Miami Dolphins sign former Eagles, Raiders safety Nate Allen

On the day the Dolphins said goodbye to Isa Abdul-Quddus, they welcomed his replacement:

Safety Nate Allen, who was a stud a few years back in Philadelphia.

Allen signed a one-year, $3.4 million contract with the team after a visit to team headquarters Friday. The transaction came not long after the team formally parted ways with Abdul-Quddus, who suffered a significant neck and shoulder injury late in the 2016 season and may never play again.

Allen, meanwhile, insists he’s completely healthy after a knee injury derailed his time in Oakland.

So why Miami? Proximity is a huge factor. He’s from Fort Myers, and playing here will allow his family to come to his games.

“I'd rather be in a more comfortable place where I'm happy and my family's happy than the dollar signs,” Allen said. “At this point in my career, I want to enjoy [where I’m playing].”

So who is Nate Allen, who will start alongside Reshad Jones this fall:

▪  He who started 69 games for the Eagles over the first five years of his career before moving on to Oakland, where he spent the last two seasons.

▪  Drafted 37th overall out of South Florida in 2010, Allen had 10 interceptions in five years as an Eagles starter.

▪  Parlayed his very good 2014 season (four interceptions, three fumble recoveries) into a four-year, $23 million contract with the Oakland Raiders during the 2015 offseason.

But his career got sidetracked the following season, tearing his right MCL. The injury limited him to five games and just three starts.

Allen rebounded in 2016, he appeared in 14 games, including four starts. He had 24 tackles and two interceptions in a largely reserve role.

“I don't think I was hampered with it last year, but certain things happened,” Allen said. “I was doing whatever I needed to do in Oakland. I'm 100 percent. I'm go to go. I'm healthy.”

This story was originally published March 10, 2017 at 5:19 PM with the headline "Miami Dolphins sign former Eagles, Raiders safety Nate Allen."