A year after the Falcons cut Ricardo Allen and relegated him to the practice squad, the young defensive back remade himself and became Atlanta’s starting free safety. The former CB excelled as the vocal leader of Dan Quinn’s secondary—leading the team in interceptions (three), dedicating himself to film study and playing with a fearless mindset.
Allen’s improvements received him some well-deserve praise this month, as Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller named him the NFL’s 17th-best free safety.
“After not seeing the field at all during his rookie campaign in 2014, the former fifth-rounder out of Purdue earned a starting role in 2015 and made the most of it,” Miller wrote.