The Facts: Allen missed all but one game in 2013 with a back injury. It affected his conditioning last offseason, and Allen revealed he played the 2014 season around 70 percent health. He said he “felt like my body broke down as the year went on.” Now 100 percent and entering his contract year, Allen has ramped up his training regimen and dropped 13 pounds over the spring. He plans to play at 255 after being 268 for most of his career.
Diehards Line:
Allen hopes his new svelteness will help him play quicker and faster. With all of the talk of the Colts planning to evolve and play even more three- and four-wide sets, PFT's Nick Mensio believes Allen’s role should remain unchanged with fellow tight end Coby Fleener being the one possibly losing snaps. Mensio contends Allen is a key asset for the Indianapolis offense due to his premier blocking skills as an inline player. That said, it’ll be tough for Allen to match his receiving numbers from a year ago when he was extremely touchdown-dependent. He was tied for fifth in touchdowns among tight ends with eight despite seeing the 25th-most targets at the position at just 47.