Could Jared Allen Receive a Tom Brady-Like Deal?

Dec 23, 2012; Houston, TX, USA;Minnesota Vikings defensive end Jared Allen (69) waves to fans against the Houston Texans after the game at Reliant Stadium. The Vikings won 23-6. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Campbell-USA TODAY Sports

The Vikes certainly have no interest in carrying Jared Allen’s $17 million cap number for 2013. That’s a problem that must be resolved by some kind of restructure. Or, worst case scenario, they could end up cutting Jared entirely.

It’s always a game of chicken with the restructure. Will a guy accept renegotiation or just ask the team to cut him and take his chances on the open market? Jared may be slipping but he’s a guy who could still score one last nice contract, possibly with a contender.

Long story short, the Vikes are going to have to work it out with Jared somehow. Don’t ask me how. I’m not smart enough to figure this stuff out. Thankfully there are way smarter people than me out there, like Tom Pelissero. He lays out how the Vikes might get creative with Jared’s deal.

Pelissero’s idea is basically a Tom Brady-type contract with a bunch of prorated bonuses. I won’t even try to get into detail. Here’s what Pelissero says:
<blockquote>Allen is due $14,280,612 in base salary for 2013. For the sake of clarity, round that number down to $14 million and assume the Vikings convert that to a signing bonus on a three-year extension through 2016.

If Allen takes a $1 million base salary for 2013 — i.e. a $1 million raise — his cap number would plummet to a little more than $8 million because the signing bonus would be prorated over four years. (He also has $2,583,344 in remaining bonus proration from his expiring deal.)

Just like that, the Vikings would have another $9 million in cap space available in 2013.

It’s not the pay-as-you-go model Rob Brzezinski, the Vikings’ vice president of football operations, usually adheres to. But the long-term risk is relatively minimal, as it is with the Brady deal.

The new years on Brady’s deal includes base salaries of $7 million in 2015, $8 million in 2016, $9 million in 2017 — all guaranteed for injury only at the time of the signing. His cap number never rises above $15 million, and he’s under contract through age 40.</blockquote>
Got all that? Yeah me either.

I’m not worried though. The Vikes’ cap guy Rob Brzezinski is an ace. And Rick Spielman is a hard-nosed negotiator. These guys will get it figured out. I have to believe Jared will stay and may even get the Brady-style extension. Which would be nice cause he’s still a good player.

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