Colts trading Dwayne Allen to the Patriots

HUGE news coming out of Indianapolis this afternoon, as NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport reported that the Colts are trading tight end Dwayne Allen to the New England Patriots, and the news has since been confirmed by Allen himself via Twitter. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that the Patriots are sending a fourth round pick to the Colts in exchange for Allen and a sixth round pick.

The Colts re-signed Jack Doyle last night to a three-year deal, and it was clear last year that Doyle was the team’s best tight end. Allen had an incredibly promising rookie year in 2012 but has since struggled with injuries and inconsistency, as he hasn’t regained that form from his rookie year. Last year, he started 14 games and caught 35 passes for 406 yards and six touchdowns. He received a big contract extension last offseason, and is now traded one year later as Chris Ballard takes over as GM in Indianapolis.

On the one hand, it’s a good move for the Colts to be able to get something for Allen, a guy who clearly had been disapointing since his rookie season. To be able to get a fourth round pick for Allen while still keeping their top tight end (Doyle) is impressive. They made the move last night to commit to Doyle, and they obviously felt that he was worth keeping around more than Allen. Perhaps the possibility of trading Allen was actually what prompted the Colts to re-sign Doyle last night. But on the other hand, it looks like a good trade for the Patriots because Bill Belichick is a master at getting the most out of his players. So why not trade for Allen, a guy who was great in 2012 and who has talent and potential, pair him with Tom Brady, and coach him up? For the Patriots, with their coaching staff, they have to imagine they can get the most out of Allen. And if they do and he breaks out, that’s probably an indictment on the Indy coaching staff.

In five years with the Colts, Allen played in 57 games (starting 56) and caught 126 passes for 1,451 yards and 19 touchdowns. The Colts (Ryan Grigson) choose Allen over Coby Fleener last offseason, but now the Colts (Chris Ballard) have chosen Jack Doyle over Dwayne Allen. The Colts get compensation for a guy who has been disapointing recently, while the Patriots get a talented guy to work with.