Defensive end Jared Allen was traded to the Carolina Panthers from the Chicago Bears, who receive a conditional draft pick in return. The former All-Pro has compiled 134 sacks and six interceptions while playing for the Chicago Bears, Minnesota Vikings and Kansas City Chiefs.
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In addition to his struggles, Allen was always going to be a tough fit in Vic Fangio’s new 3-4 defense. Not very many times you actually have the opportunity to get a draft pick [for] a guy this far along in a career and also on the kind of deal we had him on.
Allen was a right defensive end his entire career before this season.
The 6th round pick or whatever it ends up being isn’t much of a return for a future Hall-of-Famer like Allen, but I think it was more about trying to develop an OLB for next season. He has been credited with five total tackles but hadn’t emerged as an impact playmaker for a defense badly needing one. He’s got good size, good hand strength, he rushes with violence, he doesn’t just sit there and work one way or the other.
Allen chose the Bears over the Seahawks in March 2014, signing a four-year, $32 million contract with then-GM Phil Emery.
The Bears paid Allen $11.5 million in a roster bonus and he will get $823,000 from the Panthers.
“The first thing out of his mouth was, ‘We don’t actually want to lose him, but he’s earned his way in this league, so he deserves the chance to be back in a 4-3”.
Panthers coach Ron Rivera said Monday night on his weekly “PantherTalk” radio show the trade possibility came about Monday morning.
Johnson had 8.5 sacks last season and had already gotten his first sack this season.
A second note of interest is that the Allen trade comes on the heels of news that Charles Johnson suffered a hamstring injury that will keep him out of the Week 4 matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
-SPECIAL TEAMS: C-minus. The Saints took a 16-10 lead when Marcus Murphy returned a punt 74 yards early in the third quarter.
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The Panthers also, Harris said, fit Allen’s personality in that he’s a “big country boy”.
