Eagles' Beau Allen, back from pec tear, might play a bit vs. Jets

Back in early April, when Beau Allen had to undergo surgery to repair a torn pectoral tendon suffered in weight training, the plan was for the Eagles' defensive tackle to be sidelined at least a few weeks into the regular season.

But plans change.

The NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported Friday that Allen has passed a physical and will come off the Physically Unable to Perform list. A source close to the situation told The Inquirer and Daily News that Allen should return to the practice field when the Eagles resume workouts Sunday, with the aim of playing a few series in the final preseason game Thursday at the New York Jets, if practice goes well.

[Why the last Eagles exhibition will be even worse than usual | Bob Ford]

This would certainly seem to put Allen in line to play in the Sept. 10 opener at Washington, which is good news for Allen and the team, but it also creates a roster crunch. Most observers, in paring down the 90-man roster to 53, were counting on Allen staying on the PUP list for the start of the season. Although the team said the timing was coincidental, the Eagles acquired defensive tackle Tim Jernigan from Baltimore almost at the same time Allen tore his pec, and Jernigan has been a training camp standout.

Before Jernigan came aboard, Allen seemed to be in line to at least share a starting role, in the wake of Bennie Logan's departure to Kansas City in free agency. Now Fletcher Cox and Jernigan very definitely are the DT starters. Justin Hamilton and Gabe Wright are veterans added to the mix, and Elijah Qualls is a sixth-round rookie who has worked his way back from a slow start to training camp. Destiny Vaeao made the team last year as an undrafted rookie.

Allen, 25, was a 2014 seventh-round pick from Wisconsin who has played in all 48 games since joining the team.