Even though the start of free agency is less than a week away, there’s still a good chance that several players around the league who are scheduled to hit the market will wind up re-signing with their current teams. One of those players is Indianapolis Colts tight end Dwayne Allen. In fact, Allen said last week at the 2016 NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis in an interview on 1070 The Fan Radio that he likes his chances of re-signing with the team that drafted him in the third round of the 2012 NFL Draft.
“The Colts know that I want to be here and they know what I offer this team and what I offer to the community and organization, because I do that out of the goodness of my heart, that has nothing to do with football,” said Allen. “But they know I love this city, I love this organization and I want to be here. But it’s a business and they have to make the best business decision just like I do, but it’s in my gut that I’m here.”
Even though it’s in Allen’s gut that it he’ll ultimately re-sign with the Colts, he didn’t give any indication during the interview as to how far, or how close, he might be away from that happening as he would only say that he’s leaving all of the negotiations in the hands of his new agent, Drew Rosenhaus. Allen then talked about his decision to hire the renowned agent.
“I just thought I needed someone with a certain expertise to really show teams and get teams to understand that one season doesn’t define my career of work, and that I am an elite tight end in the National Football League, which my film shows and Drew is doing a great job of doing that to clubs,” Allen said.
Should Allen indeed wind up hitting free agency, several fans of the Pittsburgh Steelers are hoping he signs with the team to help fill the void that was created a few weeks ago when veteran tight end Heath Miller decided to retire. While Allen said in a separate interview last week that he believes he would be a logical fit with the Steelers and that they could certainty use his talents, his market price figures to be fairly steep even though he only caught 16 passes for 109 yards and one touchdown last season. Allen went to say what he believes his future is as a tight end in the NFL.
“Being on the field,” said Allen, who only played a little more than 500 snaps offensive last season with the Colts. “I want to win more than anything. I’ve always been one of those guys – I told you before, I’ll tell you again – I hate to lose more than I love to win. But I do believe that me being on the field, my skill set helps a team and I believe I make a team better when I’m on the field, not when I’m situationally used and plugged here and plugged there. I just can’t get in a rhythm doing that.”
Allen then explained why he thought he was used situationally last year in Indianapolis.
“Because of the way the year went,” Allen explained. “The coaching staff did their darndest to put together a game plan and put a team out there that could win, but with different injuries going down at quarterback, offensive line, what have you, they had to mix, match and plug guys at different positions, and unfortunately, I was one on those guys who was capable of blocking that they needed to block.”
One thing is for certain at this point and that is we’ll likely know where Allen will be playing in 2016 at this same time next week being as the free agency signing period begins Tuesday evening.
“Hopefully we don’t get to that point,” said Allen. “Hopefully something gets done before then.”
You can listen to Allen’s full interview below.
