Bills trade up to draft QB Josh Allen with seventh pick - Sports - MailTribune.com - Medford, OR

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Bills trade up to draft QB Josh Allen with seventh pick By By Calvin WatkinsNewsday Posted Apr 26, 2018 at 7:43 PM Updated Apr 26, 2018 at 7:43 PM Josh Allen didn't get a college scholarship offer out of high school and even after playing at a junior college, only Eastern Michigan and Wyoming were interested in the 6-7, 237-pound quarterback. The Bills traded up to the seventh spot to select Allen in the first round of the NFL Thursday night in Dallas. The Bills are getting a big-armed quarterback who threw 44 touchdowns in his last two seasons at Wyoming. Less than 24 hours before the first round of the NFL draft, Allen admitted he wrote racially offensive tweets in high school. The tweets no longer appear on Allen's Twitter feed, but Yahoo Sports captured screen shots of the objectionable tweets before they were deleted. According to ESPN, Allen apologized for the tweets and told ESPN's Stephen A. Smith late Wednesday night that he was young and dumb when he wrote the tweets while attending Firebaugh High School, about 40 miles west of Fresno, Calif. Allen, 21, appeared Wednesday morning at an NFL Play60 event outside AT&T Stadium, where the draft is being held, but was not asked about the tweets, which weren't reported until several hours later. The tweets were written in 2012 and 2013, according to Yahoo. On the field, there was concern over Allen's 56.3 completion percentage in 2017. He attributes the low completion percentage to a change of personnel and footwork, something he worked on with former NFL quarterback Jordan Palmer during the buildup to the draft. "Just working on consistent footwork, working on everything," Allen said at the NFL combine. "Kind of every throw that I missed, it derived from my feet. I try to put myself in the most uncomfortable position, (then) get back to the base." At the Combine, Allen showed off a strong arm on a number of pass routes, from deep passes inside and outside the numbers to slants and out patterns. Still, the completion percentage issue remains a topic of discussion, including Wednesday in Dallas. "I don't think I'm an inaccurate quarterback," he said. "Obviously the 56-percent completion percentage was not where it needs to be, but when my feet are set, and I'm throwing on platform, I'm as accurate as anyone out there." Allen has all the measurables, he just needed a team who believed he can turn a franchise around. He doesn't have the same big-time background as Sam Darnold, Baker Mayfield or Josh Rosen, but Allen is here ready to go. "The size, I think I'm the biggest guy here," Allen joked at the combine of his weight. "I weigh the most, I'm not particularly proud of that but the thing you see on the field, the arm strength, the mobility, I think I pride myself on is my competitive nature. I'm a type of guy, the only thing I want to do is win. I'm going to do whatever it takes to win. I don't care how we get it done, as long as we get it done, that's how people value you and kind of rank you among other quarterbacks, is how you win." Most Popular Suspects sought in Shady Cove deer attacks Apr 28 at 6:12 PM Jackson County sees startling spike in opioid overdose deaths Apr 28 at 4:24 PM Spring Gold: Tips on finding morel mushrooms from people who know Apr 29 at 2:00 AM Two arrested, toddler removed from suspected drug RV Apr 27 at 5:55 PM Asante wins Level II trauma status Apr 30 at 2:01 AM Davis tops in lawyers' poll for circuit judge Apr 27 at 5:45 PM Airfare wars mean cheap tickets to Seattle, LA Apr 28 at 2:01 AM Shady Cove man accused in second marijuana theft case Apr 30 at 3:56 PM Students show off their techno-smarts Apr 26 at 6:09 PM Guest Opinion: Get ready for your 'pack a day' of summer smoke Apr 29 at 2:01 AM Medford Comic Con set to draw 20,000 in 2 days Apr 28 at 3:55 PM Hiking groups do more than hike Apr 27 at 2:00 AM © Copyright 2006-2018 Rosebud Media LLC. All rights reserved. Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com ~ P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501