NFL PLAYER NEWS

Report: Allen finalizing deal with Seahawks

The Sports Xchange

March 20, 2014 at 12:40 pm.

Allen, who turns 32 in April, had 11.5 sacks for the Minnesota Vikings last season. Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports

Defensive end Jared Allen is working on “final details” of a contract with the Seattle Seahawks and the deal could be completed by the end of Thursday, according to ESPN’s Ed Werder.

Allen, who visited with the Seahawks among other teams during the early stages of free agency, returned to Seattle on Thursday to hammer out the contract details. Terms of the deal were unknown, but Allen had stated his willingness to retire if he didn’t receive a reasonable contract from a contending team.

In Seattle, he joins the reigning Super Bowl champions and bolsters the league’s top-ranked defense. Allen provides a valued pass-rushing threat off the right side of the line after the team released Chris Clemons earlier this month. The Seahawks also released run-stuffing defensive end Red Bryant and lost interior pass rusher Clinton McDonald during free agency.

Allen, 31, has 128.5 career sacks, 12th-most in NFL history, and he has posted double-digit sacks in seven consecutive seasons, including 11.5 for the Minnesota Vikings in 2013.

It’s the first bold move for the Seahawks in free agency after also losing cornerbacks Brandon Browner and Walter Thurmond from the defense and wide receiver Golden Tate and right tackle Breno Giacomini on offense. The Seahawks did re-sign defensive lineman Michael Bennett.

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