John Brown showing well-rounded skill set in Buffalo Bills training camp

Buffalo Bills wide receiver John Brown is proving his worth in training camp.

The Buffalo Bills entered this past offseason with an obvious need at the wide receiver and they did a nice job of addressing it. The Bills were not able to find a sure-fire number one receiver for Josh Allen, but they both John Brown and Cole Beasley were solid additions who will help their young quarterback.

While Beasley is a nice player who will make an impact for the Bills out of the slot, Brown stands out as the player most likely to be a significant difference-maker for Buffalo in 2019. In fact, Brown has been the star of early training camp practices.

Reports of Brown shining in training camp are popping up all over the place, as he has already built an impressive rapport with Allen. Matthew Bove paints a position picture of Brown’s performance at camp, specifically his ability to make plays for Allen in the deep passing game.

“Allen had a very impressive day. Sure there were mistakes, but Allen connected with WR John Brown twice for two 50+ yard completions,” Bove wrote. “On the first throw, Allen stepped up in the pocket to avoid some pressure and dropped a perfect pass into Brown’s arms down the sideline. Moments later the two connected again on another deep ball, with Brown reeling it in after making a nice adjustment.”

“Don’t be surprised if John Brown is the Bills No. 1 WR this season,” he continued. “Of course it’s still very early and a lot can change but in the first three days of practice, he’s been getting plenty of targets, especially down the field. If last year is any indication, Allen loves to take his shots down the field, which makes Brown a match made in heaven.”

Brown is known as a premier deep threat on the outside. He has quick feet at the line of scrimmage to beat any initial coverage and has blazing speed that allows him to separate down the field against most defensive backs. He also tracks the ball in the air extremely well and has a knack for making plays down the field.

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Last season with the Baltimore Ravens, Brown had 17 yards per reception which shows his obvious big-play ability. He also had 1,559 air yards, the eighth-highest total in the entire NFL.

Brown has made a career out of being a weapon in the deep passing game. However, he has done a nice job of improving in other areas in recent years and it is paying off in camp.

According to Matt Parrino of NYup.com, Buffalo Bills wide receiver coach Chad Hall has been impressed with Brown’s overall ability as a wide receiver.

“As far as route running and him having indicators, he is probably the smoothest guy I’ve ever seen,” Hall said, according to Parrino. “He plays a lot bigger than he is and he separates very well,” Hall said. “(Defensive backs) have to be aware of all of that, and will play softer because of it. He can run every underneath route too.”

Brown will likely continue to be a nightmare as a deep receiver, but if he can show off some underneath skills for the Bills, his upside is going to be massive. If Brown can create separation with smooth routes underneath, he has the speed to take it to the house from anywhere on the field. He is obviously a dangerous weapon in the deep passing game, but Brown can also be dangerous with the ball in his hands.

Perhaps most importantly, having Brown on the roster is extremely good news for Allen. The young Bills quarterback is not the most polished player, but he excels in the deep passing game. Having a guy like Brown who can make plays for him deep is big for his development. If that guy can also make plays in the short to intermediate range, it is absolutely massive.

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Simply put, the Buffalo Bills may have found a true diamond in the rough in Brown. He has the ability to make a massive impact at an extremely important position where they lack quality depth. He may not be an ideal number one receiver, but Brown has a chance to give the Bills number one wide receiver production in 2019.

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