The Buffalo Bills are bringing in a seasoned vet to aid rookie quarterback Josh Allen in his growth at the position.
On Tuesday, the Bills announced the signing of QB Derek Anderson to the roster. Anderson, 35, started his NFL career way back in 2005 as a Baltimore Ravens sixth-round pick. He’s appeared in 75 games across 14 games, primarily serving as a productive backup.
Signing Anderson reunites him with former offense coach Sean McDermott, who’s now running the Bills sideline.
Bringing in Anderson to mentor Allen is a smart move. The 22-year-old’s previous most experienced QB teammate was Nathan Peterman, who’s just two years older than him.
The Josh Allen experience has been interesting thus far in Buffalo. In four games, he’s passed for two TDS and ran for another three. However, he’s also thrown five picks and fumbled the ball four times. He’s been extremely hot and cold. The seventh overall pick in last year’s draft has looked dominant or completely invisible. It’s hard to peg his future at this point.
So, having Anderson by his side and giving him advice both on and off the field will help the 6’5″ rookie grow. It’s sort of surprising the Bills didn’t have a vet QB to help Allen before now, but with Anderson, they’ll have a vet who can show him the ropes and how to be an NFL pro.
