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GoldanDBlack express • volume 24, express 28 • 14 BY KYLE CHARTERS KCharters@GoldandBlack.com R icardo Allen and Kevin Pamphile have spent the last week in the southeast, working out for the first times with their respective new franchises. And each made their new homes offi- cial, signing their four-year rookie contracts. For Allen, that's a deal with Atlanta, which took him No. 147 overall, on the third day of the draft, May 10; Pamphile went two selections later, No. 149 overall, to Tam- pa Bay, which had traded picks with Buffalo to move into that slot. Financial terms were not disclosed, but as per the NFL's rookie slotting scale, the two likely had signing bonuses of approximately $200,000. The Bucs thought they'd have to move if they wanted to get Pamphile, so they did, giving its 2014 seventh-round pick and 2015 fifth-round selection to the Bills. "We knew — and we were correct with our intelligence — that there were teams going after him, so we felt like it was a good opportunity to use an extra pick that we had next year to go up there and get him," Tampa General Manager Ja- son Licht told media after the draft. "He's a developmental player with a big up- side. He's only played a year-and-a-half at offensive tackle — he went in there as a defensive lineman. He was a heck of a basketball player at Miami Cen- tral in high school. He's one of those tall, athletic, tough, strong (guys). We brought him in for a visit and he's re- ally sharp. Those are the kind of guys we want to take a risk on." Pamphile, who will start out as a tackle at Tampa Bay but could play guard, was a steady riser on most draft boards, after an excellent Pro Day at Purdue. The 6-foot-5, 315-pounder wowed at Purdue's event, running a 4.94 unofficial 40-yard dash and showing off his athleticism and quickness. Teams were interested, and six — New England, New York Giants, Miami, Oakland, Arizona and Tampa Bay — welcomed him in for visits over the next month. "I just had a feeling that Tampa Bay really liked me when I went on a visit with them," he said. "I liked them a lot. It was a great atmosphere to be in and I just had a feeling that they would want me. I didn't know how it would work out, but I'm happy it did." Pamphile and Allen were picked in near succession. Allen's play-making ability — he had 13 career interceptions at Purdue, including a program-record four re- turned for a touchdown — seems to outweigh questions; he's 5-9, with perhaps not ideal top-end speed. "I loved watching his tape," ESPN draft analysis Todd Mc- Shay said during the network's broadcast. "He's a little guy who was never afraid to mix it up,. (He's) 5-9, 187, runs the 4.6. (But) out- side of measurables, what you see on tape is a first- or second-rounder, that's how good a football player he is. I'm interested to see if he can make it."' At the Falcons' rookie camp over the weekend, Allen said he was ready to compete. "They had a bunch of young players playing last year," he told assembled media. "That gives me hope to go out and com- pete every day, get on special teams and learn as much as I can." While the news was good for Allen and Pam- phile, a third likely draft pick — defensive tackle Bruce Gaston — had to wait out the entire draft, and wasn't selected. But Allen, Pamphile Go In Round 5 twin city dodge p r e s e n ts : b o i l e r m a k e r s i n t h e n f l Tom Campbell Kevin Pamphile was a hot commodity in the weeks leading up to the NFL Draft. Ricardo Allen talks to representa- tives of the Falcons, just before Atlanta made the cornerback its fifth-round selection.