Colts re-sign Dwayne Allen to four year deal worth $29.4 million

The Indianapolis Colts have re-signed tight end Dwayne Allen, bringing him back on a four-year deal.  The move was first reported tonight by 1070 the Fan's John Michael Vincent, then confirmed by Allen, and then confirmed by the team.  The deal is reportedly worth $29.4 million, according to multiple reports.

According to Pro Football Talk, Allen is getting quite a bit of money from Indy, and PFT even has some details on the contract breakdown: $29.4 million over four years with $12 million in year one and $17 million through year two.  It would be an average of $7.35 million per season for Allen, which is big money and much larger than was expected.

"From Jim Irsay and his family on down we are very pleased to announce the re-signing of Dwayne Allen," Colts general manager Ryan Grigson said in a statement released by the team.  "Besides the broad skill set and overall talent level he brings, Dwayne's tenacity and physicality has always been what has set him apart from the beginning.  His genuine love for the people of this community, its fans and for the game of football is what makes him special."

With Allen now back, it could mean that the Colts will let Coby Fleener walk in free agency.  General manager Ryan Grigson has said that it will be tough to keep both tight ends, while acknowledging that compensatory picks could come into play as well if they let one of the tight ends walk.  It appears that they choose to focus on Allen to re-sign, and the tight end will be back on a new four-year deal.  Particularly if the money that PFT others are reporting is accurate, it seems almost certain that Fleener would be gone, as Allen got a pretty significant payday and will have a significant cap hit in 2016.

Allen said at the NFL Combine that he wanted to return to Indianapolis and continue working toward the Super Bowl with the Colts, and he added that his agent had been in negotiations with the team.  It's no surprise to see this deal get done, and he's a great guy and influence in the locker room.  He's also a very good all-around tight end, as he can help the Colts as both a receiver and as a blocker.  They asked him to do the latter often in 2015, as he was targeted just 29 times in the passing game - something he wasn't happy about.  With this new deal, I think it shows that the Colts are committed to Allen and to using him in better ways to utilize all of his skills, not simply his blocking.

In his four-year career with the Colts after being drafted in the third round of the 2012 NFL Draft, Allen has played in 43 games and has caught 91 passes for 1,045 yards and 13 touchdowns while averaging 11.5 yards per catch.  He's a capable receiver when asked to make plays in the passing game and a capable blocker as well, giving the Colts a complete tight end to benefit their offense.  If Allen can stay healthy and if the team can use him better moving forward, the tight end should be a big factor and contributor to the offense.