Patriots solidify special teams, sign punter Ryan Allen to extension
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}ORCHARD PARK, NY - OCTOBER 12: Ryan Allen #6 of the New England Patriots looks on from the bench during NFL game action against the Buffalo Bills at Ralph Wilson Stadium on October 12, 2014 in Orchard Park, New York. (Photo by Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images)
The New England Patriots are playing it smart with regards to their special teams this offseason. Just 10 days after making Stephen Gostkowski the highest-paid kicker in the league, the Patriots signed punter Ryan Allen to a three-year deal.
With Gostkowski and Allen both signed for the next three-plus years, the Patriots have quietly solidified their key special teams players for years to come. Finding a reliable kicker in this league isn't all that easy, and neither his finding a consistent punter. Now the Patriots have both locked up.
Allen, who set a Super Bowl record with his 64-yard punt against the Seahawks this past February, was undrafted out of college, where he won the award for the nation's best punter twice. He has averaged 46.1 yards per punt in his two-year career.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}(h/t Twitter)