The Minnesota Vikings are having one of their worst seasons in recent memory and the team is now just 1-5 on the year after losing to the New York Giants on Monday night and that is fueling speculation that the team may trade some stars, including possibly defensive end Jared Allen and some options could be the Denver Broncos, Chicago Bears or Pittsburgh Steelers, as they are lacking in sacks this season.
The trade deadline is now less than a week away and come Tuesday there will be plenty of speculation about who could move and Jared Allen is one name that may keep coming up. Allen is one of the top defensive ends in all of football and he is coming into the last year of his contract in 2013, making him a prime option to be moved, as he is getting paid quite a bit of money on a bad team. Allen is making over $14 million and while the Vikings probably want to keep him, after being so bad this season they may decide it's best to start rebuilding and trade Allen for picks.
SI.com has put together some interesting possibilities about trades and one involves Allen heading to the New England Patriots or the Denver Broncos, two teams that are lacking in sacks this season. The article says that Allen could be had for second and third round picks, but other teams could try and work around that with other picks and players. Two other teams that could (but probably and most likely won't) be looking at Allen is the Chicago Bears and the Pittsburgh Steelers. Allen is making $14.28 this season and while that is plenty, it isn't so bad for someone who will be off the books in a few months.
The Broncos could afford to make a move, as they are so close to being a Super Bowl champion team that having a weak pass rush could ruin them. Yes, the team is getting Von Miller back, but all that uncertainty is scary and on top of that, the team is one of the lowest statically in the league in sacks, with Shaun Phillips and Robert Ayers leading with 11 combined of the teams total of 19, never a good percentage. The Steelers and Bears are also ranked in the bottom five, with the Bears having nine total and the Steelers having eight total. Both teams are usually conservative in trades, but desperate times call for desperate measures.
This season Allen has 4.5 sacks and 21 combined tackles as well as one forced fumble and his presence can help change what offenses do on the line of scrimmage. He is playing well as of late, notching 3.5 sacks in his past three games and he is a very durable player, not missing a game for any of the past five seasons with the Vikings. He has over 120 career sacks and he would dramatically upgrade the pass rush for any team.
The Broncos may want to try and do that, as they are ranked last in the league in yards passing allowed per game and are in the bottom half in total yards given up and a stronger pass rush with Allen would help the secondary a great deal. The Vikings are going nowhere this season and they may decide it's time to start selling.