5 Players the Steelers should keep in free agency

Marcus Allen

I know you must be thinking why in the world would the Steelers want to resign Marcus Allen. The reason that they would want to do this is he plays that ever-important punt protector role for the Steelers. It is a key role because it can see the punting area and call out the signals and it is the last line of defense before the punt to cover a punt.

If you remember a player named Robert Golden, this is the role he played for the Steelers defense, and they kept him on the roster every year for this reason. Although Allen has not really proven himself as either a linebacker or a safety, special teams matter.

The disappointing thing about Marcus Allen was he was a good run defender in college and that brought interest to him as a strong safety in the NFL. He was highly rated by the media, but the highest bidder for Allen was the Steelers in the fifth round. After knowing his draft profile, it was hard to not consider him a steal in the fifth round.

Before Allen earned the punt protector role, he was actually on the practice squad as a safety and one thing he did to prolong his NFL career was to move him to linebacker. It seems at the inside linebacker position he is buried behind Devin Bush, Joe Schobert, and Robert Spillane.

I do believe he has not played his last down as a defensive player as if there is an injury at the inside linebacker position, then Allen will be the next man up at the inside linebacker position.