Again, until another player or two is either drafted, developed or picked up via free agency that can give you the production Allen has provided this year? You keep him on the football team. Doesn't matter if you have to franchise tag him or break the bank for him.

The reality is that this team's fortunes are vastly, vastly different over the last two years without his direct impact in football games. You can go back and look at everything on paper, but, right off the top of my head, he had the big play against the tacks in the final week of last year to secure the divisional title. He also sacked Stroud, put them a little bit further out of field goal range, and, that was ultimately the difference in us being swept or splitting the difference with them this year.

He also comes up big against the clots time and time again. Think he had a big play awhile back earlier this year that was either a fumble or some type of big TD play defensively. So, the idea that you're going to allow a guy that good, especially against your divisional rivals, who, by all accounts, looks like they're pretty damn good this year and moving forward, you don't let that talent walk out of here.

He's on pace to break Bracken's franchise sack record here. It's a whopping 60 some odd sacks. That's poultry compared to other franchise's. That's how STARVED this franchise has been with a consistent, viable presence in the pass rushing department. You cannot take that for granted. If he dips in production after the contract extension? Ship his [BLEEP] off for some picks to a team that WILL gamble on him. But, I think, as long as this team is winning? And the culture is good? And these guys see what Pederson, and, especially what Lawrence is doing, and his willingness to gut it out with injuries?

They'll feed off of him. It's scary, but, if this offense could just get a little bit better in the trenches moving forward, or, next year at the minimum, you can fully expect this team to play with more leads and give this defense ample cushion to pin their ears back more. Allen and Walker would probably have a few more sacks had we not had to play in some closely contested football games this year where the running game or short passing game was still on the table to be used on our defense.

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