Pittsburgh Steelers could target a QB early in draft
By Matt Shetler
Much was made about Pittsburgh Steelers’ general manager Kevin Colbert’s comments last week when he said that there would be a lot of turnover on the Steelers roster for next season.
December 23, 2012; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger (7) throws a pass against the Cincinnati Bengals during the fourth quarter at Heinz Field. The Cincinnati Bengals won 13-10. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
But Colbert also said that the organization wouldn’t rule out drafting any position early in the draft, including quarterback, something the Steelers have shied away from doing since they drafted Ben Roethlisberger 11th overall in 2004.
"“We won’t close the door on any position in any round,” Colbert told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “We can’t … Once we get into free agency and the draft, I don’t see any position that’s off limits.”"
Now don’t get any ideas, Roethlisberger will still be under center for the Steelers in 2013 and beyond, but Colbert knows that the team must address the backup quarterback spot and acknowledged that they could finally bring in a young signal caller next season.
The Steelers simply can’t settle for Byron Leftwich and Charlie Batch as the two backups to Big Ben once again. Both are free agents and they may elect to keep one, most likely Leftwich, but regardless the Steelers need a young backup with potential.
Depth on this team is not very good and the quarterback spot is no exception.
Roethlisberger takes a beating, but is usually reliable and durable despite all of the bumps and bruises. He started 13 games this season, but battled through painful injuries for the second year in a row. Roethlisberger still played at an MVP level for stretches, but if his body is slowly starting to break down, the Steelers have to find themselves a young signal caller to groom for the future, even if that future is years away still.
Last season, the Steelers paid a price for failing to address the backup quarterback position. Judging by Colbert’s remarks, they won’t be willing to make that same mistake again.