Allen On The Market

Not long after being franchised by the Chiefs, Jared Allen has requested, or more appropriately, demanded to be traded by the organization and hopes something gets done before next week's NFL Draft. The offseason has seen the Vikings pursue numerous defensive ends without any success. Justin Smith and Antwan Odom were both free agent targets who signed with other teams, and more recently the Vikings have been in the middle of trade rumors involving Jason Taylor and Julius Peppers. Those rumors did not appear to hold much weight, but the talks of Allen being traded to the Vikings are serious, as he is in Winter Park today talking about the framework of a long-term deal, a must before any team can even consider settling with the Chiefs on compensation. The Buccaneers are also in the mix for Allen's services, and several other teams may jump into the fray before it is all over. But it is a good sign that Allen visited Minnesota first, and with a higher first round pick and a pair of third rounders to work with, the Vikings appear to have the most to offer to the Chiefs, along with having plenty of money to throw Allen's way. Brad Childress called into KFAN this morning, confirming that the team is indeed interested in Allen and undergoing talks with his agent.

Allen and the Vikings appear to be a match made in heaven. Despite all the progress the defense has made under Childress they have still lacked an edge rusher who creates havoc in opponent's backfields, an essential ingredient in the Cover-2 defense that the Vikings employ. Coming off a year in which he led the league in sacks despite missing two games, Allen is exactly that. He is arguably the best defensive end in football and regarded by many as one of the top defensive players in the league. The Vikings would have to part with their first rounder this year along with another pick, either this year or next, but it would look to be good value for the team as they are highly unlikely to find a player who can have the impact of Allen at pick #17. Allen dominated on a Chiefs defense that had underwhelming talent at defensive tackle and it is scary to think of what he could accomplish with Pat and Kevin Williams engulfing blockers while he is running free outside.

He does come with a decent amount of risk. Despite being only 26, he has been arrested twice for drunken driving and faced jail time for his second offense. His issues with alcohol put him in the NFL's substance abuse program and he has two strikes against him in the league's eyes. Allen has reportedly been clean for over a year but any sort of run-in with the law again involving alcohol could lead to a year-long suspension. The good news is that Commissioner Roger Goodell shortened his previous suspension from four to two games in 2007, and with the way Goodell runs the league with an Iron Fist, it is probably a sign that he trusted in Allen's sobriety and the fact that he had cleaned up his act. There are still plenty of details to be hammered out but the prospect of adding a young and uber-productive talent at an important position has to be exciting for most Vikings fans.