Beau Allen’s impact on the New England Patriots defense this season
The New England Patriots signed an athletic defensive tackle in Beau Allen during free agency this offseason to make an impact on that side of the ball.
The last time Beau Allen saw the New England Patriots was in Super Bowl LII when the Philadelphia Eagles defeated the Patriots 41-33 in dramatic fashion.
After being taken in the seventh round of the 2014 NFL Draft, Allen has proven to be an extremely durable Super Bowl champion defensive lineman. He played in 63 of his first 64 games through four seasons with the Eagles and played in 27 of 32 games over the last two years with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Allen agreed on a two-year, $8 million free agent contract with the Patriots that’ll have him with the team through 2022, joining Adam Butler as being the two main defensive tackles for the retooled Patriots defense this season.
What makes Allen incredibly unique on the Patriots is his athleticism and versatility as a defensive lineman. He’s comparable in some ways to Richard Seymour and Trey Flowers — who both excelled at setting the edge while also having the ability to make the tackle.
At 6’3 and 327 lbs, Allen adds much-needed size and depth to the defensive line and will replace the hole left by Danny Shelton (6’2, 345 lbs) after he signed with the Lions this offseason.
Allen will join a defensive front that includes Butler (6’5, 300 lbs), Byron Cowart (6’3, 300 lbs), Courtney Wallace (6’2, 305 lbs), and Bill Murray (6’4, 265 lbs).
During a time where the Patriots are up against the wall in regards to their cap space, Bill Belichick would not have brought Allen in if he didn’t have a specific plan in mind with him. Luckily for Allen — to add to his versatility and athleticism — he has experience playing in 3-4 and 4-3 defensive schemes, which starts to set him apart from the rest of the pack.
Another aspect to Allen’s game is that he has experience playing on special teams. Since entering the league in 2014, Allen has played 659 special teams plays for the Eagles and the Buccaneers. He also has a few plays under his belt as a fullback even.
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Beau Allen joined the perfect team for being the total package of a defensive lineman that he is, and it’s going to be both interesting and exciting to see how Bill Belichick will utilize him this season as a force on the New England Patriots defense.