Draft a quarterback?

No, I will not be talking about Hines Ward’s performance on dancing with the stars last night as my first article for the site…….although weren’t those salsa moves spot on for the man considered the toughest receiver to ever lace them up?

I want to raise an interesting question as the draft approaches. Should the Steelers be looking quarterback?

Now don’t get the idea that I want any other guy behind center than No. 7, As you will probably learn over time I am unapologetically the biggest Roethlisberger fan you will ever meet.

I am proposing the Steelers must be prepared this season for the possibility of Roethlisberger being out for a game or two as the season progresses. And there is a good possibility of this considering he has only played all 16 games once in his career, the 2008 season.

As much as I love Charlie Batch and everything he has done for the Steelers over the years, he really gave everything he had left last season when the team needed him most.

For those that will say Leftwhich can still fling the ball, I can’t really disagree with that, but I would be so much more comfortable with a younger model at the backup position.

Lastly, I am not casting Dennis Dixon out of Pittsburgh this quickly. Anyone that can go into Baltimore and almost pull one out is okay in my book, but he is coming off his now second major knee injury in the last three years.

While I would love to see Dixon develop into a reliable backup, he may be too injury prone, and could there be anything worse than an injury prone backup quarterback.

Thats like an oxymoron!

Obviously Roethlisberger is the man under center in Pittsburgh until the day he hangs it up, but with the draft just over the horizon, here’s a look at some potential quarterback steals the Steelers may have available in the middle rounds of this years draft.

Scott Tolzien- quarterback, Wisconsin
There is not much tape on Tolzein, as he started only one season for Wisconsin, but then again Cam Newton only started one season for Aurburn and he is at the top of draft boards. What Tolzein brings to the table is a great mind for the game, and a competitive fire.

Tolzein threw for 2,705 yards with 16 touchdowns, and led the Badgers to the Rose Bowl. He may possibly fall to the fifth round, and I think would be a good pick as a backup quarterback.

Pat Devlin- quarterback, Delaware
He may go too early for the Steelers to pull the trigger on this pick, as the team has more pressing needs than a backup quarterback, but getting Devlin would be a steal for any team.

At 6-3, 225 Devlin is an ideal size for the modern NFL quarterback. I personally saw Devlin play at Penn State, and thought for many years Joe Paterno was making a mistake in keeping his allegiance to Darryl Clark as his starter.

Much like Joe Flacco, who transferred from Pitt to escape Tyler Palko’s shadow, Devlin possesses all the necessary physical attributes to play quarterback at the pro level. Devlin through for an impressive 2,664 yards with 16 touchdowns, and only nine interceptions, and sports a huge arm for big play ability.

Greg McElroy- quarterback, Alabama
The most attractive idea of McElroy as a backup quarterback is his sheer ability to win. When a starting quarterback goes down, the job of the backup is to understand a limited playbook, and manage the game.

There may be no better game manager in this draft than McElroy.

McElroy won a national championship two seasons ago for Alabama, and sported a 23-3 record as a two year starter in the SEC. McElroy reminds me of Chad Pennington, who had by any standards for productive professional career, and I am simply looking at McElroy as a backup.
McElroy has plenty of practice handing the ball off to Ingram, with Mendenhall poised for another break out season.

Up until the draft, we will look at many positions the Steelers may look into strengthening the team. For this week think about the need for a little more security behind Big Ben, it’s a long season.