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Allen headed to Tampa Bay?

Posted Apr 20, 2008 by Roy Cummings

Updated Apr 20, 2008 at 12:45 PM

TAMPA It looks like Jared Allen, the NFL sack leader last year, will leave Minnesota and possibly head to Tampa Bay for a visit early this week. Don’t get too excited, though, Bucs fans. Allen’s reasons for leaving Minnesota are almost entirely legal.

The NFL has a rule for players like Allen, who has been designated the Kansas City Chiefs franchise player. It says they can visit other teams and look for a better deal but their visits cannot last more than 48 hours.

Since Allen arrived in Minneapolis sometime Friday afternoon, he has to leave sometime today. That doesn’t mean, though, that contract talks between Allen and the Vikings are breaking off. Nor are trade talks between the Vikings and Chiefs seemingly in danger of breaking off.

We’re not quite sure where the contract talks stand but the Minneapolis Star Tribune says the trade talks are ongoing and that the Vikings have offered the Chiefs their first-round pick in this year’s draft (No. 17 overall) and one of their third-round selections (either pick No. 73 or pick No. 82).

That’s not necessarily good news for the Bucs. The Bucs first-round selection is No. 20 overall and they don’t have a spare third-round pick to offer like the Vikings.

If the reports of what the Vikings are offering are accurate the Bucs will probably have to sweeten the pot significantly with a young player or two to beat the Vikings in the trade portion of the deal. Then there’s the problem of signing Allen.

We’re not hearing much on what it is the Vikings are offering Allen but he’s believed to be seeking a deal similar to the six-year $70 million deal that Dwight Freeney of the Colts signed. The fact that he spent two full days in Minneapolis tells you the Vikings must be offering something in that range.

At the very least, though, it looks like the Bucs will get their shot at Allen. That’s better than having no shot at all.