Jared Allen Heading to the Carolina Panthers
Defensive end Jared Allen is headed to the Carolina Panthers from the Chicago Bears in return for a sixth round conditional pick according to reports from Jay Glazer of Fox Sports. The in-season trade is a rare thing in the NFL, but kudos to the Panthers in making a trade for a high energy pass rusher who should be a much better fit in the Panthers’€™ 4-3 scheme than he was in the Bears’€™ 3-4.
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This move makes sense given the injury to Charles Johnson in the Saints game, but it just makes sense anyway. The Panthers have been looking for more pass rush ever since the Greg Hardy double secret probation went into effect. Allen makes sense as a sub for Johnson, but he also makes sense as a partner on the other side of the line from Johnson when he gets healthy.
There should not be too much worry on Allen fitting in either. He seems to be one of the gregarious players in the League. He also might feel like he has been let out of purgatory. The Panthers know well what a full season of John Fox and Jimmy Clausen looks like. This could be an additional infusion of leadership and chemistry into the locker room. Playoff teams need those kinds of differences to distinguish themselves in the difficult times.
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The fit here is astoundingly good. I like the combination of player-coach-philosophy that this creates. I am a little concerned about Allen aging, but a one year rental leading to a free agency period should mean that the Panthers get Allen’s best stuff.
With the addition of Allen and the return of Luke Kuechly, we could be witnessing the birth of a truly dominant defense. The next thing it needs to do is not give up three hundred yard games to Verizon’s own Luke McCown.