4. QB Dennis Dixon
After a major Qb mess last season during Big Ben’s 4 game suspension, the Steelers concluded that Dixon was the man for the job. 2 games in Dixon was out with a torn ACL and on IR for the remainder of the season. If the Steelers were to sign him for another year, it looks like his price tag would be around $1.2 million. A little steep considering that the Steelers will be deciding between 3 Qbs for the backup spot. Byron Leftwhich and Charlie Batch will both be fighting for the spot. Based on how Batch played when called upon last season (and after being over-looked twice), my opinion is that Batch should still be the Steelers’ #2. Leftwhich is unbearably slow and coming off another injury, and Dixon is young and shows his youth too often.
I am often critical of teams for expecting too much from rookie QBs too soon (Roethlisberger is an anomaly, not the rule), but it seems to me as though Dixon needs another couple years as a back-up before he’s ready to be a solid #2 or even a starter. His talent is undeniable, but he may be valuable as a trade, so I’d say Dixon could go either way. We could see a ton of Dixon during the pre-season, which I would take to mean that the Steelers are baiting him out there to try and get trade offers. We’ll see what happens, but either way I’d say he’s a #3 QB at best.
If I were going to make the decision, I’d go Big Ben #1, Batch #2, and Dixon #3, but that’s mostly just because I am not a fan of Leftwhich. Leftwhich can’t handle having a less-than-spectacular offensive line. He moves slow and his release is long and lanky. Batch’s quick release and Dixon’s quick feet make them better choices in my book.
Return in 2011: Could go either way