The Chicago Bears have traded Jared Allen to the Carolina Panthers following Week 3, with Fox Sports reporting that the defensive end has been moved in a deal for a draft pick. According to NFL Media reporter Ian Rapoport, the Bears are getting a conditional draft pick for the trade.
The Bears have started 0-3 this season and the team is dealing with numerous injuries to key players, including Jay Cutler and Alshon Jeffery. According to Jay Glazer at Fox Sports, the Bears have traded Allen to the Carolina Panthers. The move is surprising in the sense that Allen is a key defensive player and it's early in the season for a deal, but after the way the Bears have started, it isn't shocking that the team made a move.
According to Adam Schefter at ESPN, the Panthers have been searching for some defensive line help with Charles Johnson dealing with a hamstring issue. Field Yates at ESPN reports that Allen is a "low risk" move for the Panthers, as the team is only on the hook for $823,529 for this season (while the Bears have more to pay) and Allen has no guaranteed money left beyond this year. The Panthers now bolster their pass rush, while the Bears move on from a player who did not really fit into what the team was doing defensively.
Allen comes in with just five total tackles in three games this season and he only had six sacks for the team last season. That number was the lowest amount for Allen since back in 2006 and now the Panthers will try and see if they can get some more out of the defensive end. The Panthers defense needs some more bodies up front with the injuries they have been dealing with and now they get a former defensive player of the year in Allen.
Allen previously was as consistent as anyone in the league, outing up double digit sacks every season from 2007 until 2013. Allen had a monster year in 2011 with 22 sacks and while he may not get up to that number ever again, if he can contribute a little for the Panthers the team will be very pleased to have him. Pro Football Talk writes that Allen did not fit well into the 3-4 scheme and now he could be in better position for success with the Panthers.
The Bears have been dealing with some major injuries with Cutler and Jeffery out and that has left Jimmy Clausen to start for the team. The Bears were shut out against the Seahawks in Week 3 and Clausen was not impressive, going for just 63 yards while completing nine of 17 passes in the game. Head coach John Fox was asked about Clausen's status and whether he would consider starting David Fales this week and ESPN Chicago reported that Fox did not give a concrete answer on the QB situation.
