The Seattle Seahawks are coming off of a Super Bowl victory against the Broncos and one reason was because of their strong pass rush and now Jared Allen could be the latest to join up, as the free agent defensive end is still considering a deal with the team, while the Washington Redskins, Arizona Cardinals, Houston Texans, Buffalo Bills and Minnesota Vikings could also be options for him to sign with if he opts to not join the Hawks.
Allen has been a prime target for the Seahawks since last season when the team almost traded for him at the deadline and after adding back Michael Bennett to a free agent deal, the team is hoping to bolster their pass rush even more. According to ESPN.com, Pete Carroll said at the owners meetings that Allen was still deciding on what to do as a free agent and that it's a big "business" decision for him to make. Allen resides in Arizona during the offseason and that could keep the Cardinals in play, while a number of other teams may jump in if Allen opts to not sign with the Seahawks.
Allen is coming off of another solid season with the Vikings and his age and salary were reasons why he did not re-sign with the team and he has been very consistent over his time in Minnesota, never missing a game and also going for 11 sacks or more in each of his six seasons. Allen likely was hurt by the fact that DeMarcus Ware and Julius Peppers hit the market at the same time as him and now he has to decide what the best move is for him going forward. ESPN.com reports that the deal for the Seahawks is likely about $6 million per season over two years and that would be a solid option for him, but Allen is still deciding what to do.
The Seahawks can't give too much money this offseason, as they have the contracts of Russell Wilson, Earl Thomas and Richard Sherman to deal with over the next year or two and that will keep them from spending big on free agents. The team just shelled out money and draft picks for Percy Harvin last year and they also had to let a number of players go in free agency after winning the championship, including Walter Thurmond and Golden Tate, who signed with the Giants and the Lions respectively. Allen has averaged 14.5 sacks over the past five seasons and he has put up double digits in sacks for the last seven years and that makes him a prime target on the market.
The Bills or Redskins could jump into things if he rejects the Seattle offer and Allen now has to choose between the best situation for him football wise and what is best from the business side as well. The team could also look at Finley as a cheap option and they could use some more depth at tight end behind Zach Miller heading into this season for QB Russell Wilson.
