The Jets have announced this afternoon that they have signed South Carolina safety Antonio Allen, their first selection in the seventh round of last month's draft.
Allen (6'1", 210) was considered great value at that position by some draft analysts. The reason he slipped into Round 7 may have been related to the "Spur" safety position he played for the Gamecocks.
"I'm not 12 yards deep covering the post every play," Allen explained after he was drafted. "I'm up on the line of scrimmage tackling people for a loss. It's not a traditional safety spot. It is what it is."
And Allen is what he is as well. "I am a playmaker," he said. "I make plays all over the field and I do what I have to do to get the offensive guys the ball back."
Allen is the fifth of the Jets' eight draft picks to have signed on the dotted line, following the signings of second-round WR Stephen Hill and sixth-rounders Josh Bush, Terrance Ganaway and Robert Griffin.
