SteelerWatch

I thought it would be a good way to get started with SteelerWatch by examining each position to see where the biggest needs are, and what can be done to fill them.  This discussion will continue until the draft.  We start at the most obvious position, quarterback.

Draft Potential:
 - Day 1: NOT A CHANCE
 - Day 2: LOW ALMOST NON-EXISTENT

Clearly the Steelers have their starter already chosen.  Even with a new head coach, it’s hard to believe the position doesn’t default to Ben Roethlisberger.  He’s young, intelligent and athletic.  he has the prototypical size for a quarterback in today’s NFL, and he (usually) makes good movements in the pocket.  His decision-making has been a question over the last year — let’s think back to the worst decision of his career: riding a motorcycle, particularly without a helmet — but he’s a year older and a year wiser.  His performance markedly improved in the second half of the 2006 season as his blocking up front continued to jell, but it remains to be seen if he will make wiser decisions in 2007 when under pressure.

The departure of QB coach Mark Whipple raises questions that will only be answered in due time.

Backing up Roethlisberger is still Charlie Batch, who has proven to be a great reserve player and could easily be starting for a number of other teams around the league (Cleaveland comes to mind). 

The Steelers’ official site currently has Brian St. Pierre as the third-string QB.  Brian is a good option, but hasn’t seen much playing time.  He played very solid football during the 2006 preseason, and should remain on the roster.

This entry was posted on Friday, February 2nd, 2007 at 11:41 am and is filed under Before the Draft, Offense. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.