April 18, 2008

Chiefs DE Jared Allen

PFW is hearing that the Chiefs are weighing strongly an offer to send All-Pro DE Jared Allen to the Vikings for a first-round draft pick this year (No. 17 overall) and a third-round pick in the 2009 draft. Sources say the talks have been ongoing for a month or more, and Allen told FoxSports.com that he has a visit scheduled with Minnesota. The Buccaneers also are in the picture. In February the Chiefs placed the franchise tag on Allen, who was scheduled to hit free agency this offseason; signing him to an offer sheet would cost the Vikings two first-round picks. The Vikings have a need at defensive end, especially with Kenechi Udeze having been diagnosed with leukemia this offseason. Allen, who recently turned 26, has played both the left and right sides and has 43 sacks in 61 career games. The Vikings too often were forced to blitz and abandon their Tampa-2 schemes last season because the front four wasn’t generating enough pressure. Interestingly, the Chiefs and Vikings hold their training-camp practices in River Falls and Mankato, Minn., respectively, and often practice together in July and August.