Buccaneers expected to sign DT Allen

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are expected to sign nose tackle Beau Allen, the Tampa Bay Times reported Wednesday.

Allen will take the place of Chris Baker, who was released by Tampa Bay last month and subsequently signed by the Cincinnati Bengals.

Deals cannot be officially signed until the new league year begins on Wednesday at 4 p.m. ET.

The reigning Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles were bracing for the loss of Allen by agreeing to terms with veteran nose tackle Haloti Ngata on Tuesday.

The 6-foot-3, 333-pound Allen spent his last four seasons with the Eagles, appearing in all but one game during his tenure.

A seventh-round draft pick out of Wisconsin in 2014, Allen, 26, had 20 tackles and one sack in 15 games last season in Philadelphia's run to the Super Bowl.

Allen has 87 tackles, including 10 for losses, and two sacks in his career.