Allen signs; Leinart last 1st-rounder
On his first day with the Miami Dolphins, Jason Allen picked up two nicknames. Some teammates called him “fresh legs,” others dubbed him “new money.”
Both seemed fitting.
After a holdout spared him from the rigors of the first 10 days of training camp, and with between $8 million and $9 million guaranteed by his newly signed six-year contract, Allen joined the Dolphins on Tuesday – eager to begin competing for a starting safety job.
“Sitting home, knowing that the guys were practicing and knowing that I wanted to be here practicing was probably the most frustrating thing,” Allen said. “In the end, everybody had signed and it was just me and Matt Leinart sitting, waiting. … I had to understand it was business, nothing personal.”
Allen, who was selected 16th overall, and the Dolphins agreed late Monday to the deal that became finalized early Tuesday, in time for first of the day’s two practices. With Allen in camp in Davie, Fla., only Leinart – the former Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback at USC who was 10th overall pick by the Arizona Cardinals – remains unsigned from this year’s first-round picks.
Around the league
New England signed free-agent wide receiver Eddie Berlin, adding another player to a position where it lacks depth. … Pittsburgh reserve center Chukky Okobi has a herniated disc in his neck, an injury that could threaten his season and possibly his career, coach Bill Cowher said. …Cardinals receiver Anquan Boldin sat out practice with a sore hamstring for the second day in a row and might not play in Saturday’s preseason opener against Pittsburgh. … Bengals guard Eric Steinbach pleaded not guilty to a charge of boating under the influence on the Ohio River, the fifth Cincinnati player in three months accused of breaking the law. … A lawsuit that challenged the constitutionality of pat-down searches of fans before Chicago Bears games at Soldier Field was dismissed. … Bob Miller, a defensive tackle on the Detroit Lions’ powerhouse teams that won three NFL titles in the 1950s, died Monday in Clarkston, Mich., after a long bout with cancer. He was 76.