The center position has been a revolving door for the Rams during Sean McVay’s tenure. They’ve cycled through several starters, struggling to find the long-term solution in the middle of their offensive line.
After starting John Sullivan, Brian Allen and Austin Blythe in the last four years – and even trying Austin Corbett there in training camp this offseason – the Rams may have finally found someone who can solidify the position for the next few years.
That player just happens to be Allen, who came into this season looking like the weakest link on offense. Through two weeks, Allen looks like a completely different player than the one we saw two seasons ago and he’s proving the coaching staff right for trusting him to hold down this critically important position.
According to Pro Football Focus, Allen is the second-highest graded center in the NFL with an overall mark of 78.5 – lower than only Detroit’s Frank Ragnow. He has a run-blocking grade of 80.8 and has allowed just one pressure in two seasons.
What’s even more impressive is that he faced the likes of Akiem Hicks and DeForest Buckner in his first two games, more than holding his own as a blocker. It’s still early in the season, but Allen seems to be proving his doubters wrong in the first two weeks – myself included.
Fans were clamoring for the Rams to draft Creed Humphrey, Josh Myers, Kendrick Green or Quinn Meinerz in the first couple of rounds. They even would’ve taken Drew Dalman if the top guys were gone.
But the Rams ignored the position, let Blythe walk in free agency and had a contingency plan that they followed and trusted. It led them to Allen being their starter and the initial returns are positive from the fourth-year player.
He’s a great comeback story, too. Allen suffered a severe knee injury in 2019 and wasn’t fully healthy last year to compete with Blythe for the job. He spent the year rehabbing and getting back to full strength, while also improving in the mental aspect of the game – like identifying blitzers, having the awareness to slide protection and pick up when defenses run stunts and other games up front.
Sean McVay said last week that he “loved” Allen’s performance in the season opener, adding that “he’s only going to get better.” He was likely equally pleased with his performance against the Colts, considering the way Allen played against a good defensive line.
Allen is the Rams’ highest-graded offensive linemen through two weeks and has the third-best grade of any player on their offense, which puts into perspective just how well he’s played in his return to the starting lineup.
He’ll be a free agent after this season, giving the Rams a difficult decision. Should he continue to excel in this role, will Los Angeles extend him with a long-term deal? Or will the Rams give him a one-year contract like they did with Blythe before the 2020 season? They could also let him walk in free agency, but there isn’t a good option on the roster to take his place in 2022.
For now, they want him to play as well as possible and they’ll cross the contract bridge when they get there.
[vertical-gallery id=652621]