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The hot topic of today's Newswire has developed into an actual signing.
Free agent safety Antonio Allen agrees to deal with #Texans.
— Mark Berman (@MarkBermanFox26) March 16, 2016
Texans have reached deal with safety Antonio Allen, according to a source
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) March 16, 2016
Free agent safety Antonio Allen, who agreed to deal with #Texans, started 17 games for Jets n 2013 &14.Was on IR 2015 (torn Achilles tendon)
— Mark Berman (@MarkBermanFox26) March 16, 2016
Source confirms that Antonio Allen has agreed to terms with the Texans, (as @AaronWilson_NFL said). It's a one-year deal. #nyj
— Manish Mehta (@MMehtaNYDN) March 16, 2016
Allen is coming off a torn Achilles. Immediately after his season-ending injury last summer, our friends at Gang Green Nation had this to say:
Allen has been with the team since 2012 and has performed in several different roles. He has at times looked outclassed, but he has also been very solid in large portions. Here is hoping he makes a full recovery.
Given the significant nature of his injury, there's no way of knowing what Allen can be expected to contribute to the Houston Texans in 2016. If he can step in and provide what Rahim Moore never did, great, but I'm not holding my breath. I think a far more reasonable outlook would be to hope that Allen can provide some depth in the secondary and perhaps make an impact on special teams. Even then, this could be one of those signings that make sense as a low risk proposition in March but prove to be of little import when rosters are being finalized in August.
Until then, here's a hearty congrats to Antonio Allen for finding gainful employment after such a serious injury, and here's hoping he contributes to a memorable Texans season this year.