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Don Wright/Associated Press

Of all of the players on the Steelers roster expected to have an increased role in 2015, the one who signed a five-year, $26 million contract last season should not be one of them. Unfortunately, that is where the Steelers are with Allen after Mike Tomlin benched him during the middle of the 2014 season.

Allen was thought of as the future of Pittsburgh’s defensive backfield. He was supposed to lock down a starting position last season and take over for Ike Taylor this year as the Steelers’ No. 1 cornerback. Instead, the team will not even give him assurance that he will start next year.

“I think Cortez enters the season where he left off,” Colbert told Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. “We have to find out about Cortez and if he can accept the challenge of being a starting NFL corner. He's showed signs of that in the past. He was productive in spurts with us in the past.”

Production in spurts is not good enough for a starting cornerback. The Steelers need consistency from their defensive backs, and until they see it from Allen, he will remain on the bench.

Despite a non-committal attitude from Pittsburgh’s brass, the fourth-year pro with 18 starts under his belt is in a good position to regain his spot in the starting lineup. Over a week into free agency, the Steelers haven’t signed a cornerback and allowed one of their top backups—Brice McCain, who signed with the Miami Dolphins—to get away.

Indirectly, the Steelers are sending a message that they still believe in him. He was awarded with a long-term contract because of his combination of size and athleticism. With six career interceptions, three forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries, Allen has shown the ability to be a playmaker in the secondary.

It is not as simple as flipping a switch, but Allen has all of the physical tools necessary to be a successful starter in the NFL. He will be given every opportunity to lock down a starting spot, and assuming he does, will start all 16 games for the first time in his career.