The Los Angeles Rams effectively chose center Coleman Shelton over Brian Allen to begin their free agency preparation. Now, they’re hoping Shelton chooses the Rams.
Allen was informed of his release on Wednesday, ending his five-year tenure with Los Angeles. His role waned since the Super Bowl season in 2021, and Shelton ran away with the starting center job. Allen would appear in just three games this season.
Shelton, having passed the playing time marker (55 percent of snaps) to void his contract, may have a lucrative free agency ahead of him.
Rams head coach Sean McVay is hoping to have Shelton back in 2024.
“We would really like to get him back,” McVay said on Thursday.
Shelton will be due $5 million against the cap if he decides to not opt out of his contract. It would be the final year of his deal.
Meanwhile, Pro Football Focus projects Shelton to see more money – and security – if he hits the open market. He’s currently projected for a three-year deal worth $5.33 million per season and $9 million in guarantees.
Shelton is coming off the best season of his career. Besides seeing more time than ever before, Shelton posted his highest Pro Football Focus offense grade and particularly excelled as a pass blocker.
Perhaps most notable was his play down the stretch. He didn’t commit a penalty in the final four games of the regular season and played well in three of those games – although New York Giants defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence gave him trouble. He also played well in Los Angeles’ Wild Card Round loss to the Detroit Lions.
Shelton has experience at both center and guard. While McVay has predominantly run zone concepts during his tenure, he acclimated well to the Rams’ uptick in gap runs, too.
In all, he’s a schematically and positionally versatile interior lineman coming off of the best year of his career. There’s a reason McVay wants him back, though testing the free-agent waters is a legitimate possibility given his potential market.
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