Keep an Eye on Newly Available Free Agent for Vikings

Dustin Baker |

Aug 5, 2024

Oct 16, 2022; Inglewood, California, USA; A general overall view of helmets at the line of scrimmage as Los Angeles Rams center Brian Allen (55) snaps the ball to quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) against the Carolina Panthers in the fourth quarter at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports.

The Minnesota Vikings’ roster, like 31 other NFL teams, is in flux and will dwindle from 91 players to 53 on August 27th.

Keep an Eye on Newly Available Free Agent for Vikings

And at some point down the line, keep an eye on recently released free agent center Brian Allen.

The 33rd Team‘s Ari Meirov tweeted Sunday, “The Browns have released veteran C Brian Allen, who was recently placed on IR with a calf injury.”

Allen injured his calf last week, an ailment of unknown severity. This means he could be ready to sign with another team before too long — or he could eye 2025 for his return. Perhaps more will be learned about his calf injury in the coming weeks. No matter what, though, he’s a name for Vikings fans to store in their memory banks if offensive line depth becomes suspect.

Nov 26, 2023; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Los Angeles Rams center Brian Allen (55) against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports.

Foremost, here’s Allen’s NFL resume to date:

Los Angeles Rams (2018–2023)
Cleveland Browns (2024)

And his Pro Football Focus resume:

2018: 80.3 (37 snaps)
2019: 58.6
2020: DNP
2021: 80.2
2022: 63.8
2023: 69.2 (34 snaps)

Coleman Shelton lapped Allen on the Rams’ depth chart last year, and Allen only experienced action in five games — with no starts. In that vein, Allen is not a prospect to steal current Vikings center Garrett Bradbury’s job or anything of the sort. Yet, Bradbury has battled injuries in recent seasons, and if that unfortunate trend continues in 2024, Allen might be the first call the Vikings make if he’s available.

Aug 21, 2020; Thousand Oaks, CA, USA; Los Angeles Rams offensive lineman Brian Allen (55) during training camp at Cal Lutheran University. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports.

Head coach Kevin O’Connell has shown an affinity for signing former Rams to Minnesota’s roster, such as Brandon Powell and Johnny Mundt. In fact, coaches adding former players is prevalent in the NFL and sports on the whole. Allen and O’Connell won a Super Bowl together in Los Angeles 2.5 years ago — the event that prompted O’Connell’s promotion to head coach of the Vikings. The two know each other.

For now, Bradbury has veteran Dan Feeney and rookie Michael Jurgens behind him on the depth chart, so Minnesota isn’t hurting for center depth. It is unclear if O’Connell will keep three centers on the 2024 active roster, and Feeney or Jurgens could miss the 53-man cut-off on August 27th. Allen could be the go-to option if one of those men is signed by another team, and Minnesota needs an extra depth option in the event of injury. Think: midseason.

Aug 21, 2020; Thousand Oaks, CA, USA; Los Angeles Rams offensive coordinator Kevin O’Connell during training camp at Cal Lutheran University. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

The Rams selected Allen in the 4th Round of the 2018 NFL Draft, and he’ll turn 29 in October.

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Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. The show features guests, analysis, and opinion on all things related to the purple team, with 4-7 episodes per week. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band). He follows the NBA as closely as the NFL.

All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.