Josh Dobbs’ career isn’t looking bright in Pittsburgh, but the second-year quarterback has enough potential to carry his dream into another uniform.
Drafting Mason Rudolph in the third-round of the 2018 NFL Draft basically destroyed all chances of Josh Dobbs becoming the next Steelers’ starter. Although nothing is guaranteed, Dobbs isn’t expected to be one of the three quarterbacks on the roster come August.
Dobbs most valued asset is his potential. Despite having plenty to work on in his early NFL years, he has the arm strength and the intelligence to develop into a decent pro QB.
That no longer helps him in Pittsburgh. Mason Rudolph’s ceiling is far above Dobbs’. As the third-round pick this year, Rudolph has basically been given the job of Ben Roethlisberger’s successor.
Leaving Landry Jones and Dobbs competing for the final roster spot.
Dobbs has a brighter future than Jones. Entering his sixth year in the league, Jones has established himself as a career backup, now turned career third-string, with the Steelers. This team will never look for him to be the franchise starter, but they do value him as a replacement when needed.
This leaves Dobbs as the lone man finding his way to the open market. A second-year quarterback with great potential, but a lot to work on before being considered an NFL gunslinger.
He’ll find a team, though. Not as the starter, but as a backup. A team looking for a player with room to grow who they believe can compete for at least a backup job down the road.
Dobbs has the skills to be a Landry Jones. With a lot of work and the right organization, he can exceed Jones and be an NFL starter. But it needs to come with a team who isn’t looking for anything right now.
At 23-years-old, Dobbs is still a valuable pickup on the free agent market. Someone is going to need a quarterback to compete for the second or third string job, and Dobbs will become one of the top targets, once cut.
Compared to some of the quarterbacks who have been signed the last two years, Dobbs is a steal. He’d outmatch Daid Fales or Tom Savage any day, and teams know that. They’re just waiting for his name to hit free agency before they make a move at him.
Next: Steelers 53 man roster prediction
He may not ever be a starter, but Josh Dobbs’ career is far from over. Pittsburgh wasn’t the town, but somewhere is going to give him a chance. As long as he continues to grow as a passer, his NFL journey won’t end for some time. It’ll only end in Pittsburgh.