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Nick Allegretti

Commanders G Nick Allegretti Eyeing Starting Role

April 1st, 2024 at 9:42am CST by Adam La Rose

Nick Allegretti spent the first five seasons of his career in Kansas City, but a new deal with the defending champions would have consigned him to backup duties. The veteran guard instead departed in free agency, signing a three-year, $16MM deal with the Commanders.

Allegretti played 74 regular season games during his tenure with the Chiefs, one which included four Super Bowl appearances and three titles. He logged only 13 starts, however, and the presence of Joe Thuney and Trey Smith meant 2024 would have been a repeat of backup and spot-start duties. The 27-year-old will now look to carve out a first-team role in Washington.

“I have a ton of respect for the guys in Kansas City,” Allegretti said (via the Commanders’ website). “I enjoyed my role there, but I think I had gotten to the point in my career where I wanted to come and be a starter in Week 1. That’s my goal coming to Washington.”

After Thuney suffered an injury in the divisional round of the 2023 playoffs, Allegretti took over as a starter for the AFC title game and Super Bowl. The former seventh-rounder also started each of Kansas City’s three postseason contests in 2020, and he will aim to parlay that big-game experience into full-time duties with his new team. Allegretti’s overall PFF grades have ranged between 52.4 and 70.4 in his career, with strong showings in pass protection being a common theme in his evaluations.

The latter factor will be a key one for the Commanders, after quarterback Sam Howell led the league in sacks taken last season. Changes along the O-line have been a priority for Washington’s new regime (led by general manager Adam Peters and head coach Dan Quinn), and only right guard Sam Cosmi and right tackle Andrew Wylie remain in place as 2023 carryovers projected to start this year.

Given the terms of his contract (which includes $9MM guaranteed), Allegretti will certainly be expected to hold down a starting position with the Commanders. If he can replicate his Chiefs performances in Washington, he could go a long way toward helping his new team take a much-needed step forward along the O-line.

Commanders To Sign OL Nick Allegretti

March 11th, 2024 at 10:29pm CST by Ben Levine

Following a standout performance in the Super Bowl, Nick Allegretti has earned a nice contract from the Commanders. NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reports that the guard is signing with Washington.

Allegretti earned a three-year deal from the Commanders. The deal is worth $16MM and includes $9.02MM in guaranteed money.

The former seventh-round pick spent the first five seasons of his career in Kansas City, earning three Super Bowl rings along the way. The lineman mostly served as a backup during his time with the Chiefs, starting only 13 of his 74 appearances. Nine of those starts came in 2020, when Allegretti got into a career-high 63 percent of his team’s offensive snaps.

2023 was looking like another footnote on Allegretti’s resume, as the lineman was limited to only seven percent of the Chiefs’ offensive snaps during the regular season. However, he was forced into the starting lineup for the AFC Championship Game and Super Bowl after teammate Joe Thuney went down with an injury. Allegretti earned even more headlines when it was revealed that he played through a torn UCL during the title game without missing a snap.

Now, he’ll finally have a chance to be a full-time starter in Washington. The Commanders’ offensive line was inconsistent this past season, and OC Kliff Kingsbury and co. were expected to dedicate some resources to the unit. Allegretti will likely be part of the answer, but it wouldn’t be a surprise if the team pursues more depth via free agency and/or the draft.

Chiefs G Nick Allegretti Tears UCL

February 13th, 2024 at 4:46pm CST by Sam Robinson

The only offensive lineman in place for each of the Chiefs’ three Patrick Mahomes-era Super Bowl championships, Nick Allegretti received a start Sunday night due to Joe Thuney‘s pectoral injury. Kansas City’s left guard sub did not make it out of Super Bowl LVIII unscathed.

Allegretti finished out his fifth season with the Chiefs with a torn UCL in his elbow. The team’s top backup O-lineman suffered the tear in the second quarter against the 49ers, according to NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero, but played all 79 Chiefs offensive snaps during the team’s overtime win.

[RELATED: Chiefs Hope To Re-Sign Chris Jones, L’Jarius Sneed]

An MRI Tuesday revealed Allegretti sustained a full tear, Pelissero adds. It is not known if Thuney will need surgery to repair his pec injury, but Allegretti is undoubtedly set to go under the knife due to this elbow malady. Allegretti played out a one-year, $2.58MM deal this season. The UCL tear will deal a blow to the veteran spot starter’s hopes of parlaying this season into a more lucrative contract in free agency.

A 2019 seventh-round pick, Allegretti worked as a backup behind Laurent Duvernay-Tardif and Andrew Wylie as a rookie before being called upon to start 12 games (counting three playoff tilts) in 2020. Duvernay-Tardif opted out due to COVID-19 concerns that year, with the doctor returning to his native Canada to help out amid the pandemic, and the Chiefs entered Super Bowl LV without both tackles (Eric Fisher, Mitchell Schwartz). The Buccaneers’ onslaught on Mahomes that night prompted the Chiefs to overhaul their O-line, but they kept Allegretti — a guard starter against Tampa Bay during a blowout loss — on his rookie deal through 2022. They then re-signed him in March.

The Chiefs have Thuney and right guard Trey Smith under contract for 2024; the latter is extension-eligible now. It would make sense for the two-time reigning champions to keep Allegretti in place as a swingman, but it will be interesting to see if the 27-year-old blocker commands a notable market despite this injury. Wylie used Super Bowl LVII as a springboard to a three-year, $24MM Commanders deal, though he has more starting experience than his former teammate. Allegretti, an Illinois alum, will enter free agency with 18 career starts — including two in this year’s postseason.

LB Drue Tranquill To Join Chiefs

March 17th, 2023 at 3:46pm CST by Sam Robinson

Drue Tranquill posted a career year in 2022, leading the Chargers’ linebacking corps while contributing heavily to the team’s largely Joey Bosa-less pass rush. But a strong market does not appear to have formed for the productive defender.

The Chiefs are picking up the fifth-year veteran on a one-year deal, Jordan Schultz of The Score tweets. One of many intriguing off-ball linebackers to hit free agency this year, Tranquill will stay in the AFC West and join a Chiefs team that returns both its top linebackers. Tranquill’s deal is worth up to $5MM, Schultz adds (on Twitter).

Nick Bolton and Willie Gay remain on their respective rookie contracts, but Tranquill will join the defending Super Bowl champions and bolster their already-strong defensive second level. Tranquill did not match Bolton in tackles last season, with the emerging star posting a stunning 180 stops, but Bolton’s new teammate shined during his contract year. Tranquill racked up 146 tackles and five sacks while adding four pass deflections, an interception and a forced fumble.

A part-time player in the past, Tranquill wore the green communication dot for the Bolts last season and started 16 games. The former fourth-round pick out of Notre Dame has bounced back from a season-ending broken ankle sustained in the Bolts’ 2020 opener, but unlike a few other ILBs, he could not cash in this offseason.

Tremaine Edmunds‘ $18MM-per-year deal lapped the linebacker field, as expected, but the Giants gave Bobby Okereke a four-year, $40MM pact. Germaine Pratt scored $6.75MM per year to stay with the Bengals, while Alex Anzalone, Alex Singleton and Cole Holcomb reached $6MM-per-year agreements. Eric Kendricks, David Long, T.J. Edwards and Kyzir White landed in that neighborhood as well. Tranquill may not have as many three-down opportunities as he did in Los Angeles, so this stands to be an interesting audition season. It will also be interesting to see if he pushes Gay for playing time; both will be in contract years in 2023.

Kansas City also made the move to re-sign guard Nick Allegretti on Friday. Kansas City has used the former seventh-round pick mostly as a backup in recent years. Allegretti did start Super Bowl LV for an offensive line missing both tackles and having seen guard starter Laurent Duvernay-Tardif opt out before the season, but he has started just three games since. He will opt to stick around as a swingman up front.

Chiefs Sign Second-Round WR Mecole Hardman

May 4th, 2019 at 12:57pm CST by Ben Levine

After signing 17 undrafted free agents earlier today, the Chiefs have also inked the majority of their draft class to contracts. The team announced that they have signed four of their six draft picks:

The Chiefs didn’t have a first-rounder, so Hardman was ultimately their first selection. The Georgia product was productive during his junior season, hauling in 35 receptions for 543 yards and second touchdowns. He also contributed on special teams, where he returned 30 combined kicks and punts. Considering the uncertainty of Tyreek Hill, Hardman has an opportunity to emerge as one of Patrick Mahomes‘ preferred targets. Sammy Watkins and Demarcus Robinson are currently atop the Chiefs’ depth chart at receiver.

Thompson is another intriguing prospect who could have an opportunity to contribute right away. The Chiefs are currently rostering a three running backs in Damien Williams, Carlos Hyde and Darrel Williams, meaning the rookie should have a chance to make the roster as a third back.

Following these signings, the Chiefs are left with a pair of unsigned draft picks: second-round safety Juan Thornhill (Virginia) and third-round defensive tackle Khalen Saunders (Western Illinois).