Though much of the talk related to the Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback situation has understandably revolved around Ben Roethlisberger and his upcoming contract extension, there are other questions the Steelers will have to answer as their offseason begins.
One of the biggest is determining what to do in terms of not only the backup situation, but finding a young quarterback to groom for the future.
These will be tough questions for the cash-strapped Steelers. Heading into the offseason, the Steelers will have to confront the reality that they are very much up against the cap, not to mention a number of other priorities that will take precedence over spending money on a veteran backup at quarterback.
There will be a number of veteran quarterbacks with starting experience set to enter the free agent market. Among them are the likes of Jake Locker, Mark Sanchez, Blaine Gabbert, Christian Ponder, Brian Hoyer, Matt Flynn, Ryan Mallett and Michael Vick.
That’s a list filled with journeymen, busts, and marginal performers. You probably could only make a lukewarm argument that Sanchez, Mallett and possibly Hoyer are potential starters in 2015, and with that in mind, all are almost certain to command a salary that will not fit within the Steelers limited financial window.
Add to the fact that current backup Bruce Gradkowski will enter the final year of his three-year deal with the Steelers in 2015. His salary of $1.55 million is a fairly decent value considering the prohibitive cost to bring in a “proven” backup.
I use that term loosely when considering the likes of Sanchez and Vick. However, the salaries of those three players last season were significantly higher than Gradkowski, as Sanchez made $2.25 million and Vick made $4 million.
The Steelers seem comfortable with Gradkowski, and maybe that has to do with his relationship with Roethlisberger and his relatively affordable cost. It certainly can’t be based on his career numbers, which include a 6-14 record as a starter, 21 TD’s and 24 INT’s, and an alarmingly low career passer rating of 65.8.
Assuming the Steelers will ride out 2015 with Gradkowski as their primary backup, it seems likely the Steeler will have to get serious about finding a young quarterback to groom for the backup position. That is especially the case if the belief that third stringer Landry Jones is not the long term answer.
Based on his first two seasons with the Steelers, it might be fair to say Jones has lost the faith of the organization. Inaccuracy has dogged Jones with the Steelers and he seems to be another in a long line of college quarterbacks who successfully ran the spread attack in college, only to struggle mightily once he came to the NFL.
It seems certain the Steelers will consider other options as they head into the NFL draft. With a number of other priorities, especially on defense, it’s hard to think the Steelers will use an early pick on a quarterback. Add that this could be considered a pretty lackluster year for quarterbacks in the draft beyond Oregon’s Marcus Mariota, FSU’s Jameis Winston, and UCLA’s Brett Hundley, and the Steelers options may be limited.
Two names to consider that could go in the third round or later are Baylor’s Bryce Petty and Oregon State’s Sean Mannion. Petty is a sleeper in the 2015 draft, and though he does not get the same accolades as the aforementioned top three prospects, he could be a steal for a team looking to draft a quarterback on the second day of the draft. Petty has all the tools to be successful in the NFL, but much like Jones, some question if it was the system that helped him put up his eye popping numbers.
Mannion is more of an example of a player who had his share of highs and lows at OSU, but could project as a NFL backup. Mannion has the size (6’5”, 220) and an arm that allows him to make all the necessary throws in the NFL. Mannion had a tremendous Junior season in 2013, setting a Pac-12 record for passing yards (4,662) and worked under now Nebraska head coach Mike Riley, who has a reputation for developing NFL caliber QB’s.
The Steelers inevitably will re-sign Roethlisberger to an extension that will keep in him in Pittsburgh for the foreseeable future, but they will need to start seriously looking at options to back him up. Especially if they believe Jones is not going to be the answer once Gradkowski’s contract expires after next season.
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