How Dwayne Allen wants to be ‘an agent of change’ with the Dolphins
Dwayne Allen wants to be more than a tight end in Miami.
He aims to be “an agent of change.”
And spend 10 minutes talking with him — as members of the South Florida media did Monday — and you actually believe he can do just that.
Allen, the former Patriots tight end, signed a two-year, $7 million contract with the Dolphins during the weekend.
And while Allen believes he can be an every-down player in Miami, his most pressing assignment seems to be getting the Dolphins’ young tight ends room in order.
When asked to list his strengths, on and off the field, Allen led off with this:
“Obviously, I would like to say that I’m a positive presence in the locker room. I definitely know how culture is developed and enforced on the players in the locker room. It’s set by the head coach and reinforced by the guys in the locker room. Hopefully I can be an agent of change in that respect.”
Before Allen, 29, signed with Miami, 26-year-old Nick O’Leary was the old man in the Dolphins’ tight end room. Mike Gesicki and Durham Smythe are both entering their second seasons.
Allen didn’t know (or care) who was on the Dolphins’ roster before signing. Along with the money, the culture he expects Brian Flores to set was all the convincing he needed.
“My biggest thing is [making sure] the tight end corps is a reliable tight end corps that does its job day-in and day-out.”
The Patriots used Allen primarily as an in-line blocker the last two years, and his numbers reflected it. He has caught 13 passes total since 2017 after catching 15 touchdown passes for the Colts the previous three.
“I don’t do the play-calling so I don’t have to explain that at all,” Allen said, when asked about his dip in production.
Allen believes that when a player signs on with a team, he should do what his coaches ask of him. But without Rob Gronkowski ahead of him on the depth chart, it’s clear Allen believes his role will grow in Miami.
“It’s my hope to go out there and prove that I can be an every-down player,” he added. “I think my time around the league has displayed my ability to do things really well.”
This story was originally published March 11, 2019 at 12:58 PM.
