What does the reported release of TE Dwayne Allen mean for Patriots?

The Patriots have informed tight end Dwayne Allen they are going to release him, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Allen has spent the last two years with New England, serving mostly as a blocking tight end and complementary part of the offense, catching 13 passes the last two years. So why would the Patriots cut him loose?

In truth, this is the least surprising development of the offseason for New England. According to our guy Miguel, Allen's cap number for 2019 was slated to be in the range of $7.4 million, which is an untenable total for a backup tight end. Per Schefter, the team has expressed an interest in having the 29-year-old Allen back at a reduced rate, while Allen has long maintained he'd be happy to return to the Patriots. Right now, it would simply be a matter of making the dollars work. But with free agency looming, it does clear some significant space for New England.

In this context, there's one other thing worth noting -- Allen's agent is Drew Rosenhaus, who also reps Rob Gronkowski. Gronkowski has still not publicly committed to playing in 2019. While it might be stretch to try and draw a thread from Allen's status to Gronkowski's situation, you have to figure that given everyone involved, this move didn't necessarily take place in a vacuum.