Setback for DE Allen in promising rookie season
Oct 20, 2017 - 1:24 AM ASHBURN, Va. -- Washington Redskins rookie defensive end Jonathan Allen looked like he belonged from the moment he took the field during organized team activities in May.A first-round draft pick, chosen No. 17 overall from Alabama, Allen spent the rest of the summer and his first six NFL games showing that initial impression was correct. But his promising first season is likely over after having surgery to repair a Lisfranc sprain in his left foot. Washington placed Allen on injured reserve Thursday, a blow to a defense that has dramatically improved against the run.
(Allen) is a young player, but he plays it like a veteran. He has got great fundamentals," Redskins head coach Jay Gruden said. "He's got a great idea of run, pass, how to get off blocks. He has got strong hands and he was getting a pretty consistent pass rush push."
Allen had only one sack, but consistently helped collapse the pocket and pressure opposing quarterbacks. He joined free agents Stacy McGee and Terrell McClain, veteran holdover Ziggy Hood and improved second-year pro Matt Ioannidis on a revamped defensive line.
"You miss a guy that's willing to communicate with you and willing to get better, an unselfish guy and able to take coaching and getting better and understand his role and job out there," Hood said.
Gruden held out hope that Allen could return this season. The Redskins can bring back two players from injured reserve after eight weeks, according to NFL rules, but Allen's size (6-foot-3, 288 pounds) and the nature of a Lisfranc sprain surgery make that a risk.
"We got better news after the surgery that it wouldn't be as lengthy as some of these surgeries typically are," Gruden said. " So that's good news, but we still have to rehab it. He is a big man and sometimes bigger guys take a little bit longer, but we will wait and see. We'll just play it by ear and hopefully we see him again."
--The Redskins hope to have cornerback Josh Norman (broken ribs) back for a big NFC East game on Monday at Philadelphia. Norman sustained the injury in an Oct. 2 game at Kansas City and didn't play this past weekend against San Francisco.
"I'm out there working. That's a step forward," Norman said. "Who knows if that's going to progress into something else? It's the first time I did work in pretty much three weeks. It's progression. I don't know how I'll feel when I wake up in the morning, if I'll be sore or not."
--It looks like left tackle Trent Williams (knee) will have to gut out another game. He played against San Francisco despite not practicing at all last week. Williams' backup, Ty Nsekhe, is still recovering from core muscle surgery and probably won't be ready to play Monday against Philadelphia. Neither player practiced again on Thursday.
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