Pittsburgh Steelers trying to extend Cortez Allen

The Pittsburgh Steelers interest in extending No. 2 cornerback Cortez Allen has been stated several times this offseason, as they would like to give him an extension before the start of the regular season. That interest hasn’t wanted at all, though speculation of a move has been around for months before things picked up just before the start of training camp.

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According to Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the Steelers are “trying” to get a deal done with Allen before the preseason ends, and I would be very surprised if something isn’t completed. There’s always been clear interest from the Steelers to lock up their best outside corner, especially since Ike Taylor is on his last legs and, honestly, doesn’t deserve to start at this juncture in his career. Allen and slot corner William Gay are their two best CBs, especially since the Steelers did not address the position in the first round of the draft, opting instead to add another talented inside linebacker in Ryan Shazier to beef up the front seven and add a fast coverage LB to boot.

Allen is viewed as a possible breakout player at 25, and the Steelers don’t want to lose him in the same way they lost now-shutdown corner Keenan Lewis to the New Orleans Saints. Last season, Allen recorded 13 passes defended and over 50 tackles, and he also had double-digit PDs and over 50 tackles in 2012. He’s going into the final year of his deal as a $645,000 bargain.