Official: Bengals sign DT Allen

The Bengals this morning announced a one-year contract with defensive tackle Kenderick Allen as a free agent. Allen played in two games in 2006 for the Green Bay Packers before going on the injured reserve list with a foot injury.

He is 6-feet 5, 328 pounds and is a fourth-year player from Louisiana State. He has played in 31 NFL games for the Saints, Giants and Packers, with three starts. He has 51 career total tackles and three sacks.

He will turn 29 on Sept. 14 and adds some potential youth to an against defensive tackle rotation in Cincinnati.

This just in from Bengals public relations:

Allen entered the NFL in 2003 as a college free agent with New Orleans, seeing action in 10 games. The New York Giants acquired him on waivers just before the start of the 2004 regular season, and he played for the Giants in five games in ’04 and in 14 games in ’05.

His career NFL totals include 31 games, three starts, 52 tackles, three sacks and two fumble recoveries. He also saw action in a 2005 postseason game with the Giants, logging three tackles.

Allen is the fifth unrestricted free agent to sign with Cincinnati since the March 2 start of UFA availability. Signing previously were DT Michael Myers of Denver and three UFAs choosing to stay with Cincinnati -- TE Reggie Kelly, DE Justin Smith and HB Kenny Watson. (Smith was also designated as Cincinnati’s franchise player).

Unrestricted free agents are players with four or more accrued years toward NFL free agency whose contracts have expired with their previous teams. Additionally since March 2, the Bengals have signed three other veterans who were released to free agency by their teams -- CB Blue Adams (last with Tampa Bay), LB Edgerton Hartwell (last with Atlanta) and C Alex Stepanovich (last with Arizona).