Pittsburgh Steelers sign Will Allen

Pittsburgh Steelers strong safety Will Allen (26) prior to the game against the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim O

The Pittsburgh Steelers have decided to reunite with safety Will Allen, who was released on Tuesday by the Dallas Cowboys. It certainly didn’t take long for Allen to find a job with his former team, and the Steelers actually worked him out yesterday before deciding on signing him today. Allen played for the Steelers from 2010-2012, and the 31-year-old Ohio State product had his best year with the Steelers in 2012 with 34 tackles, three passes defended, and a forced fumble while appearing in all 16 games.

The Steelers have announced the release of Da’Mon Cromartie-Smith in a corresponding move, as he was placed on the waived/injured  list. Injuries have significantly derailed Smith’s career, so it will be sad if he is unable to stick with another team.

Will Allen gives the Pittsburgh Steelers some needed, veteran depth at safety, and he has plenty of experience on the Steelers defense. I expect him to also receive significant playing time on special teams, and he’s a nice, familiar veteran backup to have on the squad behind starting safeties Troy Polamalu and Ryan Clark. It’s a solid, small signing for the Steelers, even if he did have a rough time with the Cowboys before being benched in favor of promising rookie J.J. Wilcox.

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