Cortezz Allen,

Schefter of espn is reporting the Steelers and Cortez are in the process of finalizing a new deal for him, no details yet..

 

4 years 26 million according to CBS

 

Sounds okay to me. Ike's last year (most likely), we need someone stable there for years to come.

 

This is good news!

 

great news. now he can have a monster year and it not hurt us financially

 

I won't know how to feel about this for another 6-8 weeks and I see more of him covering opponents' top receivers. I like extending early like we did with Antonio, but only if I'm 100% sold on the player. I'm only 75% sold on Allen. I'm convinced he can be a good #2 for the remainder of career, but I'm still not sure about him as a #1. Ike has been doing the heavy lifting for all but a few games of Cortez's career. He's relatively untested against top competition.

I'd have rather we signed Heyward. Still, I guess when you're as desperate as we are at a given position, beggars can't be choosers. We couldn't afford to lose him even if he does disappoint and turn out to be not worth the money.

 

He has great hands but dang I wish he were a bit faster. I'm not against signing him long term. That is just my biggest concern with him.

 

Would you have rather kept Keenan Lewis? I never really thought he was anything special and I actually liked Allen a lot until I've seen him not be able to catch a lot of guys that get a step on him.

 

While he may not be a "proven"/etc as some would like...as long as the guaranteed money isnt high...then this should be an OK deal...no matter if he's the #1 or #2 CB throughout the contract. I hope he breaks out this year and such. I still would have liked to have Lewis and him as the starters...but that didnt happen.

I too would have like Heyward done as someone said...but he still has 1 more year on his deal and they can work on him later...Cortez is in his final year.

 

I agree about the guaranteed money, and I'm sure it's a team-friendly deal, a la Mike Mitchell's.

For me the biggest difference between Allen and Heyward is that both guys are going into their first season as the #1, with potential to explode in value. But I think Heyward's potential is much, much bigger, and he'll end up costing much more. I think there's more savings to be had by locking him up sooner. I don't think Allen's value would have risen that much after this year.

By the time Keenan was a FA, I was sold and wanted to keep him. We couldn't. But the year before that? Actually it was a lot like this. I thought he'd probably ​be worth the money, but I wasn't sure.

 

didn't they pick up the option on heyward for next year? it was a nice size contract if I remember right. I believe he will get something done next year. ben is promised a deal next year too and worilds is in the waiting too. spaeth, willj, DHB, moats are due next year too.

 

Oh i totally agree about Heyward...but you know how they do things and such, not many players who have 2 yrs left (counting this year) get new deals...its happened...but not often.

I also agree on Lewis...I was like wow we may have Ike's replacement here...and then they dont even offer him anything due to the cap/etc. Oh well though...haha.

 

Yeah they did he will get a deal this offseason

 

Yeah, it's basically just extending him with a 1 year contract. I'm saying that instead of that I'd have extended him long-term, and put that option money towards it.

 

I thought tez was always the plan to replace ike. lewis however would have looked nice teamed as the #2 and gay as the number 3 in more of a deshea townsend role. our options are limited by lewis getting away. I hope lake can do something with Richardson. the kid has some talent, speed and size that would fit the bill, but he needs some work this year. I do expect we draft one next year fairly high. if ike plays well we may even do a 1 more year deal with him next year. if not we will be finding a vet possibly. a Mitchell type signing.

 

Either way #1 or #2...just with both of them on the field, haha.

and yes...that position worries me the most right now (as it has most people for a few years)...

 

I also am worried about that position. Do you think this deal is based on what they "expect" from Allen or what they have seen? He has really only had one season.

 

that's pretty reasonable.

 

we don't know about him yet completely. he has been hurt in parts of every season here. a complete opposite of iron man ike.

 

Potentially...as he has shown at times flashes of what he could be...if he stays healthy. If the deal comes back with a lower guaranteed money...similar to the Mike Mitchell FA deal...then they could easily cut ties in a couple yrs or whatever and move on without much harm to the team...but if he pans out and becomes what they think he can...its a win win

 

Yeah Ike really has been durable. Him and Timmons are probably our most durable guys. We need Allen healthy because I REALLY don't like the idea of Gay covering a number 2.

 

Yeah I wouldn't imagine the deal to be loaded with guaranteed money. That's really what matters in a contract anyway. Remember a few years ago when Dan Snyder signed McNabb to that monster deal? I would love to know how much of that he actually ever seen.