Asked today during a press conference if he has confidence that cornerback Cortez Allen can be an impact player going forward, Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin admitted that he’s not convinced of that, per Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Twitter link). Since signing a four-year, $24.6MM extension about a year and a half ago, Allen has struggled significantly — he was benched in 2014 and missed nearly all of the 2015 season with a knee injury.
While it’s possible that Tomlin’s comment was a motivational tactic for Allen heading into 2016, it seems more likely that the club simply plans on moving on from the cornerback. Releasing him this winter would only save $1.7MM against the cap, but the club could increase those savings for 2016 to $4.4MM by designating Allen as a post-June 1 cut and pushing some of his dead money to 2017.
As we wait to see what the Steelers plan on doing with Allen, let’s check in on a few more items from out of the NFL’s North divisions….
- Browns wide receiver Josh Gordon, who has filed for reinstatement from his year-long suspension, believes he has a “good chance” of having that application approved, says Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link). According to Cole, Gordon has been working out in California and keeping his distant from bad influences as he looks to return to the NFL for the 2016 season.
- With Dowell Loggains ascending to the Bears‘ offensive coordinator job to replace Adam Gase, the club will need to name a new quarterbacks coach. According to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune, wide receivers coach Mike Groh is an in-house candidate for that role. Biggs also identifies former Louisville quarterback Dave Ragone as a potential option for Loggains’ staff, though Ragone may still be under contract with Washington.
- Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com has the details on which Packers players cashed in on per-game roster bonuses this season.
- The Packers brought in wide receivers Kadron Boone and Jimmy Jean for workouts, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter).