Another one of this year’s top free agent centers is staying put. The Rams are bringing back Brian Allen on a three-year, $24M contract (Twitter link via ESPN’s Adam Schefter).
Allen, 26, took over as the full-time starting center in 2019. An MCL injury cut that year short, however, and kept him sidelined for the entire 2020 season. This year, he returned healthy enough to start in all 16 games he played in.
Despite allowing five sacks in just over 900 snaps, PFF viewed Allen favorably. He earned a grade of 80.2, making him one of the top options on the center market, even before the recent re-signings of Ryan Jensen and Ben Jones. It made him a strong candidate to re-up with the team, despite the limited cap space.
With this signing – along with that of presumed new starting left tackle Joe Noteboom – there will be a good deal of continuity along the Rams’ offensive line. That will be significant as the team tries to keep as many pieces of its Super Bowl-winning roster as possible. The most notable of those on offense, of course, remains Odell Beckham Jr.
With Jensen, Jones and now Allen no longer options for outside teams, even more attention will turn to Bradley Bozeman. After one season at his more comfortable center position, his play in Baltimore may very well have earned him a lucrative second contract. Los Angeles, which could have been a suitor for him had Allen departed, will now move forward with their in-house option.
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