Rams release veteran center

Allen’s contract called for a $5M base salary next season. Due to a restructure that included void years, the Rams will take on $3.15M in dead money by releasing the six-year veteran. 

The Rams found Allen in the fourth round of the 2018 NFL Draft, turning to him as one of many Day 3 draftees to become regular starters. While Allen did enough to command a nice second contract, he found himself on the bench this past season.

The Rams turned to Coleman Shelton as their primary center in 2023, reorganizing their O-line. In 2022, the Rams re-signed Allen and Joe Noteboom to respectively work as their center and left tackle starters, respectively. 

Neither deal panned out. The Rams drafted Steve Avila in the second round and acquired Kevin Dotson via trade last year; Alaric Jackson also beat out Noteboom for the left tackle gig. The shuffling left-right tackle Rob Havenstein was the only Super Bowl starter remaining.

Injuries impeded Allen, 28, for much of his Rams career. He suffered a knee injury in Week 1 of the 2022 season, missing time due to a minor surgery. 

Allen ended up starting only seven games that year, with a thumb injury finishing his season early during a year that featured rampant Rams health issues up front. Allen also missed the entire 2019 season due to ACL and MCL tears, bouncing back to become the Rams’ starting center from 2020-21.

Pro Football Focus graded Allen as the league’s 10th-best center in 2021, but while he made 20 starts for the Super Bowl-winning Rams team, he played part of the season with a UCL tear in his elbow. 

The season still secured him a nice payday. The center market did not produce much of consequence last year, however, with a handful of teams being able to re-sign their pivots for cheap. 

This and a run of injuries does not bode too well for Allen, though the Michigan State alum has made 32 career starts and been in that role for two playoff teams.