Will the Bears’ Switch to a 3-4 Defense Revitalize Jared Allen’s Career?
Published by Zach Kruse on May 13, 2015
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Chicago Bears
Just months following the least productive season of his NFL career, Chicago Bears edge-rusher Jared Allen is attempting to learn a new position for a style of defense he’s never played.
The defensive refashioning in Chicago has delivered early hope of revitalization for the 33-year-old Allen. A 4-3 defensive end for the entirety of his 11-year career, Allen will be standing up and rushing the passer as a 3-4 outside linebacker under new defensive coordinator Vic Fangio in 2015.
But while a position change could serve as a reviving potion for his career, a cooperating body is far more important to Allen’s typical production returning next season.
Though he played 15 games in 2014, Allen dealt with a number of issues during his down year, including a bad back and a nasty illness. He eventually managed only 5.5 sacks, a career-low total that represented the first time since 2006 he finished a season with under 10 sacks.
Hired as part of Chicago’s coaching overhaul, Fangio believes his defensive scheme can provide a platform for Allen’s rebound.
“He did well in the minicamp we had here, and I think he was excited about it,” Fangio said at rookie minicamp, via Jeff Dickerson of ESPN. “Like I told him, I think he can have a rebirth to his career here playing a little bit of a new position.”
Whereas Allen once put his hand in the dirt on every snap as a 4-3 end, Fangio‘s 3-4 base will require him to attack from a standing position. The position also demands playing in space in coverage, although it’s unclear how much the Bears will actually ask Allen to drop and cover. Fangio admitted he wouldn’t have his transitioning ends doing “tough jobs” in coverage. Allen, who ranks ninth in NFL history in sacks, will remain a pass-rusher first.
“They’ll be doing things they’re used to doing as an end, except they’re going to be doing it standing up and at the end of the line,” Fangio said, via Dickerson. “It’s called a 3-4 defense, but in some ways you can call it a 5-2. I don’t foresee it being a major problem, although there’s a lot of learning and growing that has to take place.“
Allen isn’t alone in the learning phase. Lamarr Houston and Willie Young are both making the same transition. Allen figures to be ahead of the curve, given the fact that Houston (torn ACL) and Young (torn Achilles) are both coming off season-ending injuries. Neither player participated during Chicago’s minicamp.
Allen himself needs to be healthy in 2015 for the scheme change to have any noticeable effect.
According to Dan Wiederer of the Chicago Tribune, Allen dealt with a “nagging” yet undisclosed back injury last season. The problem was recently diagnosed as a herniated disc. Allen has used the offseason to rehab the injury and strengthen his core, which he hopes stabilizes the back.
Time will tell whether the disc remains an issue. The concern level from Allen appears low, but an aging player with a bad back screams danger. He could fall off the map completely if the back regresses.
While it is unknown how much the herniated disc contributed to Allen’s dip in production, there’s no questioning the impact his medical condition had on his 2014 season.
Allen missed Chicago’s Week 4 loss to the Green Bay Packers due to pneumonia, a debilitating lung infection that can linger for weeks. He lost roughly 15 pounds off his 270-pound frame. The fact Allen missed only one game was an incredible feat, but he admitted to Wiederer he might have returned to the field too soon. His weakened body was fighting a losing battle the rest of the season.
“In the middle of a marathon, that is hard to recover from,” new Bears head coach John Fox said. “I don’t know if it was his best season. But I think there are reasons, not excuses.”
Allen managed just 1.5 sacks over the five games following his comeback. After Chicago’s bye (in Week 9), Allen had sacks in only three of the final eight games.
But the end of his season wasn’t as bad as the production suggests.
According to Pro Football Focus, Allen was the site’s sixth-best 4-3 defensive end from Week 11 on. He led the position in stops, or tackles that constitute an offensive failure, and his 32 total quarterback disruptions (including a position-high 13 quarterback hits) were second only to Carolina‘s Charles Johnson.
It’s certainly possible Allen needed the time to get his legs back under him. Once his pneumonia was in the rearview mirror, the once-dominant defensive end was much closer to his former self. Allen is still paid to sack the quarterback, but his lack of numbers in the sack category likely masked how disruptive he was to end the season.
Allen is back in Chicago for 2015. His contract guaranteed $12.5 million, which all but forced the Bears to have him on the roster next season.
The price tag is a steep one to pay for an older player coming off his worst professional season. It’s even harder to swallow knowing Allen is about to transition to a position he’s never played in the NFL.
However, Fangio has been a master of maximizing the talent at his disposal. If healthy, Allen is still a pass-rushing talent. His end to the 2014 season proved he can be a disruptive force on the edge.
There’s a chance the switch to the 3-4 defense—and the challenge of learning how to attack the passer as a stand-up rusher—has served as a revitalizing catalyst for Allen. Playing for a respected defensive teacher such as Fangio is another draw.
But if any one factor is most important to Allen’s 2015 season, it’s his health. There’s still gas in the tank for the 33-year-old, but if the car isn’t in running shape, the fuel won’t matter. A healthy Allen—with a cooperating back and pneumonia-free body—is capable of delivering a productive season in Chicago’s new 3-4 defense.
Zach Kruse covers the NFL for Bleacher Report.
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