News analysis: Allen traded to Vikings
by Herija Green, KFFL
KFFL: Over a dozen expert league championships — a proven source of player news and fantasy content.
The trade for Allen gives the Vikings one of the better defensive lines in the NFL on paper and shores up a position that's been a problem for the team in recent years. Former high-round selections, defensive ends Kenechi Udeze (leukemia) and Erasmus James (knee), haven't worked out with both having question marks moving forward.
Udeze's undergoing chemotherapy and is expected to undergo a bone marrow transplant, which makes him unlikely to play in 2008, perhaps putting his career in jeopardy as well. James has finished the last two seasons on injured reserve courtesy of torn anterior cruciate ligaments, undergoing three separate knee surgeries in just a little more than a year, making his status going forward tenuous at best.
Look for Allen to start opposite defensive end Ray Edwards with Pro Bowl defensive tackles Pat Williams and Kevin Williams in the middle. Edwards notched 30 tackles and five sacks in 12 games last season before being suspended for the season's final four contests for violating the NFL's policy on steroid use. Kevin Williams finished with 38 tackles and three sacks, while Pat Williams ended 2007 with 62 tackles with two sacks.
Allen, who finished 2007 with 64 tackles and an NFL-best 15 1/2 sacks in 14 games with the Chiefs, now gives the team a top-end pass rusher on the defensive line. However, like Edwards, he was suspended last season for repeated violations of the league's substance abuse policy, stemming from a pair of DUI arrests. The suspension was originally for four games, but was reduced to two after an appeal. Another incident likely would carry with it a one-year suspension, which makes the acquisition and subsequent blockbuster contract a bit of a risk for the Vikings.
For fantasy owners, the Vikings team defense should be a trendy pick in 2008 drafts. The Vikings already had the best rushing defense in the league, and now they're adding an elite pass rusher to their lineup. They finished in the middle of the pack in sacks last year, but they should improve on that with the addition of Allen. However, the passing defense could still use some work, and all four defensive ends carry some risk whether on-the-field or off, limiting the team's defense to that of a low-end No. 1 option in fantasy leagues next year.
From an individual defensive player (IDP) league, Allen's a top three defensive linemen to draft, but you must remember that defensive linemen rarely put up quality fantasy numbers due to their lack of tackle numbers in comparison to linebackers and safeties.
The Chiefs defense wasn't much more than a matchup play option last year in fantasy football leagues. With Allen now in a different uniform, they should be ignored in drafts this season.
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