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The Atlanta Falcons have released punt Ryan Allen, who signed a one-year deal with the team on February 18. However, don’t throw out your Allen jerseys just yet, as he will apparently return on a different deal, which may save the team some much needed money.
Yes, the Falcons are having an odd, interesting offseason.
While the Falcons cut punter Ryan Allen today, he is re-signing a different agreement to stay with the team. It's basically a procedural move similar to when Atlanta cut and signed John Wetzel in the same week earlier this month.
— Jason Butt (@JasonHButt) March 20, 2020
Ryan Allen entered the league in 2013, spending all six of his first seasons with the New England Patriots. Allen appeared in 96 games for the Patriots, showcasing his remarkable durability, and averaged an impressive 45.3 yards per punt during that time period. He was then cut to save cap space by the Patriots just prior to the 2019 season. Following an injury to starting punter Matt Bosher, the Falcons signed Allen and he first appeared in Week 10 against the New Orleans Saints. In all, Allen played eight games with the Falcons, averaging a respectable 41.9 yards per punt.
Allen won’t be handed the punting job, as the team also has Australian punter Sam Irwin-Hill for the 2020 season, so there should be a camp battle between Irwin-Hill and Allen. May the best man win.