Eagles’ Allen Needs Surgery

PHILADELPHIA (973espn.com) - Eagles defensive tackle Beau Allen suffered a significant upper-body injury last week, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Described as something in the chest/pectoral region, the injury is expected to require surgery which certainly points toward a torn pec and four to six months on the shelf.

The recent trade for nose tackle Tim Jernigan was not related to the Allen injury, however, as the University of Wisconsin product hurt himself on Thursday after Philadelphia moved won 25 spots in the third round of this month's draft (from No. 74 to 99) to pry Jernigan away from Baltimore.

It's bad timing for the 25-year-old Allen, who is entering the final year of his rookie contract with the Eagles and has been working on an extension with the team.

The 6-foot-3, 327-pound former seventh-round pick was penciled in as a potential starter before Jernigan was acquired and now will be expected to fit in as the third man in Jim Schwartz's interior defensive line rotation behind Fletcher Cox and Jernigan when he's ready.

Others who could figure into the mix at defensive tackle are second-year players Destiny Vaeao and Aziz Shittu as well as Justin Hamilton, a newcomer who signed a reserves/futures contract in January.

Allen has been an ironman of sorts during his first three NFL seasons, playing in all 48 games. Last season, he set a career high by playing in 40 percent of the team's defensive snaps while starting three games in place of the now departed Bennie Logan.

Allen finished 2016 with 29 tackles and one-half sack.

-John McMullen covers the Eagles and the NFL for 973espn.com. You can reach him at jmcmullen44@gmail.com or on Twitter @JFMcMullen