Everybody’s calling Keenan Allen insurance for Mike Evans. I think that sells short what the San Francisco 49ers just bought for a sixth-round pick.
Allen isn’t here to be Evans. He’s here to fix the one spot where Brock Purdy hasn’t been elite.
Look at Purdy’s Independent Quarterback Rating from Sports Info Solutions. It’s passer rating, graded on the throw instead of what happens after it, so a drop doesn’t count against the quarterback. On throws of zero to nine yards, Purdy sits at 107. On throws of 20-plus,
he’s at 135. But on throws between 10 and 19 yards? A 79. That’s his worst zone by a mile.
Now look at where Allen lives. His average target this season came 8.5 yards downfield. He dropped one ball all year.
That’s third-and-7 country. That’s where linebackers and safeties sit in zone, and where you need a receiver who knows exactly where to settle and has the hands to finish it in traffic. Allen has made a career out of that.
And don’t judge him by his work in Indianapolis. The Colts are 2-7, Allen was trailing Josh Downs and Laquon Treadwell in routes, and the ball wasn’t finding him in good spots. Put him with a quarterback who wins with timing and efficiency, and that changes.
I saw video of him at practice. Let’s be honest, he ran a 4.71 coming out of Cal, and at 34, the 4.7 isn’t there anymore. Nobody’s asking him to run past anybody. But the movement is still there. He’s quick in and out of his breaks, and he’s strong at the catch point. He’s a grown man. He’ll block in the run game, and in this offense that matters.
Here’s what I love most. On third-and-7, the 49ers don’t have to dig into the playbook for a creative call with extra motion and moving parts. Sometimes it isn’t about the scheme. It’s cat coverage: your cat versus my cat. And for the first time since Evans went down, the 49ers have a cat that can win that fight. Allen wins with footwork and release packages, and he knows where to sit against zone. That’s the piece the offense has been missing: a guy who can just win no matter what the defense calls.
Is he a yards-after-catch guy? No. He averages 2.7 yards after the catch, and this offense lives on YAC. But that’s not his job. His job is to move the chains when the play breaks down.
And the timing works. Dallas ranks 30th in defending intermediate throws, according to NFL Pro. Kyle Shanahan says he’ll reassess Allen on Saturday, so we’ll see how much he plays in Dallas.
I’ve got a lot more to say about how Shanahan can use him, and we’re breaking it down on The Coaches Huddle this week.
So what do you think, Faithful? Is Allen the piece that fixes Brock’s middle of the field, or just a nice veteran to have around?
