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Baltimore Ravens: Jared Allen would have solved a lot of problems

By Joe Serpico

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The Baltimore Ravens are in desperate need of a pass rusher with the loss of Terrell Suggs for the season due to torn Achilles’ tendon. The lack of a pass rush has been evident over the past two games as quarterbacks have had time to pick apart a Ravens secondary that is really struggling. Yesterday, one of the top pass rushers in football was moved at a very small price.

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The Chicago Bears agreed to send Jared Allen to the Carolina Panthers for a conditional sixth-rounder in 2016. The Bears agreed to pay $11.5 million of his salary in exchange for the five-time Pro Bowler. Carolina is getting a top talent while basically giving up nothing.

So I have to ask, why did the Ravens not give up a sixth-round pick for Allen?

For a team that needs the help, giving up a late pick should have made sense for someone of Allen’s caliber. Allen leads the NFL in sacks and fumble recoveries since he entered the league in 2004 and is still a force on the edge at the 33-year old.

Last week, they traded a seventh-round pick for Will Davis, a cornerback that hasn’t really shown that he’s capable of making a major difference when on the field. He’s a nickel or dime corner at best and was brought here because the Ravens are struggling to find answers in their secondary.

The team signed Jason Babin to the veteran minimum following the injury to Suggs, but have yet to activate for a game. It’s safe to say the Ravens haven’t been impressed with the 12-year pro and have opted to go with the younger talent instead. There was a reason why he was available; he’s just not that good anymore.

They cannot release Babin for three weeks as a part of his contract, but it’s likely that he will be gone after this week if he doesn’t get on the field. He’s basically taking up a roster spot for no reason.

So again I ask, why didn’t the Ravens make the deal?

It would be hard to think that when the Bears were shopping Allen around that they didn’t call Baltimore. They want to entertain every option available and it’s no secret around the league that the Ravens are looking for pass rushers.

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Jared Allen says 'the ride's done' for Kirk Cousins in Minnesota
Jared Allen says 'the ride's done' for Kirk Cousins in Minnesota /

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    • The deal made sense for both both the Bears and Panthers. Allen was struggling to transition into the 3-4 defense of the Bears and now joins a team that uses a 4-3 defense that Allen has played in for the majority of his career. Like the Ravens, Carolina needed pass rush help.

    To make it all come full circle, the main reason why Chicago was willing to part ways with Allen is because of the play of former Raven Pernell McPhee. McPhee 16 total tackles and two sacks already this season for the Bears. Talk about a low blow to a Ravens team that could really use him right now.

    One has to wonder if Allen struggling to transition to the 3-4 with the Bears is what scared off the Ravens. He wasn’t applying the pressure he’s typically known for, but still makes plays, which was evident in Week 2 when picked off Carson Palmer at the line scrimmage. With how the Ravens defense has been playing as of late, they could use any playmaker on defense they could find.

    Dean Pees needs someone to get after the quarterback in the worst way. He would have found a way to incorporate Allen into the gameplay. Elvis Dumervil struggled at first to transition to the 3-4, but has since made it work. Pees uses Dumervil primarily as a pass rusher only, and he could have done the same with Allen. The Ravens go with four down linemen on most passing downs anyways.

    Jared Allen made his mark in the NFL as a member of the Minnesota Vikings. He would have looked good in purple once again. Instead, the Ravens are still looking for answers.

    Next: Ravens ranked 24th in FanSided Power Rankings

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