and a genial Hows it going?And yet, beneath the aw-shucks exterior is a noted level of seriousne s guiding Allens approach entering his seventh season, and finding himself in the first-time position of overseeing a team in transition.No longer surrounded by the familiar voices of experience he was accustomed to Joe Harris Jersey , with six of eight captains not returning to a roster that opened training camp with 43 newcomers, the 28-year-old stands alone at the top of Buffalos leadership chain in representing the face and voice of the franchise.ADVERTISEMENT  I think theres a level of trying to always be who I am. Be myself. Be as authentic as po sible. And everybody knows Im a joyous guy that likes to have fun, Allen said last week.But theres times where there doesnt need to be joking around, you know? Time to get serious, he added And over the years, Ive found when that is the most critical, and when its the hardest to do sometimes, and is the right thing to do.The response was telling in its frankne s and timing, with Allen showing no hint of his emotions a day after his maternal grandfather died after a summerlong illne s.Allen could have easily  Derrick Coleman Jersey skipped his weekly appearance with reporters, especially in the lead-up to a third preseason game in which Buffalo was resting its starters. But he instead chose to honor his responsibilities to the team.It was no different two weeks earlier when Allen was the only quarterback available for practice, and handled every rep during the near two-hour se sion.Tired?No, I was excited, Allen said. I wanted to keep going. I havent been able to throw that much in a long time. ... Its what I love doing the most, throwing the football.With all the changes in , after Stefon Diggs was traded to Houston and Gabe Davis departure in free agency, Allen has been more intentional on the field during and after practice. More often than in the past, hell pull receivers aside to go over timing and route-running expectations to fast-track rapport and chemistry.Coaches and teammates find Allen to be even more vocal in the locker room, something coach Sean McDermott Landry Shamet Jersey  said was evident after Buffalo stumbled through a preseason-opening 33-6 lo s to Chicago. Criticized for not playing up to their standard, the Bills responded with a 9-3 win at Pittsburgh.It starts with Joshs leadership. When players see him model that, they follow suit, McDermott said. I believe that Josh looked at this as an opportunity and somewhat of a new chapter, and with that, him taking even more ownership of his role.Having already cemented himself as Buffalo's franchise player in terms of production, wins, playoff appearances and contract, Allen enters the next step of his career arc. The challenge now is e sentially starting from scratch in carrying over past succe s with the next iteration of a teams roster as all succe sful NFL quarterbacks have done before him.I think when theres change, there can be apprehension. But with Josh, hes taking and embracing it with excitement, general manager Brandon Beane told The A sociated Pre s.Ive been here every day pretty much and you see him out there grabbing a guy, whether its a second-year player, a rookie or a five-year vet, and saying `Show me this. Turn here,' he added. Hes as invested as anybody and hes got a desire to win, like we all do. And he wants to see this team  Keven Durant Jersey get over the top. from those who questioned his abilities coming out of Wyoming, and fueled further by the various ways the Bills have come up short in the playoffs, with three of .Now, Allens driven by questions as to whether he can carry the Bills even further with a new and younger roster.Josh thrives on doubt, Beane said.Theres chips on his shoulders that are never going to go away, he added. He could end up in the Hall of Fame one day, and I bet you he enters having to adjust his shoulder because hes going to enter with a chip."It was in June when Allen discu sed tweaks he made to his throwing motion to improve his efficiency following a season in which his 66.5 percent completion rate was the second best of his career and ranked 10th among players with nine or more starts. He then rolled his eyes and smiled when asked if hed ever reviewed tape of his Wyoming college days.Theres no secret to how unorthodox and occasionally wild Allen was during his three seasons in Laramie, with red flags raised over whether he could overcome his inaccuracy to be an effective NFL starter.Ill see a video and Im like, `Whos that throwing the ball? And its me, Allen responded. Its kind of gro s to look at it sometimes, but I dont think its as gro s anymore.The same goes with how far Allen believes he's grown as a leader, adapting and maturing through experience and discu sions with former teammates, and now having to convey that me sage to his newer ones.I think youth can sometimes be a positive thing. Guys dont know what they dont know, and were able to teach what we want from them, Allen said. Im going into Year 7 now, which is crazy to think about. But I feel Kevin Durant Jersey  like Im still getting better. Im still trying to learn a lot and trying to be the best version of myself every time I step in this locker room.___AP NFL: