Jared Allen knows what everyone is thinking, but he is not about to buy into the hype. Trade rumors have been surrounding the defensive end ever since the Minnesota Vikings opted to not give him a contract extension in the offseason. As the Vikings continue to struggle throughout the season, Allen is perfect trade bait. Naturally, the veteran is not discussing the rumors by discussing them in a postgame press conference.
"Honestly, I'm not even going to address it," Allen said, via Tim Yotter of VikingUpdate.com. "I'm not going to speculate on something that I haven't had a conversation about and I'm not going to speculate on something that hasn't happened. I cross all bridges when I get to them and right now I'm trying figure out a way to make this defense better."
Allen is not saying that he is requesting a trade, but he also would not turn one down at this point. The likelihood the veteran gets re-signed in the offseason is very slim and a trade would save him the hassle of worrying about the free agent market considering he is reaching the older end of the NFL age scale.
"You know what? It's not even something I've got to worry about right now," Allen said. "I got no control over that stuff. It is what it is. I understand the league. I understand how it works. I'm not an idiot. But my goal is to play football. My goal is to go out and play and win. I go out every Sunday and I just give it everything I've got. Sometimes it's spectacular, sometimes you get double-teamed and sometimes you just can't get there on time. And then sometimes you lose. But losing in this kind of fashion, I don't know how to explain it."
Allen is owed $7.5 million this season in the final year of his contract. At the moment the Vikings are 1-6 and likely not improving any time soon. The team could stock up on draft picks and prepare for the 2014 season. In a quarterback-heavy draft, having a few extra picks could really serve the team well. The issue will be Allen's remaining salary. The chances a team wants to take that money on at this point in the year is very slim.
A logical option for Allen could be the Denver Broncos or the San Francisco 49ers. The loss of Elvis Dumervil continues to show itself for the Broncos. Denver could offer up a second-round pick for a trade. The 49ers have no timetable for Aldon Smith and could be in search of another defensive body. Both teams will be in play during the postseason making a trade look like a strong option.
"I'm embarassed to have to keep saying it. What else can I say? I try to be as honest as I can with you guys. I don't know what else to say. I've never been a part of something like this," Allen said.
