Larry

Allen

Allen has had a tumultuous offseason full of rumors of his release, trade rumors, and visits to other teams. Because of his high price tag, it looks like he will resolve his differences with Bill Parcells and be a Cowboys starter in 2004.

The Cowboys have put themselves in an impossible situation with Allen. They will take a huge cap hit whether they keep him or not, and now have no leverage in any trade possibilities. We still don’t expect him back in Dallas.

The Cowboys are seeking a trading partner for Allen, who has outlived his welcome with Bill Parcells. Detroit is a better fit, with a clear need for a guard. Oakland would have to clear cap and roster space.

Allen and coach Bill Parcells have struggled to see eye-to-eye, but a possible trade to Detroit fell through at the last minute. The Cowboys could use him on their thin O-line.

Allen was an out of shape mess last year and almost got booted off the team. With a revived Allen, the return of C Al Johnson, and two high draft picks (Jacob Rogers and Stephen Peterman), the Cowboys O-line should improve. Bump up Quincy Carter, Eddie George, and Julius Jones’ value.

The 49ers also saw Jonas Jennings limp off the field in the second quarter, putting QB Alex Smith in further jeopardy.

Tony Wragge came in for Allen and did a solid job. San Francisco also lost LT Jonas Jennings briefly to a sprained right ankle, but he returned in the second half.

The former Pro Bowler sprained his knee in the Niners’ opener Sunday. San Francisco has underrated line depth so Frank Gore remains an excellent fantasy start in Week 2 vs. St. Louis.

The future Hall of Famer hasn’t played the position since 2002. Coach Parcells would prefer that the starting right tackle emerge from this list: Ben Noll, Torrin Tucker, Kurt Vollers and sixth-round pick Rob Petitt. But no one has stepped up yet.

Coach Parcells was quick to squash any controversy, basically saying he ''wasn’t disappointed.’' Still, considering the conditioning and discipline issues Allen has endured under Parcells, it’s not a great sign. He’s the key to the Cowboys O-line.