Daniel Jones Could Learn A Thing Or Two From Josh Allen About Sticking Up For His Guys

ESPN -- Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen said wide receiver Stefon Diggs' absence from the team's first mandatory minicamp practice Tuesday, after leaving the facility earlier in the day, comes from an issue the team is working on internally.

The quarterback said that he did not think there is a personality conflict between him and Diggs but that there are things that could have gone better last year. Some examples Allen gave of what the Bills can do to support Diggs is incorporating him "a little bit better in what we're doing here" and "getting him the ball or getting more involved in the game plan."

Allen said that it is related to "teamwork" and has to do with more than just football, but he placed some responsibility on himself, saying, "There's things that I could do better to help out with this process and try to get him back here and be the Buffalo Bill that he's meant to be."

"I think we're just, as an organization, maybe not communicating the right way with everything," Allen said. "So again, just trying to talk and listen at the same time and hear him out. And like I said, just try to move this forward as quickly and as respectfully as possible."

"Stef, he's my guy," Allen said. "Excuse my ... I f---ing love him. He's a brother of mine. This does not work, what we're doing here, without him. We wish he was in here today and was out there on the field with us and that's not the case, but I've got his back no matter what. And again, I've got no doubt that we will figure out what's going on. I frigging love him. I can't stress that enough."

Talk about a leader ... talk about a teammate. Talk about a star. Talk about a foxhole guy. That's Josh Allen. Like him, love him, hate him .. .there's no denying you have to respect a guy like that. Every team has drama, and I'm sure there's stuff in the huddle or in meetings where these two butt heads, that's sports. That is not a negative. That's two guys who want to win, and are opinionated and will do anything to make it happen. Jordan got in fist fights at practice. Players get separated on the sidelines all the time. Everyone wants to win. Shit happens. You dust it off and move on. Squabbles don't matter, banners do. 

Now I personally think The Bills will struggle to win a title with Mahomes in the AFC, and Burrow, Herbert, Jackson and Lawrence all still looming, but there's no denying they are in the title hunt each year. That's a different conversation for another time. The point is The Bills are in the discussion of the elite which is a lot better than having a top draft pick every year.

Regardless of small problems in the locker room, the real take away here is how much Allen has his guys back. That's a guy I would want to play for. That's a guy you go to war for. 

If you notice ... 7-8 hours south of Buffalo there's a different kind of holdout going on in East Rutherford involving the NY Giants. 

Saquon Barkley isn't at team camp, and is waiting on a deal to get done. 

Now let's again remind everyone that when healthy has been one of the best RB's in the league and the numbers back it up. 

In 4 full seasons he's dominated the ground and been an anchor to the offense. Defense's have to respect him, which allows Jones to have the ability to get off good play action. I'm not the only one who think Barkley has been one of the best in league, Micah Parsons sounded off about how Barkley is so good, defenses have to adjust their game plans. 

You know who hasn't said a word about it … Daniel Jones. 

Danny Boy, come on dude. Take a page out of Josh Allen's playbook and come defend your guy. You know for a fact the offense is better when Barkley is there. You know for a fact that you are a better Quarterback when you have a dominate RB to rely on. You could have gotten out in front of this. You could have went out in front of the press and made a comment how great Barkley is, how the organization needs to pay him. If you did that you could have not only got Saquon in your corner, the team in your corner knowing they will be backed up when it's time for the next guy to get paid, and most importantly the fans on your side because all then all parties (the players, the fans, and Saquon) will be united against ownership. Everyone will be asking why Saquon isn't getting paid if a guy like Daniel Jones has his back. The tide will turn then to the ownership being backed into a corner. They will have to address it and more importantly, they will have to pay him. 

Listen I like Daniel Jones, and I think he's made massive strides over the years, especially last year to become the face of the franchise Quarterback but part of that entails the intangibles and one of those, maybe the biggest intangibles is being a leader, and having your guys back and Jones swung and missed here not coming out and going to bat for Saquon and longer it goes, the less impactful it is, and the worse it looks. Speak now Danny … the G-Men need it.