Chicago Bears trade Jared Allen to Carolina

The Carolina Panthers made a big move Monday in the wake of a hamstring injury to defensive end Charles Johnson and a struggling pass rush, acquiring Jared Allen in a trade with Chicago. The Bears have switched to a 3-4 defense and Allen doesn’t fit as a standup outside linebacker. It was a position that never suited him, resulting in 5.5 sacks and four passes defended in 2014.

The Panthers are thin at defensive end.

The Bears get a conditional 2016 sixth-round draft pick. Allen brings a career total of 134 sacks with him to Carolina, and that is probably just what the Panthers are looking for.

While it would be easy to say that Allen’s departure could just be a one-off thing for the Bears, the chances are it is a sign of things to come. “A great teammate. A guy who got a lot of jokes to tell us and make us laugh when, you know”. He’ll play in a more familiar 4-3 scheme with Carolina. While Allen hasn’t recorded a sack yet this season, he did grab an interception in week two. “I feel like I can play faster, stronger and have better leverage”. Allen is on the tail end of his career at this point and the fact that he’s even still playing might surprise a few people.

The exact details of every conversation will remain private, as they should.

He did not practice all week, and Panthers coach Ron Rivera said repeatedly the team would err on the side of caution with the two-time Pro Bowler.

Tampa Bay coach Lovie Smith joked on a conference call Wednesday that “yes, we’ve heard the news” about Allen’s arrival and the team is adjusting its game plan accordingly. That changed in 2014, when he notched 10 sacks before tearing his Achilles tendon late in the season.

“It’s an opportunity to get Willie Young on the field”, Fox said of the end-turned-outside linebacker, who was a healthy scratch in Week Three. The 29-year-old Frenchman has been with Lotus for the last five years. And while the Saints made a concerted effort to get the ball out quickly on Sunday, a legitimate Super Bowl contender wouldn’t let Luke McCown complete 27 of his first 30 passes in his first start since 2011.

But it appears the news was more of the same for Kuechly, who is into his third week in the NFL’s concussion protocol.

Former Carolina offensive lineman Jordan Gross said he was glad to see the undefeated Panthers make a move to help them win now.

As much as it hurts, the Bears should look to trade Forte, too.