New England acquired tight end Dwayne Allen and pick No. 200…
New England acquired tight end Dwayne Allen and pick No. 200 from Indianapolis for the 137th pick in the 2017 draft. Allen spent two seasons with the Patriots, appearing in 29 regular-season games and serving primarily as a blocking tight end on teams that reached consecutive Super Bowls and won Super Bowl LIII. Indianapolis selected Zach Banner at No. 137 but waived him before he played a regular-season game for the Colts.
Indianapolis Colts Received
- pick 2017 4th round pick (137th overall, Zach Banner)
New England Patriots Received
- player Dwayne Allen
- pick 2017 6th round pick (200th overall, subsequently traded)
Trade Analysis
What Changed Hands
Indianapolis sent tight end Dwayne Allen and the 200th pick in the 2017 draft to New England for pick No. 137. The Colts used No. 137 on USC offensive tackle Zach Banner. New England added Allen to a tight-end room led by Rob Gronkowski and later moved the sixth-round selection in another draft transaction.
Why New England Won
Allen's receiving numbers in New England were modest, but his role was real. He appeared in 29 regular-season games across 2017 and 2018, started 16 of them and contributed as a blocking tight end. The Patriots reached the Super Bowl in both seasons and won Super Bowl LIII after the 2018 campaign. A veteran who can handle meaningful snaps on that kind of roster has clear value even when he is not a featured receiver. The sixth-round pick gave New England an additional asset on top of Allen.
How Indianapolis Came Up Empty
The Colts used the acquired fourth-round selection on Banner, but he did not make the regular-season roster and was waived in September 2017. Banner later developed into a useful NFL tackle elsewhere, yet Indianapolis did not receive that later production. For this transaction, the relevant Colts return was a player who never appeared in a game for them. Moving Allen made sense as the team reworked its roster, but the selected replacement value did not materialize.
Final Verdict
New England earns a B and Indianapolis a D. Allen was not a star, but he supplied two seasons of dependable role-player work and participated in a championship run, while the Patriots also received a late pick. Indianapolis' fourth-round return produced no regular-season snaps for the club. New England Patriots Win.