Jared Allen prepared for life without Ray

[atljbo]

Jared Allen prepared for life without Ray

I caught up with Jared Allen yesterday for a lockout piece we're working on for next week.

"I'm trying to kill me a rat," Allen said from the backyard of his home in Scottsdale, Ariz.

He was talking rat in the literal sense. Ah, the glamorous life of a $75-million All-Pro defensive end.

With some down time in the NFL, Allen has been lifting, mountain biking and doing his MMA training to stay in shape. He's also been focused on his foundation, Jared Allen's Homes for Wounded Warriors, and went bear hunting in northern Idaho.

"I let a couple of the little ones go," Allen said of the bears. "I was going for the big daddy, but didn't get him."

I had the chance to ask Allen about the Vikings' other starting defensive end, Ray Edwards. It certainly appears Edwards' days in Minnesota are over. If Edwards isn't declared an unrestricted free agency for 2011, he has said he won't play for the restricted free agent tender of $2.8 million. He also said he wouldn't play here for less than the three-year $14.6 million deal that his backup, Brian Robison recently got.

"It's not my place to get involved," Allen said. "Management will do what it’s got to do. Ray will do what he’s got to do. I can say Ray’s a good player. A vital part of the defensive line.

"I know I was in his position in Kansas City. Unfortunately, management was different in Kansas City than it is in Minnesota."

The big difference, of course, is Allen was coming off a season in which he led the NFL with 15 1/2 sacks. The Chiefs were reluctant to pay him, so they dealt him to the Vikings, who gave Allen a monster contract that he's lived up to. He has 40 sacks in three seasons. He had 28 sacks while notching back-to-back first-team All-Pro seasons in 2008-09.

"Is Ray deserving of a big contract? I think he’s deserving of a contract," Allen said. "So management will do what they feel is best for the team and Ray will do what he feels is best for himself in his career. And then you go from there. That’s just the business side of things. You got one shot to make as much money as you can to retire off of. You can’t blame the guy for trying to get everything he’s worth, especially if there’s guys who are making more money for him."

Edwards said he has faith in Robison, the younger defensive ends and the coaching staff.

"Brian’s obviously a good player," Allen said. "He’s a versatile guy who can play inside and out. He hasn’t started throughout his career, so it’s a little different. But brian has the will, and wants to get better. He’s a heck of an athlete."

That doesn't mean Allen isn't nervous about losing Edwards. Although Edwards hasn't had a double-digit sack season yet, he had eight last season and 8 1/2 in 2009. Including the 2009 playoffs, he had 12 1/2 sacks that season.

"Ray has a presence on that field, so it makes it a little easier for me," Allen said. "If ray doesn’t show up, I’m sure I’ll see a few more double teams than I already see. ... But I also think that's one position we'll be OK at."

[FlyHighFalcons]

One of the greats in the game says that this guy makes it easier out there for him, anybody need MORE proof that he is the guy we need?

[atljbo]

One of the greats in the game says that this guy makes it easier out there for him, anybody need MORE proof that he is the guy we need?

Yea... Thats why i post this... Some undervalue the guy

I like Ray Edwards even tho im not as high on him as some are... I think he can give us what we need... The guy is 26.. Just entering his prime... I would still take Charles Johnson before Edwards but Edwards is definitly a guy i would target.

I was looking at the top 100 .. Freeman presented Abe... He talked about how he rolled the line so they could pass protect Abe and in the process Biermann came threw and mad a play... Thats been happening for years... Thats why i could not understand how JA98 didnt collect sacks... I talked about it doing Abes "down year" ... Dude demands team Lines to roll/shifted in his direction so if your LDE cant put together atleast 7 sacks a year... I dont think he is your guy.

Look at that awesome Biermann int... The O-Line shifted then also... I'm not ragging on Biermann... Dude is going to be on this team for years to come.. very important in our rotation... When Abe or our next DE rest we will still have 2 good DE's in the game when Biermann comes in (it only makes us stronger)

[Tribal Chief]

Wow. The Williams wall makes both their job a lot easier. He should have showed them some love.

[atljbo]

Wow. The Williams wall makes both their job a lot easier. He should have showed them some love.

The Williams wall has been GREAT for years on running downs... But Allen is talking about pass rushing... Kevin Williams is a good pass rusher but Pat Williams is not really a pass rusher (run stopper)... They rotate different guys in at Pat Williams spot on pass rush downs

[Knight of God]

Jared Allen prepared for life without Ray

[Knight of God]

Allen said. "If ray doesn’t show up, I’m sure I’ll see a few more double teams than I already see. ... But I also think that's one position we'll be OK at."

[Knight of God]

Pat Williams won't be there either and Allen feels that LE is one position they'll be okay at. Man those articles. What do you expect him to say exactly? I would answer...THIS...

[metatron360]

Man I hope we don't get Edwards he won't really improve our team, there are to many other guys that really could improve our team out there.

I don't think FA is a must for our team either, but aso would be awesome

[The Falcon Jedi Knight]

The good news is if there is that DEs dont need a lot of training camp time if they go to a new team. With the lockout there wont be much time for free-agents to learn new teams systems, but DE doesnt really require much since all they do is attack the QB.

[Knight of God]

The good news is if there is that DEs dont need a lot of training camp time if they go to a new team. With the lockout there wont be much time for free-agents to learn new teams systems, but DE doesnt really require much since all they do is attack the QB.

I think its highly misunderstood on my feelings about the guy.

I like him. He'd be a good pick-up. I said GOOD. Problem is that these guys want to throw him a parade and to tell the truth Edwards isn't the guy to spend that much energy on like that.

I absolutely hated getting J. Anderson in 2007 and mostly because I saw this coming and made that part known. Now we are a mess at the DL position all together in that we rotate very heavily. The only guy who anchors the field is Abraham and don't get me started on that one.

C'mon guys. In a rotation this heavy...if you are looking for 8-10 sacks from a guy who stayed on the field a whole lot last year because the offense couldn't get rolling and came with 8 sacks...you don't look for 10 sacks in production in a rotation like this one. Its a rotation. He is a rhythm player.

I don't know, I'm leaving it alone. I hope we get him because he'd do great in a rotation with us and makes Davis expendable.

No, I am not underrating him, I'm being realistic.

[atljbo]

I think its highly misunderstood on my feelings about the guy.

I like him. He'd be a good pick-up. I said GOOD. Problem is that these guys want to throw him a parade and to tell the truth Edwards isn't the guy to spend that much energy on like that.

I absolutely hated getting J. Anderson in 2007 and mostly because I saw this coming and made that part known. Now we are a mess at the DL position all together in that we rotate very heavily. The only guy who anchors the field is Abraham and don't get me started on that one.

C'mon guys. In a rotation this heavy...if you are looking for 8-10 sacks from a guy who stayed on the field a whole lot last year because the offense couldn't get rolling and came with 8 sacks...you don't look for 10 sacks in production in a rotation like this one. Its a rotation. He is a rhythm player.

I don't know, I'm leaving it alone. I hope we get him because he'd do great in a rotation with us and makes Davis expendable.

No, I am not underrating him, I'm being realistic.

I agree that some act like the guy is Mario Williams... But i also feel like you are under-rating the guy... The guy produced 8 sacks in 09 when their offense was great also.. I get being realistic.. But give the guy his due... But i dont think he is this ultra beast some make him out to be ...I'm not even a big Ray Edwards fan... I prefer Charles Johnson.. But i do think Edwards can give us what we need.

We will run a rotation regardless... Part of the reason we run a HEAVY rotation is because we dont have a work horse... Right now.. We either have a guy that can give us some pass rush but not stout against the run or a guy thats stout against the run but cant give a good pass rush... If we signed a Ray Edwards or a Charles Johnson... They will see atleast 60% of the snaps... So they will see their snaps.. No doubt about that.

The guy is 26 year old (entering his prime) ... So can the guy be this ultra beast some make him out to be... Maybe... He is not their as of now tho... I do think the guy can give us what we need tho (a pass rusher that can give us atleast 7 sacks a year and pressures) ... I also think it will give Kroy the ability to be a rotational pass rusher at the RE and LE position

[The Dirty Bird]

I would rather sign Charles Johnson than Ray Edwards for a few reasons: he is younger, he is a better pass rusher, and we would be poaching a top talent from a division rival (getting stronger while weakening a rival).

However all signs point to the Falcons signing Ray Edwards the first day after free agency opens and I am very happy about this. Edwards may never be a double digit sack guy but we need a very good consistent player at LDE and Edwards would be just that. Yes, Jared Allen will be okay without him and the Vikings prepared for the loss of Edwards with the recent drafting of sky high upside DE Everson Griffen, so Allen knows that the team is "prepared" for life without Ray (this is the reason why I wanted the Falcons to draft a safety this year, so we'd be prepared for life without DeCoud but that is another story).

The Vikings would not be able to afford Ray Edwards anyway, so it is not like Jared Allen can say "we need to resign him." Ray isn't an elite DE but he can be an 8 sack a year guy and our best run defending DE. Also, don't think our front office ignored his explosiveness in the playoffs two seasons ago -- when faced with one-on-ones he absolutely destroyed the opposing OT and dominated the game. He will once again face one-on-ones opposite JA55 and with Babs working inside. There's also the chance that our DL coach is better than the Vikings and can get even more out of Edwards -- Biermann has progressed remarkably as a player in the NFL and so has Babs under our DL coach. If Edwards can fine tune some of his pass rush moves, he could flirt with double digit sacks but more importantly put on more consistent pressure.

I think this signing will be huge for Kroy Biermann as well. Some may think this means we do not have faith in Biermann -- I think this is totally off base. Like myself, I think our coaching staff has recognized that Biermann's ideal position is at RDE, which is where he made all of his impactful plays since we drafted him. Bulking up to play LDE last season Biermann lost some of his explosiveness and didn't make as many impact plays. Biermann is a high hustle player who already had limited athleticism for the DE position -- bulking up only took away from his athleticism which made him less effective. This allows Biermann to be a swing DE, rotating between RDE and LDE depending on down and distance and keeping both of our guys fresh. Getting Biermann back down to 255 will be great for his explosiveness, and this will also ready our team for the (if it ever happens) decline of John Abraham and eventual retirement. Biermann has some Jared Allen in him -- limited athleticism but an unparalled motor which is what will lead to his success. With re-added quickness, a stud LDE, and the (hopeful) emergence of Jerry or Peters to form a great DT duo, Biermann can be an impactful RDE for years. So essentially, signing a top young LDE takes care of one position for now but two positions for the future as Biermann can get back in RDE shape.

Cheers,

TDB

[d#d#d#]

Man I hope we don't get Edwards he won't really improve our team, there are to many other guys that really could improve our team out there.

I don't think FA is a must for our team either, but aso would be awesome

Yeah signing a 30 year old CB to a 7 year 100M contract will improve our team

[d#d#d#]

I would rather sign Charles Johnson than Ray Edwards for a few reasons: he is younger, he is a better pass rusher, and we would be poaching a top talent from a division rival (getting stronger while weakening a rival).

However all signs point to the Falcons signing Ray Edwards the first day after free agency opens and I am very happy about this. Edwards may never be a double digit sack guy but we need a very good consistent player at LDE and Edwards would be just that. Yes, Jared Allen will be okay without him and the Vikings prepared for the loss of Edwards with the recent drafting of sky high upside DE Everson Griffen, so Allen knows that the team is "prepared" for life without Ray (this is the reason why I wanted the Falcons to draft a safety this year, so we'd be prepared for life without DeCoud but that is another story).

The Vikings would not be able to afford Ray Edwards anyway, so it is not like Jared Allen can say "we need to resign him." Ray isn't an elite DE but he can be an 8 sack a year guy and our best run defending DE. Also, don't think our front office ignored his explosiveness in the playoffs two seasons ago -- when faced with one-on-ones he absolutely destroyed the opposing OT and dominated the game. He will once again face one-on-ones opposite JA55 and with Babs working inside. There's also the chance that our DL coach is better than the Vikings and can get even more out of Edwards -- Biermann has progressed remarkably as a player in the NFL and so has Babs under our DL coach. If Edwards can fine tune some of his pass rush moves, he could flirt with double digit sacks but more importantly put on more consistent pressure.

I think this signing will be huge for Kroy Biermann as well. Some may think this means we do not have faith in Biermann -- I think this is totally off base. Like myself, I think our coaching staff has recognized that Biermann's ideal position is at RDE, which is where he made all of his impactful plays since we drafted him. Bulking up to play LDE last season Biermann lost some of his explosiveness and didn't make as many impact plays. Biermann is a high hustle player who already had limited athleticism for the DE position -- bulking up only took away from his athleticism which made him less effective. This allows Biermann to be a swing DE, rotating between RDE and LDE depending on down and distance and keeping both of our guys fresh. Getting Biermann back down to 255 will be great for his explosiveness, and this will also ready our team for the (if it ever happens) decline of John Abraham and eventual retirement. Biermann has some Jared Allen in him -- limited athleticism but an unparalled motor which is what will lead to his success. With re-added quickness, a stud LDE, and the (hopeful) emergence of Jerry or Peters to form a great DT duo, Biermann can be an impactful RDE for years. So essentially, signing a top young LDE takes care of one position for now but two positions for the future as Biermann can get back in RDE shape.

Cheers,

TDB

Pretty silly to say this when he had 12.5 sacks inc the playoffs. I mean, its not unreasonable to think he could get an extra sack or three during the reg season with the amount of hits and pressures he generates, which over the last 2 seasons has been in the top 5 of the NFL...

I mostly agree with what you have written though.

[RockandRollJames]

I am a Vikings fan and really do not understand all of the Ray Edwards love. He is OK. He has been our worst DL starter and benefits from opposing offenses having to worry about the 3 other guys. He puts together 4 or 5 good games a season and then disappears for most of the rest. He is starter worthy in the NFL, but I don't see him improving a defense much at all. Plus, he is a jackass that us fans don't like to put up with (and I had this opinion before he said he wasn't going to play for us). I am a Brian Robison fan (the guy mentioned in the article), so I am fine letting Ray go. He won't be worth the money that he is set to make.

[Tribal Chief]

I am a Vikings fan and really do not understand all of the Ray Edwards love. He is OK. He has been our worst DL starter and benefits from opposing offenses having to worry about the 3 other guys. He puts together 4 or 5 good games a season and then disappears for most of the rest. He is starter worthy in the NFL, but I don't see him improving a defense much at all. Plus, he is a jackass that us fans don't like to put up with (and I had this opinion before he said he wasn't going to play for us). I am a Brian Robison fan (the guy mentioned in the article), so I am fine letting Ray go. He won't be worth the money that he is set to make.

Bout time a Vikings fan spoke on the guy. I feel the same way, although I just judged him by his highlights

[atljbo]

Bout time a Vikings fan spoke on the guy. I feel the same way, although I just judged him by his highlights

Ive talked to Viking fans on their MB's that says the opposite..

I want Charles Johnson... But im not going to short change Edwards

[Tribal Chief]

Ive talked to Viking fans on their MB's that says the opposite..

I want Charles Johnson... But im not going to short change Edwards

Fans are always have different opinions about what their team needs and what their team don't need. Example, you may feel that we need a top tier DE to complete the D. I say we need a dominant DT to compliment Biermann. Ya feel me. Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if we really weren't THAT interested in Edwards. It was something that analyst put out there and fans rode with it.

Edited May 29, 2011 by ya_boi_j

[atljbo]

Fans are always have different opinions about what their team needs and what their team don't need. Example, you may feel that we need a top tier DE to complete the D. I say we need a dominant DT to compliment Biermann. Ya feel me. Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if we really weren't THAT interested in Edwards. It was something that analyst put out there and fans rode with it.

I agree no one knows the FA we want... I do think its a DE...... I will say this... Len Pasquarelli said it the Ray Edwards thing... He is one guy that actually has ties here and i think he has falcon sources... To me.. would Edwards help us... Yes... Did i think he was a TD type guy ... Naw but we will see.

Steve Wyche is another guy i trust with Falcons news... He thru out the name Mathias Kiwanuka... He sai dont be surprise if we target Mathias.

With DT... I feel like we have the most under-rated DT in the league in Babs... Dude is one of the best UT's in the league... With Peters we have a solid guy who can start when needed and be a good rotsational DT... Jerry is the guy we need to step up.. I agree with PFF

Give This Guy More Snaps: DT Peria Jerry (+1.6 in 218 snaps)

There isn’t really a candidate for this category on a Falcons team that got their best players on the field. So Jerry is the obvious guy to go with, as a former first round talent on his way back from an injury that took away nearly all of his rookie year. The former Ole Miss DT had flashes as a situational rusher, but with Atlanta using three-man lines there was rarely a chance for him to build on the 11 QB disruptions he produced.

The guy has to step it up this year now that the knee is healed.

[Tribal Chief]

I agree no one knows the FA we want... I do think its a DE...... I will say this... Len Pasquarelli said it the Ray Edwards thing... He is one guy that actually has ties here and i think he has falcon sources... To me.. would Edwards help us... Yes... Did i think he was a TD type guy ... Naw but we will see.

Steve Wyche is another guy i trust with Falcons news... He thru out the name Mathias Kiwanuka... He sai dont be surprise if we target Mathias.

With DT... I feel like we have the most under-rated DT in the league in Babs... Dude is one of the best UT's in the league... With Peters we have a solid guy who can start when needed and be a good rotsational DT... Jerry is the guy we need to step up.. I agree with PFF

The guy has to step it up this year now that the knee is healed.

I agree that Jerry needs to step it up. There is no reason why he shouldn't. If he plays to his potential, that LDE spot wont look so weak to everyone

[REV.2000]

IF YOU PLAN TO STAY IN THE NFL, YOU

BETTER BE PREPARED FOR "LIFE WITHOUT"

SOMEBODY ELSE. YOU'LL SEE'EM COME,

YOU'LL SEE'EM GO ... JUST DON'T BE

ONE OF'EM!

[atljbo]

I agree that Jerry needs to step it up. There is no reason why he shouldn't. If he plays to his potential, that LDE spot wont look so weak to everyone

I still think the LDE position needs fixing... If the O-Line is skating Abes way... The LDE is seeing 1 on 1 blocking regardless.. you need a guy that can beat that...

Like Coach Smith said a couple of years ago... you need a guy that can give us atleast 7 sacks at that position.

I like Kroy... I think he being able to rotate at the LE and RE rotation .. We will get production from him... That DE added just makes us deeper...

[Return of SWFT]

There has to be a stance when we come to adding Edwards . Is he looking for a big contract or a fair market value for him . He would be a upgrade over Bierman but are we looking as Edwards as our future replacement for Abe. Is Abe in our future plans going forward after this season . Its sad to think Abe came here and we have yet to win a playoff game. He also didnt show up in that Arizona game in 08' and had 1 sack and countless misses vs Rodgers along with rest of defensive unit.

[Knight of God]

I am a Vikings fan and really do not understand all of the Ray Edwards love. He is OK. He has been our worst DL starter and benefits from opposing offenses having to worry about the 3 other guys. He puts together 4 or 5 good games a season and then disappears for most of the rest. He is starter worthy in the NFL, but I don't see him improving a defense much at all. Plus, he is a jackass that us fans don't like to put up with (and I had this opinion before he said he wasn't going to play for us). I am a Brian Robison fan (the guy mentioned in the article), so I am fine letting Ray go. He won't be worth the money that he is set to make.

Me too and I agree and have been telling these guys the same thing! He's a good player and all, but not what these guys think. The Vikes had a bad year last year and the defense stayed on the field a lot! He should have done better. He whiffs, he doesn't break free often and even media heads called him the weak link next year. Good depth guy, but not good enough for this vaudevillian activity in his name.

Jbo, its fine you think I'm underrating him but when you start with the torches and pitchforks because he doesn't live up to unrealistic expectations remember this convo. I expect 3-5 sacks in this rotation and his skillset no excuses. If he does better I'll be VERY happy, but I'm not going to put on the DE Goggles for this one.