SteelCrazy
01-08-2015, 12:21 PM
You could suggest the secondary is the Steelers' biggest concern heading into the offseason, and it would be a fair point.
“You could (suggest) it,” coach Mike Tomlin said. “I am not.”
Maybe the secondary as a whole isn't Tomlin's main concern, but a once-thought-of key member has to be near the top.
Cortez Allen had yet to prove himself over a full season, but the Steelers gave him a five-year, $26 million contract the day before the season started. The deal solidified Allen as the top cornerback on a team that didn't have much depth at the position.
A month later, Allen was demoted to playing only in the nickel defense.
A week after that, he was pulled from a game in the fourth quarter.
A week later, he was benched and would not play a defensive snap the rest of the season before ending up on injured reserve.
Allen's inability to make a Keenan Lewis-like jump the Steelers expected not only created chaos in the secondary but also brought into question whether Allen can regain his confidence and reclaim a starting position next season.
Tomlin is in a wait-and-see mode.
“He's going to be faced with a stiff challenge in terms of responding to the adversity that he faced this year,” Tomlin said. “How you respond to the adversity that the game of football, or professional football, presents you oftentimes defines you and defines your career.”
Just like the Steelers had no choice but to sign Allen so he couldn't hit free agency after the season like Lewis the year before, they don't have much choice but to stick with Allen now.
The Steelers have only three cornerbacks under contract for 2015 — Allen, William Gay and B.W. Webb — and if they parted ways with Allen, it would have to be before his $3 million roster bonus is due a couple of days before free agency starts March 10. It would save the Steelers only $1.5 million and would force them to address the position in free agency.
Translation: Allen will be back in 2015.
“I am highly confident that I can get my issues fixed,” Allen said. “I have never been a guy who keeps my head down. I always find a positive in every situation, and I'll do that for this, too. I view myself as a guy who is going to work for everything he gets. I will continue to do that and always be that guy.”
Allen played well at the end of 2013, and that carried over to the start of this year. However, his confidence eroded when he wasn't able to make plays despite being in position.
Against the Cleveland Browns in Week 6, Allen allowed four receptions for 118 yards and a touchdown and was called for holding on a third-down play on the 2-yard line that kept the drive alive and led to a touchdown. That was the last game he started.
“When guys are going through tough situations, you just have to stick with it and bounce back,” cornerback Antwon Blake said. “I have no doubt that Cortez will be ready.”
Allen had nine penalties called against him in eight games and allowed five touchdowns.
“You have to remember, in a sense, what transpired in order to grow from it,” Allen said. “If go into it blind as far as not knowing, then how can I fix what I need to if I don't assess what happened?”
Allen learned that from fellow cornerback Ike Taylor.
Taylor was benched by then-coach Bill Cowher in November 2006, two months after signing a lucrative, long-term deal.
Taylor regained his starting job by the end of the season and started 100 of the next 101 games.
“What I always tell my guys at corner is that you've got to be honest with yourself,” Taylor said. “There is no gray area when you play corner. Either you're getting the job done, or you're not. So once you establish that, everything else comes easy.”
Allen has to stay healthy.
In his four seasons, he has missed games because of a broken thumb, sprained ankle and pulled groin. He missed part of camp in 2013 after surgery on a knee, and Tomlin recently revealed Allen had surgery on his knee in the past couple of weeks while on injured reserve.
“I have to stay healthy and finish my plays,” Allen said. “A lot of those plays I didn't make were very close plays. Just finishing up those but more importantly, stay healthy.”
http://triblive.com/sports/steelers/7517151-74/allen-season-steelers#ixzz3OFOu8lTD
“You could (suggest) it,” coach Mike Tomlin said. “I am not.”
Maybe the secondary as a whole isn't Tomlin's main concern, but a once-thought-of key member has to be near the top.
Cortez Allen had yet to prove himself over a full season, but the Steelers gave him a five-year, $26 million contract the day before the season started. The deal solidified Allen as the top cornerback on a team that didn't have much depth at the position.
A month later, Allen was demoted to playing only in the nickel defense.
A week after that, he was pulled from a game in the fourth quarter.
A week later, he was benched and would not play a defensive snap the rest of the season before ending up on injured reserve.
Allen's inability to make a Keenan Lewis-like jump the Steelers expected not only created chaos in the secondary but also brought into question whether Allen can regain his confidence and reclaim a starting position next season.
Tomlin is in a wait-and-see mode.
“He's going to be faced with a stiff challenge in terms of responding to the adversity that he faced this year,” Tomlin said. “How you respond to the adversity that the game of football, or professional football, presents you oftentimes defines you and defines your career.”
Just like the Steelers had no choice but to sign Allen so he couldn't hit free agency after the season like Lewis the year before, they don't have much choice but to stick with Allen now.
The Steelers have only three cornerbacks under contract for 2015 — Allen, William Gay and B.W. Webb — and if they parted ways with Allen, it would have to be before his $3 million roster bonus is due a couple of days before free agency starts March 10. It would save the Steelers only $1.5 million and would force them to address the position in free agency.
Translation: Allen will be back in 2015.
“I am highly confident that I can get my issues fixed,” Allen said. “I have never been a guy who keeps my head down. I always find a positive in every situation, and I'll do that for this, too. I view myself as a guy who is going to work for everything he gets. I will continue to do that and always be that guy.”
Allen played well at the end of 2013, and that carried over to the start of this year. However, his confidence eroded when he wasn't able to make plays despite being in position.
Against the Cleveland Browns in Week 6, Allen allowed four receptions for 118 yards and a touchdown and was called for holding on a third-down play on the 2-yard line that kept the drive alive and led to a touchdown. That was the last game he started.
“When guys are going through tough situations, you just have to stick with it and bounce back,” cornerback Antwon Blake said. “I have no doubt that Cortez will be ready.”
Allen had nine penalties called against him in eight games and allowed five touchdowns.
“You have to remember, in a sense, what transpired in order to grow from it,” Allen said. “If go into it blind as far as not knowing, then how can I fix what I need to if I don't assess what happened?”
Allen learned that from fellow cornerback Ike Taylor.
Taylor was benched by then-coach Bill Cowher in November 2006, two months after signing a lucrative, long-term deal.
Taylor regained his starting job by the end of the season and started 100 of the next 101 games.
“What I always tell my guys at corner is that you've got to be honest with yourself,” Taylor said. “There is no gray area when you play corner. Either you're getting the job done, or you're not. So once you establish that, everything else comes easy.”
Allen has to stay healthy.
In his four seasons, he has missed games because of a broken thumb, sprained ankle and pulled groin. He missed part of camp in 2013 after surgery on a knee, and Tomlin recently revealed Allen had surgery on his knee in the past couple of weeks while on injured reserve.
“I have to stay healthy and finish my plays,” Allen said. “A lot of those plays I didn't make were very close plays. Just finishing up those but more importantly, stay healthy.”
http://triblive.com/sports/steelers/7517151-74/allen-season-steelers#ixzz3OFOu8lTD