New England Patriots

Sep 8, 2019; Tampa, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive tackle Beau Allen (91) during the second half at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

By Alex Barth, 985TheSportsHub.com

As the Patriots work on getting players back from the COVID reserve list, they have a few eligible to come of IR as well.

One of the six Patriots players currently on IR is defensive tackle Beau Allen. Allen was one of the more high-profile Patriots free agency additions this spring, yet he  hasn’t gotten onto the field since arriving in New England. An unknown injury kept him out of training camp and now the first five games of the season.

The Patriots kept Allen on the intitial 53-man roster before moving him to IR at the start of the season, seemingly indicating that they expected him to be able to play at some point in 2020. Yet two and a half months later, there’s been no sighting of the 28-year-old.

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“Beau’s working hard and we’ll just take it day by day,” Bill Belichick told reporters when asked for an update on Monday. “If and when he’s ready, we’ll put him out there. If he’s not ready, then we won’t put him out there until he’s ready.”

The Patriots signed Allen to a two-year, $7 million deal back in March. There is an out in his contract after this season.

Overall, the Patriots have statistically been one of the better teams at defending the run so far this season. But they’ve been gashed at times, and it’s becoming apparent they’re missing the block-eating big body nose tackle they lost when Danny Shelton left in free agency. Can Allen return and fill that gap (no pun intended)? As of now, it appears it’s too early to tell.

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Alex Barth is a writer and digital producer for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Thoughts? Comments? Questions? Looking for a podcast guest? Let him know on Twitter @RealAlexBarth or via email at Alexander.Barth@bbgi.com.