Former Jets safety Allen signs; Moore joins Browns
Veteran safety Antonio Allen’s versatility and college background with secondary coach John Butler appealed to the Texans.
It was enough to convince the reigning AFC South champions to sign the former New York Jets starter to a one-year, $800,000 contract Wednesday.
Allen, 27, missed all of last season after tearing his Achilles tendon in August during training camp, but he is expected to make a full recovery for this season.
Allen has excelled on special teams with two blocked punts, returning one for a touchdown. The former seventh-round draft pick from South Carolina has also lined up at cornerback.
The Jets tried to hold onto Allen, but he preferred the opportunity with the Texans. He’s slated to compete for a starting job at safety opposite Andre Hal.
Allen is a big safety at 6-1, 210 pounds who has run the 40-yard dash in 4.58 seconds.
“He has good range,” Texans coach Bill O’Brien said of Allen, who played for Butler at South Carolina, where hewas a secondteam All-Southeastern Conference selection. “He’s a good tackler. He’s played corner. He’s covered the tight end. He can play special teams. He adds to the depth and competition at that position.”
Allen has 106 career tackles, 13 passes defended, one interception returned for a touchdown, four tackles for losses, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery in 38 games with 18 starts.
The Texans haven’t closed the door on poten- tially re-signing safety Quintin Demps, who started for them last season. They’ve expressed interest in bringing back the unrestricted free agent and he could compete with Allen.
Meanwhile, former Texans starting free safety Rahim Moore joined the Cleveland Browns on a new contract, according to an NFL source not authorized to speak publicly.
Moore was benched by the Texans after struggling mightily against the Miami Dolphins andwas cut after the season one year into a three-year, $12 million contract.
Moore, 26, had16 tackles and one interception, with two more interceptions nullified because of penalties, in seven games and six starts for the Texans.
His tackling, pursuit angles, coverage and biting on play-action fakes were his most glaring issues with the Texans, leading to his benching.
Moore was inactive for the remainder of the season.
“It was mortifying, crying, all kinds of stuff, but that’s because I love football a lot,” Moore said upon being benched. “You want to be out there. It’s shocking, it’s never a good feeling. Sometimes, in life, you just can’t understand.”