Report: Steelers trying to extend CB Cortez Allen

[Drazo85]

http://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com/2014/8/21/6054459/report-steelers-trying-to-extend-cb-cortez-allen

[steelreserve]

Well, if they can do it for less than like $7M a year, I'd be impressed. That would complete a pretty good offseason of personnel moves.

Didn't we run out of cap space a long time ago? I know we got the Woodley money on June 1, but I was pretty sure we'd already used most of that up. Now we're signing guys left and right. Fine by me if it works, as long as everything is not of the horrible backload-and-restructure variety.

[Drazo85]

I think the Gilbert and Pouncey extensions dont kick off until next year. They play this year on their rookie deals.

[Steeldude]

Why? What has he shown? Are the Steelers panicking?

[zulater]

Why? What has he shown? Are the Steelers panicking?


He's shown quite a bit at the end of last season. The Steelers don't want another Keenan Lewis situation.

[SteelerFanInStl]

He's shown quite a bit at the end of last season. The Steelers don't want another Keenan Lewis situation.

I don't think that Cortez has played anywhere close to the level that Lewis was playing at in his final year. He may pick it up and get there this season but nothing has shown me that he's capable of that level yet and his play in the preseason makes me doubt that he can do it. What Cortez has shown me is that he's "just a guy" that's easily replaceable by any team that actually puts an effort on improving their CBs.

[zulater]

I don't think that Cortez has played anywhere close to the level that Lewis was playing at in his final year. He may pick it up and get there this season but nothing has shown me that he's capable of that level yet and his play in the preseason makes me doubt that he can do it. What Cortez has shown me is that he's "just a guy" that's easily replaceable by any team that actually puts an effort on improving their CBs.

Allen is well ahead of where Lewis was at this stage of his career. Don't confuse that with where Lewis was when he left. Lewis wasn;t even a certainty to make the roster going into his final season as a Steeler. He didn't have so much as one career start, and rarely got on the field other than special teams. And believe me they gave him ample opportunity to be one of the top 3 corners in camp that year. But between injures and ineffectiveness he didn't earn the spot.

And if you don't already subscribe to NFL rewind please take the time to do so and watch the final four games of last season paying particular attention to Cortez Allen, then make the same claims you just did.

[SteelerFanInStl]

I said "in his final year" in regard to Lewis.

What exactly has Allen shown? Besides the initial glimpse that we got from him 2 seasons ago where he played pretty well, he's done nothing to stand out since then. Yes, he's had injuries to deal with but every player does. He's been nothing more than average for a starting NFL CB. He was losing playing time last year to William Gay and no Steeler fan wants Gay to be one of our starting CBs. Unfortunately we're probably going to see Gay as the starter again next season whether Allen is still here or not.

I don't have a problem with extending Allen if it's a good contract. Don't pay him for the possibility of a breakout season though.

The Steelers have gotten themselves into this situation by refusing to address the lack of talent at CB through FA and the draft. We didn't need to use a 1st round pick at CB last year but we definitely should have addressed the position prior to taking a niche player like Dri Archer in the 3rd round. Instead, we waited until the 5th round once again and chose a player who won't even make the roster.

[zulater]

I said "in his final year" in regard to Lewis.

What exactly has Allen shown? Besides the initial glimpse that we got from him 2 seasons ago where he played pretty well, he's done nothing to stand out since then. Yes, he's had injuries to deal with but every player does. He's been nothing more than average for a starting NFL CB. He was losing playing time last year to William Gay and no Steeler fan wants Gay to be one of our starting CBs. Unfortunately we're probably going to see Gay as the starter again next season whether Allen is still here or not.

I don't have a problem with extending Allen if it's a good contract. Don't pay him for the possibility of a breakout season though.

The Steelers have gotten themselves into this situation by refusing to address the lack of talent at CB through FA and the draft. We didn't need to use a 1st round pick at CB last year but we definitely should have addressed the position prior to taking a niche player like Dri Archer in the 3rd round. Instead, we waited until the 5th round once again and chose a player who won't even make the roster.

Allen was the Steelers top corner the last half of last season. The last 4 games they matched him up on teams top receiver.

He was an above average NFL corner at the end of last season, but not for the season as a whole.


Getting back to Keenan Lewis. They allowed him to get to his walk year and he walked. Going into his final Steeler season he hadn't proved himself half of what Allen has to the same stage of their respective Steeler careers.


In my opinion Allen is an ascending talent. That's why I support the idea of signing him now.

[Psycho Ward 86]

I said "in his final year" in regard to Lewis.

What exactly has Allen shown? Besides the initial glimpse that we got from him 2 seasons ago where he played pretty well, he's done nothing to stand out since then. Yes, he's had injuries to deal with but every player does. He's been nothing more than average for a starting NFL CB. He was losing playing time last year to William Gay and no Steeler fan wants Gay to be one of our starting CBs. Unfortunately we're probably going to see Gay as the starter again next season whether Allen is still here or not.

I don't have a problem with extending Allen if it's a good contract. Don't pay him for the possibility of a breakout season though.

The Steelers have gotten themselves into this situation by refusing to address the lack of talent at CB through FA and the draft. We didn't need to use a 1st round pick at CB last year but we definitely should have addressed the position prior to taking a niche player like Dri Archer in the 3rd round. Instead, we waited until the 5th round once again and chose a player who won't even make the roster.

Allen held opposing passers to a QBR of under 60 in 9 games last season. Yes he did have his warts, allowing opposing passers to a QBR of over 100 in 4 games. But he also played through a hairline fracture from early in the season and he probably would have had more great games if not for that. And yes, as Zu pointed out he is by most indications an ascending talent.

He flashed his promise his rookie year especially in the dominant game against the patriots. His following year he was probably the best nickel in the league and had 2 interceptions and 3 forced fumbles in the final 2 games. Last season, see above.
If you have the attitude of never paying a player for the possibility of a breakout season then you will never build any semblance of a consistently good team in the NFL. Most players take a couple years to hit their prime or even just live up to their billing. You have to take some risks along with prudent moves. Prudes dont win in this league and neither do dumb asses who roll the dice on everything.

[SteelMember]

He's shown quite a bit at the end of last season. The Steelers don't want another Keenan Lewis situation.

This would be my thought as well. Although Allen hasn't show more than a few flashes until this point, the lack of quality CB depth on this team has probably forced the FO's hand. If he played lights out this year, we could possibly lose him to FA ala Lewis. They would rather roll the dice now rather than deal with what 'could' happen down the road knowing the cupboard's pretty bare.

[SteelerFanInStl]

In my opinion Allen is an ascending talent. That's why I support the idea of signing him now.

I'm not against signing him but it has to be a good contract. We're just now getting out of a bunch of bad contracts and I don't want to go right back in that mess.

We're going to need another starting CB next year and if we don't want that guy to be William Gay, that means signing a FA. I hope we'll have the money to do that to go along with a top draft pick at CB.

[zulater]

Allen held opposing passers to a QBR of under 60 in 9 games last season. Yes he did have his warts, allowing opposing passers to a QBR of over 100 in 4 games. But he also played through a hairline fracture from early in the season and he probably would have had more great games if not for that. And yes, as Zu pointed out he is by most indications an ascending talent.

He flashed his promise his rookie year especially in the dominant game against the patriots. His following year he was probably the best nickel in the league and had 2 interceptions and 3 forced fumbles in the final 2 games. Last season, see above.
If you have the attitude of never paying a player for the possibility of a breakout season then you will never build any semblance of a consistently good team in the NFL. Most players take a couple years to hit their prime or even just live up to their billing. You have to take some risks along with prudent moves. Prudes dont win in this league and neither do dumb asses who roll the dice on everything.


Excellent post! :applaudit: