8 LA Rams players who won’t be back in 2022

Player 4 – Can’t trust his health

One of the more difficult decisions facing the LA Rams roster decisions when reassembling the roster is how to value players with a history of frequent injury? When the team promoted Brian Allen into the starting center role, the decision was met with some skepticism.

But after facing, and winning, fierce battles on the line of scrimmage over the first three games, the decision appeared to be a wise and fundamentally sound one. In fact, the starting five offensive linemen seemed to have the season well in hand as the record ballooned to 7-1.

But in a Week 9 contest against the Tennessee Titans, Allen hyperextended his elbow. He didn’t leave the game, He didn’t even sit out a single snap. He simply continued on in the game, playing so hurt that he appeared to be a one-armed offensive center. Needless to say, the Titans’ defense picked up on his injury and flooded the A-Gap with blitzes and stunting defensive linemen.

Brian gets banged up

That same injury would plague the Rams over the next two games. In fact, it was not until Allen injured his knee early against the Jacksonville Jaguars that he would head to the medical tent. Allen would miss the following Week 14 contest against the Arizona Cardinals before returning for Week 15. But his knee gave out again in Week 16.

Allen missed seven games in 2019, the entire season in 2020, and nearly three games so far this season. By rights, when he injured his elbow in Week 9, someone should have interceded and benched him for Coleman Shelton at the time.

Yes, Brian Allen is a Pro Bowl Alternate for offensive center this year. Yes, he has played very well when healthy.  Allen has been injured for a significant portion of his career. Even this season, I am concerned that he suited up and started even though he was not healthy. Will the Rams extend him?  As a Pro Bowl Alternate, surely some teams will come a’ knockin’ with a fistful of Benjamins and a contract. But for the Rams? They begin negotiations with offensive linemen by lowballing with an offer. I can’t see these two sides meeting in the middle.