Brian Allen has been in and out of the starting lineup for the Rams since 2019, starting 32 games in that span but also missing the entire 2020 season and 19 more games in the other three seasons combined.
Injuries have limited him in a big way throughout his career, but he’ll once again get a shot to start for Los Angeles in 2023. He’ll be competing with Coleman Shelton for the starting job and he’s not certain to win that battle, having already split first-team reps this offseason.
Still, Allen should end up being one of the Rams’ most important players this season, assuming he’s able to hold off Shelton. The Rams need him to play the way he did two years ago, and also stay healthy for the entire season.
2022 stats (PFF)
- 4 sacks allowed
- 5 hits allowed
- 9 total pressures allowed
- 59.2 pass blocking grade
- 66.1 run blocking grade
- 63.8 overall grade
Position group
The center position is really going to come down to Allen and Coleman Shelton. They each got first-team reps in OTAs and minicamp, so the Rams are making this an open competition. Unfortunately for Allen, he doesn’t have the position flexibility that Shelton does so if he does lose the starting job at center, he can’t simply slide over to guard like Shelton.
There’s a slight possibility that the Rams will give rookie Steve Avila a shot at center, too, but in all likelihood, he’s going to be one of the starting guards instead.
The Rams restructured Allen’s contract this offseason, a sign they plan to keep him on the roster for 2023. They could cut him but that wouldn’t save them any cap space, so he should stick on the team regardless of whether he wins the center job.
2023 outlook
Allen has had an up-and-down career thus far. He’s dealt with injuries, which have hindered him significantly, but he’s also played at a high level. In 2021, he was quite good at center and a big part of the Rams’ offensive line success. But last year, he missed 10 games – the third time in the last four seasons that he’s missed at least seven games – and wasn’t great even when he was on the field.
The Rams would love for Allen to get back to the way he played in 2021, thus earning the starting center job again. That would allow Shelton to back him up at center, while also competing at guard.
Allen doesn’t have the position flexibility that other linemen on this team have, nor does he have the size that Shelton does as a center – which might lead OC Mike LaFleur to pick Shelton over Allen. The Rams don’t have much wiggle room with Allen, especially after restructuring his contract, so they’re betting he’ll bounce back in 2023.
