4:27pm: Harris tells a number of reporters, including and Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports (Twitter links) that after having “good discussions” during his second visit to Seattle, Allen is heading home to mull offers from the Seahawks and other teams. Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com notes (via Twitter) that the Seahawks are working hard to finalize a deal, and that Allen brought his wife with him on his second visit to meet with the team.
3:09pm: Agent Ken Harris wouldn’t confirm that any agreement is in place between his client and the Seahawks, telling Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link) that Allen is just visiting the team for now.
2:22pm: One of the top free agents remaining on the board appears to have found a home with the defending Super Bowl champions. According to Ed Werder of ESPN.com (via Twitter), Jared Allen is working out the final details of a contract agreement with the Seahawks, and could sign later today.
Allen, 31, remained productive and durable in 2013, recording 11.5 sacks in his last season with the Vikings. It was the sixth straight year in which Allen had started all 16 regular season contests for the team, and the seventh consecutive season he’d notched 11 or more sacks. The former fourth-round pick also played well against the run, according to Pro Football Focus, whose metrics ranked him fifth overall among 4-3 defensive ends in ’13 (subscription required)
In joining the Seahawks, Allen would be fortifying a defensive line that was already expected to be one of the league’s best at rushing the passer, having retained Michael Bennett earlier in March. It will be interesting to see how the Seahawks plan to manage Allen’s playing time in Seattle — the veteran defensive end appeared in 1,044 defensive snaps last season and wants to continue to play full time, but given his age and the team’s depth, he may see his role scaled back a little in 2014.
A report earlier this week indicated that Allen was seeking an annual salary close to $10MM, in the neighborhood of what DeMarcus Ware and Julius Peppers received. As I noted at the time, the guaranteed money on Ware’s and Pepper’s deals varied significantly, so we’ll have to see what Allen’s new deal with the Seahawks looks like, if and when it gets done. With Bennett and a few other smaller additions in the mix, Seattle didn’t have a ton of cap room this offseason, particularly if the team wanted to stay flexible to extend players like Russell Wilson, Richard Sherman, and Earl Thomas down the road.