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Bengals Sign DT Kenderick Allen


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Agent says Allen deal done

By GEOFF HOBSON

May 10, 2007

Updated: 10:45 p.m.

The Bengals wrapped up another deal with a defensive tackle Thursday night when agent Harold Lewis said Kenderick Allen has agreed to a one-year contract with the club.

The Bengals don’t confirm deals until the contract is signed.

The 6-5 Allen, joining his fourth team in five years, is an agile 330-pounder when healthy who is coming off a foot injury that limited him to two games last season in Green Bay.

He becomes the second Lewis client in a week to come on board the defense for one year with both Allen and linebacker Ed Hartwell expected to report to the first voluntary practice on Tuesday.

Allen is also the third defensive tackle to come into the fold in the past two weeks after they picked up Michael Myers from Denver in free agency and drafted Oregon’s Matt Toeaina in the sixth round.

They join starters John Thornton and Sam Adams, and Domata Peko, the first tackle off the bench. Defensive ends Jonathan Fanene, Bryan Robinson and perhaps Frostee Rucker can also play inside on passing downs.

Lewis submits that Allen can also play all three downs and that the Bengals were the best fit for his client.

“We had offers from a couple of other teams, but the Bengals were the only team he visited and he hit if off with Jay Hayes,” said Lewis of the defensive line coach. “He’s going to a division where they like to pound it up the middle and going to a team that has been looking for big guys to stop the run.”

Lewis says Allen and Hartwell are nearly mirror images in the sense that both are talented, athletic guys trying to prove they have overcome some major injuries. Along with some knee problems, Allen is coming off a Lisfranc injury that is usually a dislocation in the mid foot area and derailed a career in which he played two seasons and 19 games for the Giants with 31 tackles and three sacks.

Before the 2005 season, Hartwell was one of the NFL’s most sought after free agents but he has played in just 13 games since signing a $25 million deal with Atlanta in a stint hounded by a ripped Achilles and some knee problems.

Hartwell, who turns 29 in two weeks while Allen turns 29 in the second week of the season, is believed to have an incentive-laden deal topping out at $1.5 million. Allen is probably closer to a minimum salary with a small signing bonus, but the concept is the same.

“These are two great character kids who are trying to show everybody that they’re back healthy,” Lewis said. “They aren’t big deals, but you have to hit a bunch of singles before you hit home runs. It works out great for both sides.

“They get a chance to help a team that is contending for the Super Bowl on a defense that isn’t as well known as its offense,” Lewis said. “If they play well enough, hopefully the Bengals come to them before the end of next year, and certainly they’ll be on a team that gets noticed.”

Hartwell is saying he’ll be moving from middle linebacker to the right outside when he arrives in Cincinnati’s 4-3 alignment, a position that Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis says isn’t much different than the inside spot he played in Baltimore’s 3-4. It was Lewis who was the Ravens defensive coordinator when Baltimore took Hartwell in the fourth round of the 2001 draft, Lewis’ last with the Ravens.

Allen had a tougher road, coming into the league in 2003 undated and signing with the hometown Saints out of LSU. The next season New Orleans cut him and the Giants picked him up on waivers before he ended up in Green Bay.

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We sign some backup DTs and now people think it means we're going to cut our two starters, Adams and Thornton? People amaze me sometimes.

Myers was a starter on a defense much better than Cincy's all year last year. This guy is a back-up, yes... but why sign another back-up? Either he won't make the roster, or someone's going to leave. Will they cut Peko? No. Who does that leave? Sam Adams who plays only 10-15 snaps a game because of injuries or Thornton who counts more than $3mil against the cap.

I'm not saying either of them will be cut... but one of them will have to go if the guys they've signed stick. It amazes me that you can't see that.

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In my view, guys like Thornton and Robinson are average players at best, who rarely have much impact on a game. It would seem to me that we can acheive average for a whole lot less than those guys are getting and use the savings to extend someone we want to keep. If the fat man can't haul is ass to practice more frequently than he did last year, '07 may be his last.

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Brob should be the first one out...The money were paying jumpy he should be starting...After that depends on who stops up could be one guys we signed since their probbley getting min deals...or could be sam if he's not in shape or JT if they decide he's the weakest link.

Big Toe probbley goes on practice squad >_< I just woulen't want someone to snatch him :P

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Big Toe probbley goes on practice squad

Yup. As for the other spot, camp and preseason always bring injuries. Last year Fanene was PUP'd and Sam came into the season with a bum knee. If by some miracle we get to cut down day with five healthy DTs, at least they'll have a good feeling to who the best four are.

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This signing isn't about who's going and who's coming, its about depth and competition to get that start or special role. The plan is to toughen up this Dline and make the young guys better.

Competition is always a good thing, in my opinion there should be only three spots tha are set in stone on that defensive line Justine Smith, Robert Geathers, Peko the rest of the people are expendable to me.

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Big Toe probbley goes on practice squad

Yup. As for the other spot, camp and preseason always bring injuries. Last year Fanene was PUP'd and Sam came into the season with a bum knee. If by some miracle we get to cut down day with five healthy DTs, at least they'll have a good feeling to who the best four are.

Ya and if anything they can put Big Toe on the IR with a "toe injury" if they really like him.

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This signing isn't about who's going and who's coming, its about depth and competition to get that start or special role.

Well, eventually it has to be about both. I agree to a certain extent that some of the DT's on the current roster are for camp fodder and creating depth. When the time comes they'll keep the best players. But the fact remains... someone's going to get cut, whether it be the newly signed guys or some of the vets who have been here.

This forum is about fan speculation... and I don't think that it is so unreasonable to assume that Thornton and/or Adams are in danger of losing their jobs.

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Well cap number really doesn't matter on Justins deal no? since it would be same / less? but it would make extending Larson and Madieu before next off season alot easier.

It would if they got the deal done this year and front loaded some of the signing bonus into this year

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Is this a slap at thorton or word to fat sam to not spend the first month of the pre season trying to lose enough weight so he doesnt pass out getting out of bed in the morning. They have gone away from the small penetrating tackle and signed up the beef. If the guy can stay healthy, having 3 2-gap players inside could be just what we need. We dont need superstars inside, only guys who can absorb and disrupt so our athletes can make plays.

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(to the tune of elton john`s yellow brick road)

goodbye, lackluster b-rob...you don`t bring da pain enough....

we really need all your cap space...and a man in the Qbs face.......

or

goodbye, lackluster JT... you don`t bring da pain enough....

we really need all your cap space... and a man in the Qbs face.......

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Sorry about that... but I am just more spunky when I have gotten laid two days in a row. Especially when its two different girls.

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When the time comes they'll keep the best players. But the fact remains... someone's going to get cut, whether it be the newly signed guys or some of the vets who have been here.

This forum is about fan speculation... and I don't think that it is so unreasonable to assume that Thornton and/or Adams are in danger of losing their jobs.

I agree. The latest signings are cheap enough, but no team bothers making these type of deals if the players in question have no chance whatsoever of earning a roster spot. And there are now more DT's on the roster than available jobs.

Frankly, if the Bengals have concluded that players like Adams, Thornton, or Robinson aren't likely to be much more productive than a Mike Myers or Kendrick Allen then it's quite possible that one or two incumbent players will be sent packing....with their eventual replacements being drafted or signed next season.

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Competition is always a good thing, in my opinion there should be only three spots tha are set in stone on that defensive line Justine Smith, Robert Geathers, Peko the rest of the people are expendable to me.

I pretty much agree with that.

But I will say this ...

I keep hearing that, Sam Adams is a lot lighter and in better shape now, than he was last year at this time.

So maybe he will be able to play more like his old self this year.

And it is interesting that this new guy is another wide-body, Adams has always been at his best with another big tackle playing next to him.

And I still think that John Thornton may be in trouble, due to his large contract, Myers seems to be about the same player at a lot less money.

But I would say that competition is the key word ...

I don't think that any one of them is going to stick with the team just on reputation alone this year.

With six tackles fighting for four slots they are all going to have to prove their play on the field.

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