We are getting closer and closer to the beginning of the season. A key
milestone is trimming down the roster. We’ll go over the case for each
quarterback of who should make then Pittsburgh Steelers’ final 53-man roster.
Most NFL teams carry three quarterbacks on their roster.
Some carry only two, and it’s very rare that a team would ever carry four. With
no indication thus far, the Steelers would probably fall into the category of
teams that carry three quarterbacks.
HERE’S THE ISSUE:
the Steelers have four quarterbacks in camp that are worthy of a roster spot.
More than likely, that means someone will get traded, cut, or moved to the
practice squad (only Josh Dobbs and Mason Rudolph are practice squad eligible).
As we go into this, we’re not even going to make a case for
Ben Roethlisberger for obvious reasons. The only way the other three
quarterbacks make the 53-man roster is if Ben suffers a season-ending injury
before the season begins.
We’ll take a look at each of the three quarterbacks fighting
for a roster spot. Pittsburgh is likely only going to keep two behind Ben
Roethlisberger, meaning someone will be looking for a new home by Week 1. Right
now, it could be any one of the three.
LANDRY JONES
THE CASE FOR
Landry Jones is the most game-ready quarterback behind Ben
Roethlisberger. He’s seen action in 19 games in the NFL, 5 of which he started.
He’s 3-2 as a starter, and paired with an 86.2 career passer rating, that makes
the case for a decent back-up quarterback.
He won’t blow you away with any playing time he gets, but
will make the occasional great throw. For a back-up to win 60% of the games
he’s asked to start, which you hope to be very minimal, that’s a hard person to
take off your roster.
Landry Jones is also not eligible to be put on the practice
squad, so the only way Jones can be taken off the roster is getting cut or via
trade.
THE CASE AGAINST
Yes, Landry Jones’ numbers are better than people perceive
him to be, but his TD/INT ratio is horrendous (8 TD/7 INT). That ratio is a
tough pill to swallow, because he turns the ball over almost as often as he
puts six points on the scoreboard.
The athletic talent of Josh Dobbs and the high ceiling of
Mason Rudolph could be the catalyst for Jones’ time as a Steeler to come to an
end. Rudolph and Dobbs will get a lot of playing time this preseason, and if
both play extremely well, that could give GM Kevin Colbert and Head Coach Mike
Tomlin the ammunition to sever ties with Jones.
JOSH DOBBS
THE CASE FOR
Josh Dobbs is by far the most mobile quarterback on the
roster. He’s a good athlete with a good arm. He’s very intelligent. He has one
year under his belt with the Steelers, that includes being around Big Ben and
the playbook.
If he shows he can make crucial throws, like his touchdown
pass to Damoun Patterson in the preseason opener against the Eagles, he could
make it an easy decision for him to make the roster. He’s got to show that he
can be a complete quarterback that can make NFL-quality throws.
THE CASE AGAINST
Dobbs doesn’t have the game experience of Landry Jones. He
also doesn’t have the ceiling of rookie Mason Rudolph. Those factors alone
could kill Dobbs’ roster chances.
If Mason Rudolph has a stellar preseason (which Thursday
night in Green Bay wasn’t a great example of), it will kick Dobbs to the curb.
Rudolph is looked at as possibly being Ben’s replacement when retirement comes
knocking. So, if Rudolph is showing right away that he’s NFL ready, well,
bye-bye Dobbs.
MASON RUDOLPH
THE CASE FOR
As we’ve touched on already, Mason Rudolph could potentially
be the next starting quarterback of the Pittsburgh Steelers once Big Ben
retires. The tangibles are evident. A strong preseason will shoot Rudolph
straight onto the 53-man roster, and may even challenge Landry Jones for his
job as the primary back-up.
If Rudolph doesn’t make the roster, it could ignite
outrage in the fanbase. The Steelers did not address the inside linebacker
position in the draft. With a couple talented linebackers available, the
Steelers picked Rudolph. If he ends up not even making the 53-man roster after
such a move, the question will loom, for at least a couple of years, if the
Steelers should have waited to pick “Ben’s successor.”
THE CASE AGAINST
In a somewhat crucial preseason game in Green Bay, where
only him and Josh Dobbs played, Rudolph was outplayed and it wasn’t close. Both
quarterbacks threw pick-six’s, but with someone with as much hype as Rudolph
has, it looked worse for him than for Dobbs.
Rudolph, with even an average preseason, probably has a
better chance to make the roster than Dobbs. But if Rudolph struggles more
throughout the preseason, it could cost him a roster spot.
No comments:
Post a Comment