As the second tight end taken by Indianapolis in the 2012 NFL Draft, Dwayne Allen was a relative afterthought to the more athletic tight end Coby Fleener. However, as the season went on, Allen proved himself by doing a lot of dirty work blocking and on special teams, and even started to get playing time over Fleener. Going into the 2013 season, I was excited to see what would be in store from Allen on this explosive Colts offense. A bigger role? More creative formations? 

Alas, after a 20-yard touchdown catch, Allen was injured and forced to sit out for the entire season. But now, going into 2014, he anticipation is reborn anew. Here is what the unheralded Allen brings to the Colts' offense:

Week 10 Colts @ Jaguars

3:59 Allen blocks defensive end Austen Lane one-on-one. Although he does receive help from his left (not visible), he doesn’t need it and is able to impressively hold off the defensive end all by himself. Tight ends usually aren’t able to pass block well against defensive ends because 1) blocking isn’t normally a tight end’s strong suit while rushing the passer is what defensive ends are paid to do and 2) defensive ends are usually bigger and stronger than tight ends, but his wide base and excellent technique enables him to do so.

7:17 Allen is again asked to block a defensive end, but this time in the run game. Allen does a great job sealing the edge and taking his defender out of the play, even though from this image he is barely discernible (83, the Colts player furthest downfield near the 45 yard line).

8:46 Allen works off of a combo block with left tackle Anthony Castonzo before getting to the second level and sealing this defender off to create a running lane for running back Vic Ballard. Perfect execution by Allen.

24:51 Allen this time is assigned to block Lane with no help at all, and does a perfect job of keeping Andrew Luck clean throughout the play. Impressive.

52:58 Allen makes a fantastic catch, high-pointing the ball and displaying excellent ball skills.

Week 11 Colts @ Patriots

3:19 Allen seems to seek out contact while running his route, which is bad because it only serves to delay him from getting open. It takes him too long in this case to get away from the contact to a point where he would be available to catch a pass, which is also something I saw during Week 10 on a goal-line play. Allen could therefore work on avoiding defenders and working to open space.

4:19 Allen (83) seals Devin McCourty on the edge and allows the running back into the endzone virtually untouched.

10:09 Allen (the only white-uniformed player in the picture) does an excellent job here getting to open space behind the Patriot linebackers more than 20 yards downfield. This is an excellent example of the versatility Allen provides—he is a capable blocker yet can also provide a reliable receiving threat 20 yards downfield on any given play.

12:29 Allen is left all alone (right side of the screen) to block pass rusher Jermaine Cunningham, and Allen does what is asked of him. Good technique and solid job.

13:54 Allen is overwhelmed by the stronger Ninkovich. Allen probably could have been called for holding on this play, yet his man still makes the tackle on the running back. Ninkovich is a very good player, so I think this speaks more to his prowess as a run defender than it does to Allen’s deficiencies as a blocker.

14:45 Allen again easily holds off Cunningham and keeps Luck clean in the pocket. Excellent technique from the tight end.

30:13 Allen this time handles Ninkovich in the run game, knocking him aside to clear space for the running back (right side of the screen). Good job of Allen getting his hands inside and using this leverage to knock Ninkovich off balance.

42:33 A nice catch by Allen. He demonstrates a rangy catch radius and also adept ball skills as he uses his hands to catch the ball away from his body.

Week 16 Colts @ Chiefs

28:07 Allen makes the tough catch in traffic through contact (sorry for the blurry image). Impressive concentration and hands.

1:13:37 Allen does a good job with his body positioning as he gains leverage on Eric Berry here. Perfect block out in space to spring the wide receiver for a nice gain on the screen.

1:15:24 Here Allen is too high on his block relative to where Tamba Hali is positioned. Hali’s lower positioning allows him to disengage and make the tackle should the play come his way.

1:16:44 Allen makes a crushing block as the lead blocker on a sweep.

Week 17 Texans @ Colts

25:47 Allen doesn’t let his assigned man get a whiff of making the tackle on the ball carrier. Allen seals his man off and drives him downfield through the echo of the whistle. Excellent effort.

26:24 Allen this time takes on a lead blocker role and kicks his defender out perfectly to keep him from getting in the path of the running back. Great run blocking job.

49:44 Allen throws a perfect block, walling off his defender and creating a running lane to his left as he is again called upon to be a lead blocker in a power running play.

The verdict:

Dwayne Allen wasn't a huge part of the Indianapolis passing offense, often asked to run routes into the flat in more of a check-down role, but he impressed when thrown to, and proved to have very reliable hands. He was called on frequently to block in both pass and run situations, and there were even run plays that were designed for Allen to lead block in space, which speaks to his athleticism and physicality.

Allen is a better blocker and gives more effort in that department than you'll see from most tight ends, but he sometimes plays with pad level that is too high. He also probably needs to get stronger, as he was manhandled at times by Rob Ninkovich and Tamba Hali. 

Why Allen is so valuable, however, is his versatility. He's somewhat of a jack-of-all-trades, but a master of none--and I mean this in the best way possible. He reminds me of a slower but surer-handed Delanie Walker, and Walker just signed for nearly $18 million last year. 

The matchup issues Allen's versatility presents to a defense are numerous. When a tight end who is more of a pure pass-catcher like teammate Coby Fleener or Jimmy Graham is on the field for an offense, that tips off the defense that it will probably be a passing play. However, when Allen is on the field, does the defense keep their base defense on the field in anticipation of a running play? Allen has the athleticism to get downfield and make tough catches over defenders, so it's not a given that a defense will be able to cover Allen with a linebacker alone, especially if it's a run defense specialist like Brandon Spikes or Rey Maualuga. However, if a defense substitutes a defensive back onto the field, Indianapolis could run the ball against lighter personnel with relative ease.  

Barring another injury, Allen will play an integral role in diversifying Indianapolis' offense this coming year as both a blocker and a pass catcher. Fleener might take away some of Allen's playing time, but they're different enough players that Allen should see the field plenty. 

Reach Staff Writer Andrew McKagan here or follow him.