Don’t expect Jared Allen

[Lee Borgersen]

Don’t expect Jared Allen to re-sign with the Vikings

 
March, 6 2014

Everything Jared Allen wants it doesn’t appear the Vikings can offer. Therefore, it would be stunning if the free-agent defensive end re-signs with the team.

Allen, who keeps a running total on his locker-room stall how he stands on the NFL’s all-time list, wants sacks. But the defense of new coach Mike Zimmer emphasizes stopping the run and might not be suited for a defensive end getting oodles of sacks.

Allen, who made $17 million last season, wants to be paid. But he would have to take a huge salary cut to return to Minnesota, one he might not be able to stomach.

Allen wants stability at quarterback. There’s no reason to be believe at this point the Vikings will have that in 2014.

Allen wants to win a Super Bowl. Minnesota, 5-10-1 last season, sure isn’t close to doing that.

Allen was a guest Wednesday on a Sirius XM Radio show with Bruce Murray and former Vikings quarterback Rich Gannon. Nothing he said offered any indication he will re-sign with Minnesota when he able to do so Tuesday.

Quite interesting was how he talked about wanting “stability” at quarterback. It was almost as if he was letting it be known he is seeking the opposite of what he had last season, when the Vikings had a quarterback circus while starting Christian Ponder, Matt Cassel and Josh Freeman.

“If you can play for one of the top five quarterbacks, that makes life easier, especially for rushing the passer,’’ said Allen, who played with the Vikings since 2008. “You get tons of opportunities when you’re leading games by 14 or more.’’

Of course, much of it comes down to sacks for Allen. While it’s uncertain whether he also has a running tally on the wall at his Scottsdale, Ariz., home, he will enter 2014 ranked 12th on the all-time list with 128.5.

“I feel like I still have a lot of good football left, although if you believe half the reports that come out, 11 1/2 sacks is terrible for me these years, which is kind of annoying,’’ said Allen, who turns 32 in April. “So I still got a lot to prove because I want to shut a lot of people up for thinking that I’m on a decline.

“Wherever I go, I want to be the guy. I want to be able to play the majority of the snaps. … I can get up there in the top-10 all-time sack list with another good year. I’ve got some individual goals I still want to reach. … Obviously, the Super Bowl thing is at the top of that list.’’

Allen wants to get paid, and tried to sell in the interview that getting gobs of green would help future NFL players. He must have thought that sounds a lot better than, “Show me the money.’’

“You really want to maintain the market for the guys that come behind you as well,’’ Allen said. “Unfortunately, a lot of the deals have been at lower numbers than I think we all expected the last couple of years. You really have to do your best to try to leave a mark, leave a precedent for the guys still behind you so they can take care of their families long-term as well.’’

So Allen wants to get paid a bunch and get a bunch of sacks. That sure doesn’t sound like a fit for the Vikings under Zimmer.

“He’s the free agent,’’ Zimmer said Thursday. “He’s the one that would have to decide that he wants to come back and fit into what we do and how we do it. He has to decide how much money that needs to be due for him to buy into doing that. And we’re the ones that have to decide how much we want to pay him for that, too.’’

It seems as if the decision already has been made.