The Chicago Bears have made it through their three preseason games. Now head coach Matt Eberflus and GM Ryan Poles will be busy for the next 72 hours trying to whittle down the roster from 90 players to 53. However, it may not end there. The possibility is strong that Poles and his front office might be hunting for help from other teams, both via the waiver wire and the trade market. The Bears were active on both last year. There is no reason to think it will be different this time around. One big reason for that is injuries.
Chicago has suffered some unfortunate losses at multiple positions. Nowhere is that clearer than at center. Cody Whitehair already had to shift to left guard to replace the ailing Teven Jenkins. Lucas Patrick still hasn't returned from an undisclosed injury that has kept him out of training camp for weeks. Now second-year man Doug Kramer left the preseason finale with his arm in a cast. Depth at that position is razor-thin. The Bears need help, and now recent rumors suggest a possible solution might be available.
The Chicago Bears must inquire about Brian Allen.
The former 4th round pick was a big part of the Los Angeles Rams' Super Bowl victory in 2021, starting every game at center. Unfortunately, last season was plagued by multiple injuries for him. Now recent updates suggest he's losing his starting job to Coleman Shelton. If that weren't enough, they also drafted Steve Avila in the 2nd round. He can serve as their backup center even though he's manning a guard spot at the moment. So Allen and his $3 million cap hit have become unnecessary. Trading him would net the Rams $2 million in space.
There is every reason for the Chicago Bears to be interested. Allen is a solid player when healthy. While only an okay pass protector, he's a standout run blocker. The Rams run the same wide-zone scheme Luke Getsy does. He's athletic, quick, and tenacious in his approach. At worst, he would be an ideal backup for Patrick when the season kicks off. It likely wouldn't take much more than a 5th round pick to secure Allen, and the Bears could also dangle Trevis Gipson in the deal. Los Angeles is in desperate need of edge rush help.
Given how rare it is for decent centers to become available this time of year, Poles should have every reason to inquire about Allen.
