How the Chicago Bears Can Get the Most out of Jared Allen in 2015
Published by Matt Eurich on July 15, 2015
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Chicago Bears
They say you can’t teach an old dog new tricks, but the Chicago Bears are hoping veteran Jared Allen can find new life as an outside linebacker this season.
Kansas City drafted Allen in the fourth round of the 2004 NFL draft, and he registered 43 sacks in four seasons with the Chiefs as a 4-3 defensive end. He was traded to Minnesota in April 2008, and he recorded 85.5 sacks in five seasons with the Vikings.
He led the NFL in sacks in 2007 and 2011, was named to five Pro Bowls between 2007 and 2012 and was a four-time First-Team All-Pro from 2007 to 2009 and again in 2011.
The Bears signed Allen to a four-year, $32 million contract last offseason, and he was excited for the opportunity to play in Chicago.
“I’ve always liked Chicago,” Allen said after signing with the team, according to Mark Potash of the Chicago Sun-Times. “I’ve got family here. It all kind of fell in line at the right time, right place, the deal got done. It ended up working out perfectly for me.”
Allen began the 2014 season as the starter at right defensive end and recorded 11 tackles with no sacks in the team’s first three games before missing Chicago’s Week 4 contest against the Green Bay Packers with pneumonia.
According to Larry Mayer of ChicagoBears.com, Allen lost 15 pounds during his bout with pneumonia, but he returned to the team in Week 5 against the Carolina Panthers. He notched his first sack as a member of the Bears in Week 6 against the Atlanta Falcons, but he finished the season with a career-low 5.5 sacks.
Allen did not look like the same player he once was following his health scare, and he later said he wished he had taken more time off, according to Chicago Bears radio network sideline reporter Zach Zaidman:
The Idaho State product has put the 2014 season behind him, but he now faces the challenge of moving from defensive end to outside linebacker in Chicago’s new 3-4 defense.
The Bears hired John Fox as their new head coach earlier this year, and he brought Vic Fangio in from San Francisco to serve as the team’s defensive coordinator. Fox is rooted in 4-3 principles, but Fangio’s success in the NFL has come while running a 3-4 defense.
The team’s move from a 4-3 defense to a 3-4 defense has forced Allen to learn how to attack the quarterback out of a two-point stance.
Allen turned 33 years old earlier this year, and he admitted the move to outside linebacker has helped take some stress off his body.
“It’s less stress on my body,” Allen said, according to Jake Bartelson of ChicagoFootball.com. “[Standing up], and not banging on every play, it’s a little more refreshing from a physical standpoint. I think it all takes its toll, and it all helps.”
Allen has embraced the challenge of playing a new position this offseason, and he impressed Bleacher Report’s Dan Pompei during the team’s minicamps and OTA sessions:
He was a starter last year, but he will more than likely be used in a rotation at the position this season.
Pernell McPhee signed a long-term deal with the Bears in free agency, and the former Baltimore Raven will be one of the team’s starters at outside linebacker. Allen will have to battle with Lamarr Houston, Willie Young, David Bass and Sam Acho for playing time at the other open outside linebacker position this season.
Even if Allen is not a starter, he has a chance to make an impact in 2015.
So how can the Bears get the most out of him this season? One way is by using a former star 4-3 defensive end-turned-3-4 outside linebacker as an example.
The Bears had a glaring need at the defensive end position last season following the release of former All-Pro lineman Julius Peppers, and Allen was brought in to replace Peppers along the line of scrimmage.
Peppers signed a three-year deal with the Green Bay Packers last offseason and moved to outside linebacker in their 3-4 defense. Peppers finished his first year with the Packers with 44 tackles, seven sacks, 11 pass deflections, two interceptions (both of which were returned for touchdowns) and four forced fumbles.
Allen does not have the same eye-popping athleticism Peppers has, but he could learn a thing or two from Peppers’ transition to outside linebacker last season.
Before the 2014 regular season began, the MMQB’s Andy Benoit wrote about Peppers’ position change, and he felt the transition from defensive end to outside linebacker was not that complicated.
“Considering how gap concepts work, the difference between a 4-3 end and a 3-4 outside backer is often minuscule,” wrote Benoit. “Schematically, most of Peppers’ assignments will follow the same concepts that would be his in a 4-3. The only major change will be in his mechanics of execution, as he’ll read blockers from new angles.”
Peppers played primarily out of a two-point stance in Green Bay’s base defense last season, but the eight-time Pro Bowler played with his hand on the ground in obvious passing situations.
In Green Bay’s Week 3 matchup against the Detroit Lions, Peppers lined up on the line of scrimmage when the team went into its nickel package:
Peppers got a nice jump off the line of scrimmage and was able to take down quarterback Matthew Stafford for a sack:
Although Allen is listed as an outside linebacker, Fangio does not think much will change for the former Pro Bowler in terms of where he lines up on the field the majority of the time this season. Fangio said, per Jeff Dickerson of ESPN.com:
Like I told [Allen], I think he can have a rebirth to his career here playing a little bit of a new position. But in the NFL today, you play more nickel than you actually play base. For some teams they play nickel 65 to 75 percent of the time. He’ll be playing his normal position then. So it’s not as drastic of a change as you might think.
Rushing the passer from either a two-point stance or out of a three-point stance should have little bearing on how effective Allen can be this season as a pass-rusher, but there are some concerns about his ability to drop into coverage.
Allen was asked to drop into coverage occasionally as a defensive end to help create confusion, but he is now being asked to make plays when he drops into coverage.
“I’m just not position dropping now,” Allen said, according to Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times. “I’m actually part of the drop. … You’ve got to work on drops and breaks. You’ve got wide receivers doing all these little surprise stunts and [you’re] passing coverages.”
According to Pro Football Focus, Peppers played 36 snaps in coverage last season and was targeted just four times in the passing game. He allowed two receptions for a total of 12 yards and came away with two interceptions.
More often than not, Peppers was asked to get after the quarterback instead of being asked to drop back in coverage. If the Bears want Allen to be successful this season, they will need to limit his time spent in coverage. There will be instances in which he will have to cover a tight end or running back this season, but Fangio is smart enough to understand the limitations of his players.
If Allen is unable to secure one of the starting jobs on the outside, he can still be used as a situational pass-rusher this season. If Allen is used as a situational pass-rusher, Fangio will have the ability to pick and choose the right time to use a well-rested Allen against a tired offensive tackle.
The move from 4-3 defensive end to 3-4 outside linebacker may not be as drastic as it sounds for Allen this season if he is used similarly to the way Peppers was used in Green Bay last season. He could struggle if he is asked to drop back into coverage this year, but the Bears would be smart to use him primarily as a pass-rusher.
At the age of 33, Allen’s best days are mostly behind him, but he can still make an impact in 2015 if he is used properly.
Statistical information courtesy of NFL.com unless otherwise noted. All contract information courtesy of Spotrac.
Matt Eurich is a Chicago Bears Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report and a member of the Pro Football Writers of America.
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