Former Patriots tight end Dwayne Allen generating plenty of interest in free agency

On Saturday, a report broke that the New England Patriots were parting ways with tight end Dwayne Allen — a move that became official two days later. Allen, who spent the 2017 and 2018 seasons in New England after he was acquired via trade from the Indianapolis Colts, was due a $6.9 million base salary for the 2019 season as well as a roster bonus worth $406,250 for a combined cap hit of $7.3 million.

The team apparently felt that the investment and Allen’s actual contributions to the offense were in no relation to each other, and pulled the plug on the 29-year old. Despite him catching only 13 passes for 113 yards and one touchdown during his two-year tenure in New England, a market for his services — Allen can be signed by any team before the free agency market opens next week — seems to be establishing itself rather quickly.

According to a report by ESPN’s Josina Anderson, at least four teams have already shown some level of interest in the former Patriot: the Baltimore Ravens, Buffalo Bills, and Detroit Lions have all invited him to a workout, while the Miami Dolphins — now coached by former New England defensive play caller Brian Flores — also expressed their preliminary interest in possibly bringing the former third-round draft pick on board.

There appear to be plenty of options for Allen, and they include a return to the Patriots at a reduced salary. “The feelings were mutual about my involvement. It’s just about getting the numbers to work on both sides,” Allen told Anderson about his release from the world champions and potentially returning into the fold further down the line. “We’ll see. This is the business of football. I have a lot of football left in me.”

Seeing that teams have quickly jumped onto him as a potential free agency signing, the Patriots might have to face some competition for Allen. Needless to say, however, that they will not bend over backwards to bring him back: while he was one of the NFL’s better blocking tight ends in 2018, a cheaper option like second-year man Ryan Izzo might be able to bring some of the same production to the table.