The Buffalo Bills spent last year trading for future picks to have versatility in the 2018 NFL draft. Thursday night they traded two second-round picks to select who they believe will be their franchise quarterback.
The team traded their 12th, 53rd and 56th overall picks in this year's draft to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to draft Wyoming QB Josh Allen seventh overall.
His strong arm has many in the NFL thinking he will find success here in Buffalo, including Bills General Manager Brandon Beane. However, he spent much of draft day answering questions about tweets with racial slurs he sent while in high school. Beane said the team did their due diligence on Allen regarding this situation.
“This was a 14 (or) 15 year old," said Beane. "I’m not making an excuse. I know there’s probably things I would be disappointed in myself that I did at 14 or 15. He’s going to come in here and own it. That’s all he can do. He’s owned it. He’ll have to earn the trust of his teammates, the fan base, (and) our organization. He’s done all he can do. He’ll have to do more when he gets here.”
Allen's tweets were sent in 2012 and 2013 and no longer appear on his account. Bills Head Coach Sean McDermott said that kind of behavior will not be tolerated in the organization and hopes he will learn from this incident.
Allen has struggled with inaccuracy his entire collegiate career. General Manager Brandon Beane says he thinks his pros outweigh the cons.
“College football is very hard to scout because you are talking about different levels and different players, said Beane. "It’s not like scouting in pro where they are all playing on the same level, same competition. Probably the closest thing that Josh Allen had to that was playing at the senior bowl. “
The last time the Bills took a quarterback in the first round was EJ Manuel in 2013-- another player who was considered raw with high upside. It didn't work then. Beane is hopeful it will work now.
“College football is very hard to scout because you are talking about different levels and different players. It’s not like scouting in pro where they are all playing on the same level, same competition. Probably the closest thing that Josh Allen had to that was playing at the senior bowl," he said.
Allen is the first quarterback the Bills have ever selected in the top ten of the draft.
