Zach

Allen

The deal includes $32.5 million in guaranteed money. A former third-round pick, Allen’s role slowly grew throughout his time in Arizona. That culminated in him starting all 13 games he was healthy for in 2022 while earning a career-high in snap share. He repaid Arizona with the best year of his career. Allen totaled 5.5 sacks and 10 TFLs while breaking up eight passes. The breakout season earned him a sizable paycheck in free agency. Allen is also following defensive coordinator Vance Joseph to Denver, making the transition to his new team far easier.

It’s a big loss as Allen has racked up 5.5 sacks and 8 passes defensed next to J.J. Watt. With the Cardinals basically dead in the water, Allen is at risk of being shut down for the season.

Arizona also activated defensive lineman Zach Allen from the COVID list. Both players have been out for the past two games. Jones has five sacks, all of which came in Week 1, and 14 QB hits on the year. Allen has one sack and a pair of TFLs. Both players started every game before landing on the COVID list.

Fellow edge rusher Isaiah Irving (neck) has also been sent to I.R. The Cardinals’ official website believes Allen could return when first eligible in Week 11. The second-year third-rounder has one sack on 205 snaps. His loss mostly hurts from a depth perspective after the Cardinals were forced to place Chandler Jones on season-ending I.R.

Allen hadn’t played since Week 4 after being the No. 65 overall pick in April. He didn’t register a sack as a rookie. In a corresponding move, the Cardinals signed DT Miles Brown off their practice squad.

Allen (6’4/279) was a two-year starter on the Eagles’ front, graduating with 40.5 career tackles for loss, 18.5 sacks, and 16 pass breakups and earning second-team All-ACC as a senior. PFF College gave Allen its highest cumulative grade among all ACC edge defenders last season, leading the conference in run stops (29) at his position while his pass rush took a big step forward. An above-par 54th-percentile SPARQ athlete but not an explosive outside rusher, Allen best projects as a high-intensity early-down end who kicks inside against the pass a la Broncos DE Derek Wolfe.