Mason may be #2

That is some serious hyperbole there. Rudolph could spend the entire season as the No. 3 quarterback and still end up being a fantastic pick. They didn't draft him for his contributions as a backup now. They drafted him as a potential long-term replacement for Roethlisberger. I doubt we will be able to make any judgement either way about him this season.

Also, Rudolph could be better than Jones in practice and preseason games and still end up third string because the coaches have more faith in the veteran who has years in the system.

The new offensive coordinator thing doesn't mean that much given that he was part of the staff last season and I'm sure a lot of what they do will be similar to what the team had done under Haley.

 

The steal of the draft will be the #2. Jones stays, Dobbs goes.

 

The Patriots had this rookie in 2000. He only played in one game and threw three passes. They should have given up on him as a wasted draft pick right then and there.

There is no way we will be able to clearly say he was a wasted pick after this season. Even if he does get to play and stinks, plenty of great quarterbacks played like crap as rookies. You're assuming Rudolph will have to be bad to be No. 3 this season, but that isn't true. Maybe he will be good, but not so much better than Jones that the coaches are willing to trust a rookie over their veteran backup. Rudolph wasn't drafted for 2018. He was drafted for the long term.

The offense may change some, but not nearly as much as you are claiming. It is silly to suggest they are going to be adjusting the offense for Rudolph this year. This is still Roethlisberger's offense. They are going to do what works for him, not for a rookie who might not even take a snap this year. If they open things up, it will be for Roethlisberger, but I'm not sure that is where they are headed. They still have Bell. He's going to get the ball plenty.

 

I like Mason, like the pick, like his approach to the game, like how he plays, like his look, like his work ethic. I think he could definitely beat out Landry in a straight up skill competition and be the number 2 QB but the kicker here is that he doesn't have to be. Jones skill set is replaceable but it doesn't need replaced. He is signed to a very affordable deal and cutting him saves a little money but not enough to say it is a must. At the end of the day if Ben goes out for extended period of time then we can start talking about who gives a better shot at winning which I'm hoping is Tomlin giving the rookie a shot but baring that I still say Ben is 1, Jones is 2 and Mason is 3 just based on how Tomlin does things.

 

I was cutting my steak when I saw this. I screamed like a little girl, dropped my steak knife, almost cut my joint off. Never do that again!

 

The only concern's I have with Mason is obviously will the speed of the game be too much at the start and then just shifting protection and taking exchanges under center.

This really comes down to which way the FO wants to gamble. Keep Dobbs and make Mason the BU and gamble big that they are up to the task should Ben get hurt.

Gamble small and keep Jones at 2 make MR the three and see if anyone poaches Dobbs when you try and get him on the PS so that when Jones is a FA you still have someone working on becoming the backup.

It's really shaping up into a "he can pick up the blitz" Watson vs Fitz type of debate. Each guy shows something that is valuable but one has a better skill than the other at this time which tips the scale in their favor.

 

Brady was just one example of my point, that you can't judge a quarterback to be a wasted pick after only one season. That is ridiculous. plenty of great quarterbacks weren't ready as rookies. Brett Favre was another one, a second-round pick who couldn't get past Chris Miller and Billy Joe Tolliver with the Falcons as a rookie. So no, I didn't make your point for you at all.

Sure, Rudolph could beat out Jones this season, but he is far from doomed if he doesn't take over the No. 2 spot as a rookie.

Going with two quarterbacks with no experience behind Roethlisberger is a terrible idea. This team isn't in rebuilding mode. They are contenders right now.

You're also kidding yourself if you think the offense will change so much to negate Jones's advantage. They aren't going to make changes just for the sake of change.

 

RIT is hard to determine MRs real worth as a starter. So much of this team will be changing in the near future. The line will either be really old or very new. Bell and AB will either not be here or at the end of the road by then. Make no mistake that down the road he will not have the same supporting cast that Ben has had and it's been 10 years since the franchise has brought us a championship. All this talk about him being 2 or 3 will mean very little because father time is working against him with his supporting cast. On both sides of the ball too. What he does the next couple of years may have no barring on what he can do with the cast he is given at that point.

 

FYI: Roethlisberger would have been #3 if Batch wasn't injured in the offseason in '04. Ben only had Brian St. Pierre who had no staring experience to beat out for #2. IIRC... Ben didn't really "light it up" in preseason of '04. It's not the end of the world if Rudolph is #3 behind Jones.

 

It took 2 years before cousins got a start with the skins, and he was benched after 5 starts:

The Redskins reportedly wanted a second-round pick in exchange for Cousins before the 2014 NFL draft, but no such offer came. Cousins began the 2014 season as the No. 2 quarterback on the depth chart but was thrust into action after Griffin injured his ankle in Week 2. He started the next five games before being benched for Colt McCoy at halftime in Week 7 and didn’t play another down that season.

 

Roethlisberger was drafted at #11 in the first round. Rudolph was drafted in the 3rd round. Apples and oranges. I find it very odd that the expectations (from most Steelers fans) for Rudolph are the same as Roethlisberger. It's not fair to Rudolph. He shouldn't be expected to post a 13-1 record in his rookie year/first year starting. Ben was an anomaly. A damn good anomaly as a rookie. Lightning will not strike twice. See Bradshaw's rookie year.... he didn't set the world on fire by any stretch of the imagination.

 

Well recently it's not been the case. Wentz was an exception. He played well out of the gate. Luck was good in his first year. Russell Wilson was good. Goff didn't do much his rookie year, but played well in his 2nd year. OK.. so Luck, Wilson and Wentz had the "it" factor you are referring to... right out of the gate. Garrapolo? He's been around for a while but there's not enough tape on him yet.

 

About 2 months.

 

The circumstances are totally different and none of those QBs were playing behind a HOF QB and backup QB who has game experience. Luck was drafted after Peyton Manning left. Russell Wilson beat out Matt Flynn. Carson Wentz (1st round pick) replaced Sam Bradford after he left.

 

Fair enough. Rudolph will get plenty of snaps in preseason to prove himself. Jones will get to go with the #1's on the depth chart which will give him an advantage. I'd be surprised if Ben played more than 1 drive in the 3rd game. Rudolph will likely be playing with 2's, 3's and guys who will be selling insurance after August.

 

Is this point of view just for MR replacing Ben or for the team in general? Because it wouldn't be consistent with your stated views on Dobbs (languishing at 3rd all season) over Jones for the coming season.

 

Neither is a dumb example. Please stop claiming victories that didn't happen. I really expected better in terms of rhetorical tactics from you.

You actually just helped my point regarding Favre. He didn't get a shot as a rookie. We couldn't judge him based on that season. And that could absolutely happen to Rudolph, with the Steelers trusting the veteran to be their No. 2. Hell, who knows if either guy will get any significant time behind Roethlisberger?

There is no way the offense is going to change that much. You're deluding yourself on that one. Jones has NFL experience. That is an advantage. He knows Fichtner. That is an advantage. The coaches know what he can do. That is an advantage.

Plenty of quarterbacks need time before they are ready. Rudolph may not even get a shot to be more than No. 3 this season. It is foolish to claim he would be a wasted pick based solely on his rookie year. You should know better.