Way back in October 2015, the Pittsburgh Steelers placed cornerback Cortez Allen on their Injured Reserve list for the rest of the season. Allen had suffered a knee injury and was constantly battling it in the first six games of the season. After the Steelers Week 6 game against the Arizona Cardinals, the team decided to put him on the season-ending reserve list.
However, Allen was only active in Week 1. Against the New England Patriots, Allen recorded three solo tackles and three assists. For the rest of the games up until Week 6, he was listed as inactive, giving Antwon Blake the start. Also stepping up in his place was Ross Cockrell. Both took over Allen’s position as the right-side cornerback, while William Gay and Brandon Boykin handle the business on the left side.
Blake, being the starter, saw a lot more action than Cockrell. Blake finished fifth overall on defense, in the regular season, with a total of 76 tackles, including 64 individual tackles. Blake also had one forced fumble, a sack and two interceptions. One of his interceptions, against the San Diego Chargers’ quarterback Phillip Rivers, was ran back 70-yards for a touchdown.
In the post-season, specifically in the AFC Wild Card game against the Cincinnati Bengals, he picked off A.J. McCarron. His interception, which was ran back 35-yards but not for a touchdown, was the only interception the Steelers had in the post-season.
Cockrell also had a big year for the Steelers. After being with the Buffalo Bills last season, Cockrell showed up to Pittsburgh ready for work. Cockrell, who appeared in 15 games and started seven, was 10th on the Steelers defense with 44 tackles, with 34 of them being solo tackles. Cockrell didn’t have a sack the entire season but did have two key interceptions and a forced fumble.
Both players had big shoes to fill when it came to replacing Allen. They certainly weren’t perfect, and had some hiccups, including being a part of a secondary that let 231 first downs by other teams being converted in the passing game. However, when it comes to getting the job done, both Blake and Cockrell did a decent job. So far, Cockrell has been rewarded for his contributions, as he recently signed a one-year contract extension.
Now the Steelers have a big decision to make. The Steelers signed Allen to a five-year contract before the beginning of the 2014-2015 season, which was worth $26 million. Allen is still considered under contract until 2019, when he will become a free agent. As for Blake, he is currently a free agent and is worth $1.5 million in cap space. The Steelers have a total of 25 free agents, including veterans Gay, Kelvin Beachum, and Bruce Gradkowski, who they also need to take care of as well. On top of all of that, the Steelers also have plenty of picks in the upcoming NFL Draft.
