The Cleveland Browns took Heisman Trophy winner and Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield with the first pick of the NFL Draft on Thursday night as controversy swelled around Josh Allen, the Wyoming quarterback who admitted to writing tweets with racial epithets as a high schooler in 2013.
The Giants took Penn State running back Saquon Barkley with the second pick.
According to Yahoo Sports, Allen repeatedly used the n-word, and in one response to the question ‘Why are you so white?’ in 2013, he replied: ‘If it ain’t white, it ain’t right!’
Allen’s response in this case seems to be a reference to the sit-com ‘Modern Family.’ Some of the other tweets, he explained to ESPN, either came from rap lyrics and there is a possibility that other tweets were actually written by his friends.
Wyoming’s Josh Allen answers questions from the media during the NFL Scouting Combine
Allen throws against the UNLV Rebels during a game at Sam Boyd Stadium in 2016
Just hours before NFL teams made their selections for the 2018 draft in Dallas, Allen scrambled to apologize for the posts, saying he was ‘young and dumb’ when he wrote them in 2012-2013.
The 21-year-old quarterback was regarded as a potential top-five pick in this year’s draft.
However the emergence of his social media posts made in high school may have effected the perception of him among NFL teams.
Falling in the NFL Draft will certainly cost Allen.
The top pick, Mayfield, will have a cap figure in 2018 of $5.9 million, whereas the second-overall pick, Barkley, will earn $5.6 million in as a rookie. The 32nd and final pick in the first round will have a 2018 base salary of $1.7 million.
Oklahoma’s Baker Mayfield, the 2017 Heisman Trophy winner, was picked by the Cleveland Browns with the top pick of Thursday’s NFL Draft. Josh Allen had been the projected No. 1
Mayfield celebrates with Sooners fans after beating Oklahoma State in 2015
Not unlike a political campaign, negative stories about NFL Draft hopefuls are regarded suspiciously, even when the parties involved admit wrongdoing. Allen’s case echoes the social media controversy surrounding Laremy Tunsil in 2016. Video of Tunsil appearing to smoke marijuana through a gas mask emerged on draft day two years ago, bumping him down the order. He was later selected by the Miami Dolphins and now starts at left tackle
In an interview with ESPN’s Chris Mortensen on Thursday, Allen said the revelation has put him ‘in a panic,’ but explained that the tweets did not reflect his character.
‘If I could go back in time, I would never have done this in a heartbeat,’ Allen said. ‘At the time, I obviously didn’t know how harmful it was and now has become.
‘I hope you know and others know I’m not the type of person I was at 14 and 15 that I tweeted so recklessly. … I don’t want that to be the impression of who I am, because that is not me. I apologize for what I did.
‘It sucks. My family is hurting. We never envisioned a day or night like this.’
Allen’s case echoes the social media controversy surrounding Laremy Tunsil in 2016. Video of Tunsil appearing to smoke marijuana through a gas mask emerged on draft day two years ago, bumping him down the order. He was later selected by the Miami Dolphins.
USC QB Sam Darnold (right) was taken ahead of Allen (center) by the Jets with the third pick
Mayfield eventually should become the 30th quarterback to start a game for the Cleveland Browns since the franchise returned as an expansion team in 1999, presumably after Tyrod Taylor — acquired from the Buffalo Bills via trade this offseason — becomes the 29th to do so. The team has been resolute that Taylor will be the starter in Week 1 of 2018, but considering no Browns QB has started all 16 games since 2001, it’s fair to say the clock is already ticking on Mayfield’s debut.
Only two of the previous 28 have made it past 25 starts (Tim Couch 59, Derek Anderson 34) with the Browns. Last year’s second-round pick, DeShone Kizer, made more starts as a rookie (15) than all but six of the other 27 on the infamous list made in their career for Cleveland, but he was summarily shipped away via trade this offseason to the Green Bay Packers.
No current quarterback on the Cleveland roster has started a game for the Browns, as Cody Kessler and Kevin Hogan were each traded away. In addition to Taylor, the team brought in veteran Drew Stanton from the Arizona Cardinals via free agency.
Mayfield started 47 games during his college career, finishing his time at Oklahoma with the two highest single-season marks in passing efficiency in FBS history (196.4 in 2016, 198.9 in 2017), breaking Russell Wilson’s record.
MAYFIELD NAILS FAVRE DRAFT PIC
Baker Mayfield’s mother reportedly purchased wallpaper to match the wood paneling of Brett Favre’s childhood bedroom, and since they already had the jorts, all they needed was to decorate the space with pictures of Mayfield’s days in youth sports
Hours ahead of Thursday night’s NFL Draft, where he might be picked first overall by the Cleveland Browns, Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield took the time to precisely emulate his hero Brett Favre, right down to the trademark jorts.
Mayfield recreated the famous photo of Favre from 1991, when he learned he had been drafted out of Southern Mississippi by the Atlanta Falcons. Favre, who would go on to win a Super Bowl with the Green Bay Packers before being inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2016, was seen laying down in his crowded bedroom with a cordless phone, a pair of jean shorts, and a wide grin – all of which Mayfield captured in his version on Wednesday night.
A native Texan, Mayfield has been likened to Favre for both his boisterous personality, southern roots (he’s from Texas), and reckless playing style
‘There are those people who are in your corner no matter what, you can’t do any wrong, even when you do wrong,’ Mayfield wrote in his Twitter post, quoting Favre. ‘And then there are those people that no matter what you do they’re going to dislike you and that’s not going to change.’
Favre seemed to enjoy the tweet and responded Thursday, ‘Good luck tonight….and remember to send my Jorts back tomorrow.’
A native Texan, Mayfield has been likened to Favre for both his boisterous personality, southern roots (he’s from Texas), and reckless playing style.
The Favre photo was originally taken by a local newspaper, but later spread to national magazines and television after Favre broke out as a member of the Packers.
According to ESPN, Mayfield’s mother purchased wallpaper to match the wood paneling of Favre’s childhood bedroom, and since Mayfield already had the jorts, all they needed was to decorate the space with pictures of the quarterback’s days in youth sports.
The entire project took roughly an hour, according to ESPN.
Brett Favre seemed to enjoy the tweet and responded Thursday morning