Safety Ricardo Allen has received a new deal from Atlanta Falcons, which will see him earning $6.5 million annually and staying with the franchise through 2021 season.
After giving wide receiver Julio Jones a pay rise last month, the team is focusing their attention to more urgent matters. One of those was signing their Allen to a long-term extension, given the fact that the 26-year-old had just one year left on his deal. After weeks of negotiations, Ricardo Allen officially signed a 3-year, $19.5 million extension on Tuesday.
#InBrotherhood = @Ricardo37Allen
Congrats, Rico! Time to keep grinding! pic.twitter.com/RDdu6HvEI1
— Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) August 6, 2018
Signing extension with Allen is just the continuation of Atlanta Falcons’ plans to secure their key players and staff on long-term deals in this offseason. Coach Dan Quinn and general manager Thomas Dimitroff both received extensions in the offseason alongside quarterback Matt Ryan, left tackle Jake Matthews and kicker Matt Bryant. Reportedly, next in line to get a contract extension is defensive tackle Grady Jarrett.
Ricardo Allen was selected by the Falcons in the fifth round of 2014 NFL Draft after playing his entire college career as a cornerback. He didn’t make the final 53-man roster before the start of the season and ended up spending better part of his rookie year with the practice squad.
In 2015, newly appointed Falcons’ staff decided to move Allen to safety, after the team had required depth on CB position. He managed to win the starting free safety job in the training camp and established himself as an important part of the team’s defense. Since 2015, he started 45 games and registered 212 tackles, 10 pass defenses, and six interceptions.
