There are not too many players who have completed the trifecta of recent team branding. Among those who have is Jonathan Allen, who recently requested a trade through his agent.
For the Washington Commanders, it is the right time to move on.
Goodbyes are never easy. But at a time when the Commanders have over 15 percent of next year's cap ($46.5 million) allocated to two players in Allen and Daron Payne, he is the odd man out.
Allen is older. He is coming off an injury that saw him miss half of last season and has a more movable contract. Entering the last year of his deal, cutting or trading the two-time Pro Bowler would result in savings of $16.47 million. Payne, on the other hand, would only save $370,000 by being cut, with a dead-cap hit of $25.8 million. That is unfeasible.
Despite the Commanders having one of the highest amounts of cap space, the team has many holes to fill. They also have 28 players who are unrestricted free agents. Moving on from Allen just makes sense and isn't unprecedented.
If you look at the Commanders' roster last year, some of the key veterans faced similar scenarios. Zach Ertz got traded from the Philadelphia Eagles, who he spent most of his career with. Bobby Wagner was cut by the Seattle Seahawks after 10 seasons.
Commanders cannot justify Jonathan Allen's salary with regressing production
Allen, who played his high school football in Northern Virginia, has been one of the veteran stalwarts of the franchise. However, his numbers have fallen off in recent years.
After having back-to-back Pro Bowl years in 2021 and 2022 — gaining 16.5 sacks and 127 tackles during that span — he has only managed 8.5 sacks and 72 tackles over the last two campaigns.
According to Over the Cap, Allen had an injury-adjusted valuation of $2.056 million while earning $18 million in 2024. That's wholly underwhelming.
His 2025 cap number is the ninth-highest among interior defensive linemen. Among that group, Allen is the third-oldest and one of the only two who played less than 10 games last season. Four of the other eight made it to the Pro Bowl last year.
Another factor that comes into play is Allen's demeanor. The former Alabama star and Terry McLaurin are the key leaders who have been with the franchise through its highs and mostly lows.
However, while McLaurin has maintained his lunch bail, shown up, and done the work mentality, Allen had increasingly grown frustrated with his feelings boiling over in 2023 after a disappointing loss to the New York Giants in Week 7.
Jonathan Allen is not happy after Commanders loss. "They whupped our ass, plain and simple." pic.twitter.com/7BaGsfkDWg
— JP Finlay (@JPFinlayNBCS) October 22, 2023
It's okay to show emotion. As a leader, you have to back that up with action.
After his impassioned comments, Allen only had one tackle the following game. Through his final nine contests of that season, he finished with just 2.5 sacks and four tackles for loss in what would ultimately be Ron Rivera's last year at the helm.
With Johnny Newton continuing to progress and Allen himself wanting to move on, it makes too much sense for the team not to make a move.
The compensation that the team receives for Allen won't move the needle. With Adam Peters' prowess, he might be able to pull a rabbit out of a hat, like when he got a third-round selection for wide receiver Jahan Dotson.
For Allen, he'll look to do what Ertz, Wagner, and Austin Ekeler did with the Commanders last year. The lineman must show that he still has more left in the tank.