What ever happened to Nate Allen?
The Philadelphia Inquirer Blog - Eagles
What ever happened to Nate Allen?
Jeff McLane, Inquirer Staff Writer
In a peculiar move, Andy Reid announced today that Kurt Coleman and Colt Anderson would start at safety on Sunday ahead of Nate Allen.
Allen will work into the rotation, Reid added, but the switch was a clear demotion for the Eagles' 2010 second-round draft pick.
"I was alright with it," Allen said on Wednesday. "You got to be a professional about it and just go out there and continue to work and contribute and help the team out however you can."
Anderson, who was filling in for the injured Coleman, played particularly well against the run in the last two games. Reid had hinted last week that he was likely to keep Anderson in as a starter. But having Coleman, a 2010 seventh round pick, ahead of Allen is a bit of a surprise considering the Eagles have more invested in Allen.
A demotion this late in the season suggests that perhaps the Eagles have given up on Allen. Reid was asked what the 25-year-old safety had to do to remain a starter in the NFL.
"The first thing was to stay healthy. He's been up and down with that," Reid said. "The other thing is just continue to get better. That's the primary thing -- just keep taking steps forward."
Allen has started in 38 games over the last three seasons. He only missed one game because of a hamstring injury this season. He suffered a season-ending knee injury in Dec. of his rookie season. At the time, Allen appeared to be a young safety on the up. Last season, he showed flashes, but was inconsistent as he recovered from the knee injury.
There was little improvement in 2012. In fact, Allen appeared to have taken a step back. The Eagles have credited him with a career-high 60 solo tackles, but he has no interceptions, forced fumbles or sacks. Allen was asked if his play had dipped since the injury.
"It's hard to say, man," Allen said. "I'm not going to say it had anything to do with my knee. It is what it is."
Reid claimed that he was going with Anderson and Coleman because they were better against the run and would matchup better against the Redskins. Reid said that Coleman, who has also struggled for most of this season, was a "little more stout" against the run than Allen.
"Colt came in and we asked him to fill in at the line of scrimmage and be a physical player and he did a nice job with that," Reid said. "We needed that at that time, and so we're going to need it this week. [The Redskins] run the football and do a good job at that."
Allen has had games in which he has looked strong against the run. Last season in Buffalo, he was all over the field. But the third-year player has missed his share of tackles in the box and seemed to lack the chippiness you need out of the safety position.
"That's something you can always improve on, along with other aspects," Allen said.
The Eagles, like many teams across the league, have had trouble evaluating the safety position. They expended two second round picks on the position -- Allen in 2010 and Jaiquawn Jarrett in 2011 -- in back-to-back drafts. Jarrett was released in September.
It didn't help the youngsters that the Eagles switched to a scheme during the 2011 off-season that placed more responsibility agaisnt the run on the shoulders of both safeties.
Still, it would seem to make sense to see how Allen would finish out the season now that the Eagles went back to a more traditional scheme for safeties. It could be they don't expect to bring either Allen or Coleman back and just want to see if Anderson can handle the role since he could be back as a special teams ace.
Anderson will be a free agent in the off-season. Allen and Coleman have a year left on their contracts.
fafink- don't be so stupid! Stop getting your information and view points from Cataldi! it was a reference to the fact that there was a lot of young talent signed for a few years. that absolutely has the MAKINGS of a dynasty. They didn't pan out, but technically, they still could become a dynasty. Only time will tell on that one.— macd41144- welcome to the chat howie roseman a/k/a macdad41144, you dope
— hannibal barca - It is sure easy to point fingers now. 3 years ago, when they drafted Nate Allen, everyone was saying how great of a pick it was.— penncrow19
- He is slow, can't cover and hits like a wimp. Other than that, he is as good as Kurt Coleman..— BirdinParadise
- STINKS!— CoettaGarner25
- OK... Dawkins and Ike Reese were NOT cut, and I don't think Trotter was either. Free Agency... heard of it? Besides, did you really think we needed to keep Trotter? In his second run with the team, they let him go at the right time.— operagost
- Just another example of the poor talent evaluators on the Eagles brain trust. Very few guys "grow into" pro football positions. Allen never was the second coming of Dawk!— billtfla
- Another brilliant 2nd round pick/bust. Year of drafts like this is why they suck out loud— rustypop58
- Allen's knee is to blame.— Tyrone Biggums
With all of these moves....It seems logical...that Andy is coming back next season...Why else would you do them?- Because you are a professional organization and you run through the finish line. Believe or not the Eagles are going to exist beyond this season so you don't give up in November. — guyguy4
- Why hasn't anyone mentioned Jarrett yet? Other teams didn't have a hard time evaluating Jarrett in the draft; they had him pegged as a much-lower-round pick.
And no one has had a hard time evaluating him this season. A few teams have had him in for a try-out, and he's still on the street. Not exactly Ronnie Lott out there.— HolidayinCambodia - just another wasted draft pick brought to you by reid/roseman and co..— sgamble077
- Allen and Watkins are big time BUSTS! Allen is not a starter for any NFL team that is serious about winning as he takes lousy angles to the ball and doesn't make tackles. Seems to follow along the plays and then will make a tackle after the catch. Not what you want back there but Coleman is no better. Both thoser guys need to be replaced next season.— connorjr
- The lockout happened. He never fully came back from that knee injury and the lack of offseason support in coming back from that injury derailed his career.— doctorhim
