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The Pittsburgh Steelers continue to recycle old parts as the team has officially signed veteran safety Will Allen.
Allen, who was a member of the Steelers before becoming a free-agent in 2013, returns to Pittsburgh after five regular season weeks with the Dallas Cowboys. To make room for Allen, the Steelers added Da'Mon Cromartie-Smith to the waived/injured list.
Allen joins Stevenson Sylvester and Jonathan Dwyer as 2012 Steelers cast aside for 2013, only to return later when those chosen to replace them proved inadequate in their absence. Unlike the other two however, Allen's signing seems related to the need for healthy bodies at safety, especially with Shamarko Thomas and Robert Golden seeing increased roles in the defense moving forward.
Cromartie-Smith's promising young career with the Steelers seems to have come to a familiar end - injured. Injuries have limited his progression and held him primarily to the team's practice squad for the past few seasons. He is no longer scout team eligible, and he will become a free agent next season.
While some have already written off the signings of Allen and Sylvester to Titanic deck chair arrangement, they both have experience in coordinator Dick LeBeau's defense. They can step in immediately, where complete strangers would have to get acclimated to new responsibilities.
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