Home 2015 Off-Season Steelers Could Look for Free Agent QBs to Challenge Landry Jones

Steelers Could Look for Free Agent QBs to Challenge Landry Jones

by Steeldad

The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review’s Mark Kaboly wrote this week that former Steelers’ fourth round draft pick Landry Jones could be on the way out prior to the 2015 season.

Since he was taken in the fourth round of the 2013 NFL Draft, Jones has not been active for any of the potential 32 games in which he could have played. There have been any number of selections made by Steelers’ General Manager Kevin Colbert that have rubbed me the wrong way but the selection of Jones was the cake-topper.

I had no problem with the Steelers selecting a quarterback but I still have no clue as to why they felt the need do it in the fourth round let alone in the draft at all. I agreed that they needed to get younger behind Ben Roethlisberger but not at the expense of a fourth-round pick.

Most fans see the quarterbacks behind the starter as a moot point especially in Pittsburgh where Bruce Gradkowski is the clear number two. Don’t be so sure about that though. If Colbert and Mike Tomlin had their way, Jones would have outplayed Gradkowski in camp and the preseason and he’d have been their #2 but it never got close to that.

So here we are now approaching free agency and the Steelers may have a decision to make. Do you give Jones one final chance to dethrone Gradkowski or do you bring in legitimate quarterbacks to challenge him and Gradkowski who is 33 years old?

Naturally, the Steelers always have at least four QBs in camp but we can speculate today as to just who those guys might be if we focus on free agency only.

Obviously the idea would be to add youth with some experience and there are numerous guys available in free agency that fit those parameters.

Two names I’ve heard are Blaine Gabbert and Brian Hoyer. At 25 and 29 respectively, age isn’t an issue and both have starting experience in the NFL. Neither guy is a long-term fix but, especially in Hoyer’s case, can win you a game or two in a short stretch if necessary.

The Steelers have always liked Hoyer and weren’t thrilled they had to release him when he was with them in 2012.

Gabbert has been a bust since being selected in the first round by Jacksonville and was in San Francisco last season. Both he and Hoyer would come relatively cheap and both would know going in that their goal is to be a back-up and noting else.

Both Jake Locker and Christian Ponder are also unrestricted free agents as well and fit the bill of being both young and experienced. They really aren’t in a position to demand much financially but it’s hard to tell. Chances are they both feel they can be starters and could look elsewhere.

I do not see the Steelers drafting a quarterback in April because they have too many other needs to address so look for a free agent rookie to be signed. Of course I thought this same thing in 2013 too and Jones was selected so stranger things might happen.

Either way, Jones is on thin ice as far as his time in Pittsburgh is concerned.

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