Quarterback a Likely Target for Steelers This Offeseason But Should it Be?

It’s hard to believe but it’s been almost four drafts ago since the Pittsburgh Steelers drafted Landry Jones in the fourth round of the 2013 NFL Draft. It was a selection that drew a strong rebuke from me and many others because the team was desperate for secondary help (sound familiar?) and it needed to replace an aging backup in Charlie Batch.

Had Jones been a seventh round pick or an undrafted free agent I could have accepted that but to waste the fourth rounder really ticked me off. A few years later, not much has changed in my feelings. I’m not the guy Jones had to impress though because that was Mike Tomlin and if you saw his year-end press conference then you now he’s ready for change too.

That doesn’t mean Jones is out of the equation as the team’s backup but it does mean the Steelers will look to upgrade there. With limited draft picks, common sense suggests they try to find someone through free agency or as an undrafted rookie free agent but if they went with Jones once in the fourth, what’s to stop them from doing something like that again?

I raise this issue not only because of Tomlin’s comments but because to this point, the only player at the Senior Bowl the Steelers have “officially” spoken with is USC quarterback Cody Kessler. But let’s take Kessler’s name out of the equation and just talk the position in general.

Is now the time to start grooming a guy to some day take over for Ben Roethlisberger? Personally, I think it’s a year or two away from that but what if you could grab a kid right now who was more than a capable backup and could ultimately take the reins? It’s hard to discuss isn’t it? The thought of Roethlisberger no longer behind center gives me the willies but it’s a reality. I went through it with Terry Bradshaw too and I won’t lie; it sucks.

The question becomes “is this the right time to find a new backup?” Wait…. Or is the question, (is this the right time to start grooming Big Ben’s replacement?) No, wait…. Or is the question, (both?)

I believe right now the best course of action is to be patient. Find a guy that is more than capable of running the offense for a game or two should Roethlisberger be hurt. If that guy comes through free agency in the form of a veteran or a rookie then great but spending a draft pick right now just doesn’t seem like the best move.

Just like it didn’t in 2013.