Home Player Spotlight Steelers Decision With Cortez Allen is More Than Just Money

Steelers Decision With Cortez Allen is More Than Just Money

by Steeldad

If Steelers’ beleaguered cornerback Cortez Allen is still on the roster as of March 14th, he receives a $3 million roster bonus. Will the team want to pay him that much for being a likely back-up and special teams player?

If they cut him prior to June 1st, they can save some money. His dead money would be less than $2 million this year and would be just over $4 million in 2016. With the Steelers still on the hook for over $8 million to LaMarr Woodley, that would be a lot of dead money.

However, with the salary cap expected to rise significantly in the next two years, the Steelers could have as much as $60 million in spending cash for 2016.

There may be a problem just as big as the financial one though for the Steelers. What is the mindset of Cortez Allen heading into 2015?

General Manager Kevin Colbert said this week that Allen “lost confidence because of all of the flags” early in the season. If Allen is struggling with his confidence regarding flags, then what must he feel like in regards to actually stopping receivers?

One of the oldest sayings in football is that a cornerback has to have a short memory. He cannot dwell on receptions given up or touchdowns caught on his watch. He must jump right back in and play as though they never happened.

Allen was a fourth round pick from The Citadel who made his mark more as a special teams player than anything and that was a role (along with being a nickel or dime CB) that I thought he would excel in.

Instead, the front office and coaching staff believed Allen to be capable of being a starter in the NFL. So much so they gave him a pile of cash just before the regular season started last fall.

Allen’s problems aren’t just financial and they aren’t just in pass coverage either. There was a lot of discussion about his poor tackling. One source I spoke with said this was the biggest reason he was benched.

I’m not 100% certain that Allen will return in 2015. The Steelers realized the mistake they made in letting Keenan Allen go and now they are faced with a similar dilemma where perhaps they will hang on too long.

photo courtesy steelers.com

 

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4 comments

HARRY JOHNSON February 19, 2015 - 5:27 pm

Been a STEELER fan forever seen a lot of good and a lot of MISTAKES wish somehow I could take part. But every day people don’t have a chance or a say.ALLEN has to go along with others.

JB Steel February 20, 2015 - 1:14 pm

I say cut him in move on. They’ve got to stop falling in love with the ‘idea’ of the player. They’ve done this a lot recently. Worilds, Jarvis Jones and Cortez Allen all are examples. Allen plays the reciever way too much. He has his back to ball almost every pass play. He was a small college player that never had to cover talent and he simply can’t do it. And in no way was he worth 26 million dollars. (Ed. Note. You meant Keenan Lewis not Keenan Allen, I think).

Pacnredd1 February 21, 2015 - 2:56 am

This writer has got it all wrong!

So, Cortez Allen is going to be “a likely backup” to whom? Who currently is on the Steelers roster that could on their worst day replace Cortez? Maybe you should write with actual facts instead of incorporating you unsolicited opinion in your future articles. This will help the common reader to further understand where it is exactly you are coming from.

Dr Know March 11, 2015 - 12:13 pm

William Gay and Brice McCain are both better corners than Cortez Allen is right now. And I will also throw Antwann Blake into the equation as well. All of them filled in admirably when Allen was benched. Get Kennan Lewis Back, sign FA Culliver and cut your losses. If a 26 million dollar contract is not enough incentive to bring out the best in Allen NOTHING WILL! Its not in HIM!

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