Rookie QB Allen gets vet mentor

rookie starter Josh Allen is gaining a mentor after Buffalo signed Derek Anderson on Tuesday.

The Bills announced the move Tuesday, a day after Anderson visited the team’s facility. The 35yearold has a 2027 record over 12 NFL seasons, and spent the past seven serving as Cam Newton’s backup with the Carolina Panthers.

Coach Sean McDermott supported the need to add a veteran presence to help groom Allen in discussing the possibility of the Bills signing Anderson a day earlier.

“He’s got some good wisdom stored up in that brain,” McDermott said.

“He’s got a good outlook on the game from an offensive standpoint and understands defenses,” he added. “So there’s a lot of value to it from where we are right now in terms of that quarterback room.”

Allen welcomed the idea of the Bills signing Anderson when the possibility was first broached following a 1312 win over Tennessee on Sunday.

“I’m not going to turn any help away, for sure,” the rookie firstround pick said. “I know there’s a lot of things for me to improve and grow on, and that comes with repetition and that comes with an extra set of eyes maybe sometimes, too.”

The move comes with the Bills off to a 23 start and preparing for a game at Houston (23) on Sun day.

Buffalo has lacked veteran depth at quarterback since trading fifthyear player AJ McCarron to Oakland on Sept. 1. That left the Bills opening the season by starting secondyear player Nathan Peterman, and Allen serving as the backup.

Allen’s time on the sideline didn’t last long.

The Bills had no choice but to speed up Allen’s developmental timetable by naming him the starter after Peterman faltered miserably in a seasonopening 473 loss at Baltimore.

Allen has a 22 record, and enjoyed his first gamewinning drive by setting up Stephen Hauschka’s 46yard field goal as time expired against Tennessee. The 22yearold, however, is far from a finished product, and overseeing a sputtering offense that has yet to top 300 yards this season.

Allen had 82 yards passing against Tennessee, which were the fewest in a win by a Bills quarterback who played the entire game since Drew Bledsoe had 81 yards in a 3814 victory over Arizona on Oct. 31, 2004.

Overall, he has gone 65of122 for 748 yards with two touchdowns passing, a teambest three rushing, along with five interceptions and a lost fumble. Allen has also been sacked 19 times.

The Bills are very familiar with Anderson.

McDermott and general manager Brandon Beane both worked in Carolina before being hired by the Bills last year.