Vikings Camp: Jared Allen Not a Fan of Defensive Line Rotation Plans

New defensive coordinator Alan Williams has plans to change his team’s strategy this season. Williams will be implementing a rotational system for his defensive lineman, which figures to include up to 8 players.

“Keep them fresh, keep them running so they can make plays,” Williams said. “When we’re at the end of the ballgame and the game is on the line, we have to close it out. It’s just that at the end, we want the guys fresh and we want to close it out. That is game-specific and season-specific, so at the end of the year we don’t have a guy that has 1,000 reps under his belt. We want guys to be fresh so that we when playoffs come down the line, we’re ready to hunt.”

One player who’s not necessarily a fan of this new strategy is All-Pro DE Jared Allen.

“They’re probably going to drop that on me toward the beginning of the season, and I’ll get really pissed at them… I’m willing to do anything to win, but I don’t like coming off the field. I work so hard in the offseason to get in the best shape I can. My theory’s always been, ‘You want to rest me, rest me during the week because I get paid to play on Sundays.’ That’s when I’m out there to make plays. I feel like if I’m on the field, I can make a play to help us win.”

“As the game is going, we’re trying to win a football game, I think you put your best players on the field to try and win football games. If I ever feel the snaps are too much, I’ll retire. Until then, I’m going to try and play until the wheels fall off. That’s my mentality come Sunday. Don’t take me off the field because I feel like I prepared in the offseason and training camp and the regular work week to play every snap on Sunday.”

You’ve got to love Allen’s candidness. Not only that, but his desire to be on the field the whole game, and to give everything he has on every single play.

Now the comment about getting pissed was said jokingly, but we all know this is a serious issue to Jared Allen. I pity the coach (probably Williams), when they tell him to come off the field during the middle of a series. My guess is that it won’t happen…

Rules and strategies sometimes don’t apply to star players, and that’s exactly what Allen is. Arguably the best defensive end in the game, he’s earned the right to be on the field when he wants, which is for the entire game.

I’ll take a tired Allen at 85 % over almost anybody else in the league.

Check out all the latest from Minnesota Vikings training camp here

Follow Andrew Fisher on Twitter @the_realfish