Dwayne Allen

Dolphins Drop Dwayne Allen

The Dolphins have reached an injury settlement with tight end Dwayne Allen and released cornerback Torry Mctyer, a source tells ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). Allen was unable to stay healthy or produce in camp, leading to his late-August release.

They got younger guys they want to invest more time in,” Allen told ESPN.com’s Josina Anderson (on Twitter). “They decided to let me go, but I appreciate the opportunity that they gave me. There are teams calling, but we will see. I had an offseason knee surgery that I need to heal up from.”

Allen was expected to be a big part of the Dolphins’ offense, but it appears they are comfortable with tight ends Mike Gesicki, Nick O’Leary, and Durham Smythe. Allen, meanwhile, could look for work elsewhere, though he hinted at leaving the NFL altogether.

I love the game of football. It’s a great gift to all us all, but I will take some time to think about my future,” Allen told Anderson. “I know at some point I want to go back to school.”

Dolphins Notes: Clowney, Grant, Alonso

The Dolphins believe they are the favorites to land Texans star Jadeveon Clowney, but Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com believes that Miami would have to increase Clowney’s tag number (currently just under $16MM) to something in the $20MM+ range to land the former No. 1 overall pick (Twitter link). Fitzgerald suggests that the Dolphins may not be interested in giving Clowney the long-term deal he wants and could be looking to trade a second-round pick for Clowney this year and flipping him for a first-rounder next year.

Let’s take a quick swing around South Beach:

  • Wide receiver Jakeem Grant‘s extension was reported as a four-year, $24MM pact, but NFL Insider Adam Caplan says the base value is actually $19.7MM (Twitter link). The total value could increase to $24MM with Pro Bowl incentives. The contract includes $7.5MM in guaranteed money, only $3.72MM of which is fully guaranteed.
  • The Dolphins are said to be shopping linebacker Kiko Alonso, though rival teams expect him to be cut. Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald writes that head coach Brian Flores was non-committal when asked about the status of Alonso and tight end Dwayne Allen, both of whom have battled injuries this summer. Alonso returned to practice on a limited basis Sunday, and while Jackson says Miami could very well keep him around in 2019, it would not be surprising if both Alonso and Allen were released.
  • More from Jackson, who suggests that edge rusher Nate Orchard is on the roster bubble. Though Flores didn’t elaborate, he said “this will be a big week” for Orchard. It sounds as if one of last year’s “Hard Knocks” stars could find his way onto the 53-man roster with a strong performance in Miami’s last preseason game.
  • The Dolphins’ QB competition between Josh Rosen and Ryan Fitzpatrick remains open.

AFC East Rumors: Gronk, McCoy, Fins, Jets

The AFC East’s teams will report to training camp this week. Here is the latest surrounding the Patriots and their perennial challengers:

  • The Rob Gronkowski comeback talk has escalated considerably, with Gronkowski doing the speculating and predicting how restless he will be when Patriots camp and games begin. It won’t be Gronk’s relationship with Bill Belichick that stands in the way, Tom Curran of NBC Sports Boston notes. After 2017 featured tension between Gronkowski and Belichick, Curran adds that the two “greatly” improved their relationship last season. This came despite the Patriots at one point planning to trade Gronk to the Lions last year. This improved relationship could point to Belichick signing off on a Gronk mid- or late-season return. The Patriots’ shaky tight end depth chart would seemingly have the defending champions eager to have the 30-year-old back in uniform.
  • One of Gronkowski’s former sidekicks in New England, Dwayne Allen will not begin camp on time with his new team. The Dolphins placed the veteran tight end on their active/PUP list on Sunday. Cornerback Cordrea Tankersley and linebacker/special-teamer Mike Hull joined Allen in receiving this designation before Miami’s camp. Tankersley tore an ACL in November, so this additional delay was not unexpected. He started 11 games at corner as a rookie but played in only six, as a reserve, last season.
  • Might third-round rookie Devin Singletary‘s performance put a potential Hall of Famer on the outs in Buffalo? LeSean McCoy is entering the final season of a five-year, $40MM Bills contract, and his cap savings ($6MM-plus) would benefit the Bills more than releases of Frank Gore or T.J. Yeldon. This led an NFL scouting director to call the McCoy situation one to monitor, per Albert Breer of SI.com. On a limited Bills offense last season, McCoy averaged a career-low 36.7 yards per game. His 3.2 yards per carry were nearly a yard shy of his previous-worst figure. The idea of a McCoy trade has surfaced this offseason, too.
  • Despite Leonard Williams being one of Mike Maccagnan‘s highest-profile investments, the New York Post’s Brian Costello predicts, barring unrealistic contract demands, Williams will end up staying on a long-term deal. The defensive end’s positive off-field reputation and standing within the locker room supports the notion the new regime, in Costello’s view, regarding him as a cornerstone player going forward. Speculation in league circles emerged that Adam Gase wanted to move on from Williams, but nothing has developed on that front in weeks. Williams, 25, is set for a fifth-year option season at $14.2MM.

AFC East Notes: Waddle, Allen, Copeland

Here’s a quick rundown of some AFC East items:

  • The Dolphins lost right tackle Ja’Wuan James and are seeking a cheaper alternative. The club had a discussion about free agent LaAdrian Waddle, per Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, but nothing had materialized on that front as of this afternoon. Jackson says Miami could also be interested in former Falcons RT Ryan Schraeder, whom Atlanta released today.
  • New Dolphins TE Dwayne Allen is under contract through 2020, but his $3.5MM salary for 2020 is not guaranteed, as Jackson writes in a separate piece. As such, the club could cut him at the end of the 2019 campaign and incur only $625K in dead money.
  • The Patriots lost their top sack artist from last season, Trey Flowers. and are looking for some pass rush help. To that end, the club has inquired on free agent Brandon Copeland, who had five sacks for the division-rival Jets last season.
  • In case you missed it, the Jets are unlikely to re-sign return man Andre Roberts.

TE Dwayne Allen To Sign With Dolphins

Tight end Dwayne Allen is set to join another AFC East team. The veteran told ESPN’s Josina Anderson that he’s going to sign with the Dolphins (Twitter link). It’s a two-year deal worth $7MM, according to Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald.

The veteran has been busy since being released by the Patriots last week. The 29-year-old also met with the Ravens, Bills, and Lions. We learned earlier this week that Allen was set to meet with Miami.

The 2012 third-round pick spent the first six years of his career with the Colts before being dealt to the Patriots in 2017. After having compiled at least 350 receiving yards in three of his five healthy seasons, Allen didn’t play as much of a role in the offense during his two seasons in New England.

In 29 games (16 starts), Allen only hauled in 13 receptions for 113 yards and one score. While Allen has earned some recent praise for his blocking prowess, Pro Football Focus still ranked him 65th among 70 eligible tight ends in 2018.

Dwayne Allen Meeting With Lions, Dolphins

Free agent tight end Dwayne Allen‘s visit with the Lions has wrapped up, and he’s now on track to meet with the Dolphins, according to Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

Allen was released last Saturday by the Patriots, but a market has quickly developed for his services. The Ravens, already flush with tight end talent, met with Allen earlier this week, as did the Bills. Both the Dolphins and Lions employ former Patriots coordinators — Brian Flores and Matt Patricia, respectively — as head coaches, while former New England staffer Brian Daboll is Buffalo’s offensive play-caller.

Allen, 29, was once a relatively prolific receiving tight end during his run with the Colts, topping 50 targets and 25 reception in three of his five Indianapolis campaigns. Since being traded to the Patriots prior to the 2017 season, however, Allen has essentially become a sixth offensive lineman. In his two years in New England, Allen has managed only 26 total targets, and 22 of those looks came during his debut season with the Patriots. In 2018, Allen played 438 offensive snaps, but ran a route on only 128 of those plays.

Miami didn’t get much production out of its tight ends in 2018, as second-round rookie Mike Gesicki led the unit with 22 receptions. Gesicki will return next season, while Nick O’Leary and Durham Smythe are also under contract. A.J. Derby and MarQueis Gray, meanwhile, are each headed for unrestricted free agency.

Bills Hosting TE Dwayne Allen

Free agent tight end Dwayne Allen‘s tour has continued to Buffalo, where the Bills are hosting him today, tweets Josina Anderson of ESPN.com. If Allen leaves New York without a deal in hand, he’s expected to meet with the Lions.

Allen was released last Saturday by the Patriots, but a market has quickly developed for his services. The Ravens, already flush with tight end talent, met with Allen earlier this week, while the Dolphins have also been mentioned as a possible suitor in addition to Buffalo and Detroit. Both the Dolphins and Lions employ former Patriots coordinators — Brian Flores and Matt Patricia, respectively — as head coaches, while former New England staffer Brian Daboll is Buffalo’s offensive play-caller.

Allen, 29, was once a relatively prolific receiving tight end during his run with the Colts, topping 50 targets and 25 reception in three of his five Indianapolis campaigns. Since being traded to the Patriots prior to the 2017 season, however, Allen has essentially become a sixth offensive lineman. In his two years in New England, Allen has managed only 26 total targets, and 22 of those looks came during his debut season with the Patriots. In 2018, Allen played 438 offensive snaps, but ran a route on only 128 of those plays.

The Bills are devoid of established talent at the tight end position, having released their only experienced player at the position — Charles Clay — earlier this year. At present, Buffalo has only Jason Croom under contract, while fellow tight end Logan Thomas is a restricted free agent.

Ravens To Meet With Dwayne Allen

Dwayne Allen‘s free agent tour is underway. On Tuesday, the tight end will meet with the Ravens, a source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). 

[RELATED: Four Teams Interested In Dwayne Allen]

The Ravens looking for blocking tight ends with both Nick Boyle and Maxx Williams scheduled for free agency, so Allen could be a fit. Utilized as more of an offensive weapon in his early days with the Colts, Allen settled into a more blocking-forward role with the Patriots in the last two seasons. Allen could also provide veteran counsel to tight ends Hayden Hurst and Mark Andrews, both of whom were selected in last year’s draft.

Allen, 29, recorded just 13 catches for 113 yards and one touchdown in his two seasons with the Patriots. In 2016, his last year with the Colts, he put up 35 catches for 406 yards and six TDs.

Four Teams Interested In Dwayne Allen

A market is already starting to take shape for Dwayne Allen. The Ravens, Bills, Dolphins, and Lions all have interest in meeting with the tight end, according to Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (on Twitter). 

Over the weekend, the Patriots parted ways with the 29-year-old, making him immediately available. The Patriots are open to bringing him back at a cheaper rate, but they might not get that opportunity given the early interest he is receiving.

Allen was set to enter the final year of his contract in 2019 with a base salary of $6.4MM. By cutting him, the Pats saved about $7.3MM in cap room, boosting their total cap space to roughly $25MM.

Allen spent the first six seasons of his career with the Colts before being dealt to the Patriots in 2017. After having compiled at least 350 receiving yards in three of his five healthy seasons, the 2012 third-rounder didn’t play as much of a role in the offense in New England.

In 29 games (16 starts), Allen only hauled in 13 receptions for 113 yards and one score. Allen also appeared in each of the Patriots’ six playoff games during that span, but he didn’t record a reception in those contests. While Allen has earned some recent praise for his blocking prowess, Pro Football Focus ranked him just 65th among 70 eligible tight ends in 2018.

Patriots To Release TE Dwayne Allen

The Patriots are moving on from Dwayne Allen. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports (via Twitter) that the organization has informed the veteran tight end that they’ll be releasing him.

Schefter notes that the team would be open to bringing Allen back for less money. The tight end was entering the final year of his contract in 2019 and was set to earn a $6.4MM base salary. The team will free up about $7.3MM in cap with the move, boosting their cap space total to around $25MM.

The 2012 third-round pick spent the first six seasons of his career with the Colts before being dealt to the Patriots in 2017. After having compiled at least 350 receiving yards in three of his five healthy seasons, Allen didn’t play as much of a role in the offense during his two seasons in New England.

In 29 games (16 starts), Allen only hauled in 13 receptions for 113 yards and one score. Allen also appeared in each of the Patriots’ six playoff games during that span, but he didn’t record a reception. While Allen has earned some recent praise for his blocking prowess, Pro Football Focus still ranked him 65th among 70 eligible tight ends in 2018.

Considering the uncertainty surrounding Rob Gronkowski, the Patriots could be seeking some reinforcement at tight end this offseason. The team is rostering some intriguing options in Stephen Anderson, Jacob Hollister, and Ryan Izzo, but none of the trio have the same amount of experience as Allen or Gronk.