Is Ben's replacement on the team?

Are we asking about his position as our QB or the father of 52 kids.

For the record i think the answer is no to both

 

The best things a team can do to transition to a new QB is
1. Have a top rated D
2. Have a top rated O line
3. Have a reliable (health / performance) Tight End

We have the O line.

 

QB is becoming more important with the rule changes and the rule changes are also making it easier for QB's to be good as a rookie. Therefore I think you ride your stud till he's done and then move up in the draft and get another one. Kinda like girlfriends

Without a stud QB, going deep in the playoffs is luck.

 

Realistically, I think we picked Rudolph and Dobbs hoping for a decent backup.

I also hope we have a plan about replacing Ben other than waiting until all the wheels fall of and we have a lousy year and hope we are lucky we get a great QB in the draft following that bad year. Instead, I would like a date certain Ben is retiring or a date certain we will part ways and that we make preparations ahead of time to position ourselves in the draft to pick as high as possible the year or year after (if no great QB the previous year available) Ben finishes his career or we plan to part with him. In other words a very serious plan scheming our position in the draft ahead of time to get a franchise QB.

I DO NOT believe we can be passive and luck out like we did when we had Ben fall into our lap so to speak.

 

BINGO! All we have to do is visualize BB as a rookie taking over the current team. How would he fair? How would the team fair? 15-0 as a rookie starter with this team? No way, not even close. When he took over for Tommy Gun in 2004, Ben was surrounded by a great supporting cast that allowed him to develop his sea legs sooner than later. Had Maddox stayed healthy that year, not sure if BB would have been inserted into the line up and Maddox and the Steelers might have gone on and had a pretty good season until the NE playoff game, where the same outcome would have happened. Until Rudolph gets the chance to play on a regular basis (if ever), we can't even speculate on his potential success.

 

Is Ben's replacement on the team? We don't really know yet....The important thing though is we have someone (Rudolph) who thinks he is. That attitude can go a long way. The only knock on him coming out was possibly arm strength,but that is something that can be improved upon. He seems to have that confidence and swagger that can take you a long way, especially when you have the work ethic to go along with it. Not saying he will ever be another Brady ,but Brady is pretty much a self made player by his desire to be great. He made himself what he is and continues to be by his dedication to the game and that includes his preparation and conditioning that is second to none for QBs for sure.

IMO Rudolph seems to have some of that same desire in him. Just like a lot of players though but especially QBs ,the coaching and the system has to fit the player. That being said I don't believe we have the right HC and or coordinator that would give him the best chance to succeed. The scheme and system would have to be designed to fit him. I feel we need one of these young guru offensive HCs or O coordinators fo him to max out his potential. One of the things I'm most looking forward to this upcoming season is the natural progression of both our young QBs.....

 

I am rooting for Rudolph big time. If he shows tremendous growth in preseason, the next time Ben stinks it up I would like to see him come in vs 1's.

He can definitely regress lol

 

If Rudolph is not No. 2 after training camp then I’d be worried for him personally. We have seen very little of him so it’s impossible to say how good he will or won’t be but with a full season under his belt he needs to get that no 2 spot as soon as possible.

Dobbs is almost certainly not the answer but might be a solid backup with more experience.

 

I don't know if he is or isn't but I will say this we picked QB in back to back years and IMO it is hard to just think of them as back up QB's. One pick fine but when you go back to back each year you have to think they see something. I know there was a lot of buzz on Mason and then he went back to college. He had an ok year and dropped in the draft and now he is here. I am hopeful he grows under Ben and will be watching our leader and see how he works with him. I feel we have a better chance with Mason than Dobbs but that's JMO.

I see some say this QB class is weak but just last night on path to the draft Bucky Brooks and company was talking this class up as deep. Now where I see the difference in this class is it don't have the high top level guys but the "2nd tier" guys are deep, imo. I personally don't want to draft a QB and will be pissed if we do as we are in win now mode and picking a QB for the 3rd year in a row I disagree with.

 

I'd be hugely surprised if they picked another QB.

I said earlier in the thread that Mason was an opportunistic pick; it's also worth remembered that LJ was in the last year of his contract, and would likely either be wanting a salary raise or to test the market. So I believe that we would have been looking for a late-round QB this year had we not picked Rudolph. Contract-wise, we're set for a few more years at QB. Talent-wise... we'll just have to see I guess.

 

We wait for Ben to be done because no matter who we get they won't play until he's done. Give the kid a chance to show what he has at that time.

 

True! I wonder, is this a workable solution in today's NFL? It seems the league is headed toward rookie QB's taking the reins from day one as opposed to cultivating your next QB.

 

I think we are cultivating our next an in rudolph. Even if he or Dobbs are not it we need two backups. They would be familiar with our offense and the players at that time.

 

I wonder if this may be a trend more based on need than design. Consider the likes of Goff and Trubisky were fairly disappointing in their first season, then blossomed in their second. Others have struggled mightily, despite their apparent talent (like Winston, for example), and others have just disappeared (Kizer? Lynch?). Teams may *need* their draft picks to play straightaway, but this may be due to the lack of quality vet QBs staying in the league long enough. The results have been inconsistent, to say the least.

At the same time, I guess cultivating QBs has been less common because the quality vet QBs keep hanging on in the league.

 

I hated the Dobbs pick because he was an opportunistic QB who used his legs as much as his brain and that doesn't work in the NFL. I went back and reviewed his highlights again and am even more convinced he will never be a successful starter.

I didn't like the Rudolph pick because I felt we were in a desperate position of needing every possible smidgen of help on D. I went back and reviewed his highlights and think he may have a chance to be a starter but we'll never know how good of a starter until he gets the chance.

If you go back and look at the stud QB's right now they virtually all were 1st round picks who stepped in and took the reins very early on; I just think the days of finding a great QB in the middle rounds are over ..... and you don't win today without a great QB.

I say let Ben play till he falls below that threshold of greatness and then go get the next Mahomes.

 

Our best backups have been formed starters that had some success elsewhere. Foles at philly. fitz at several places. Charlie and lefty here. I would have more faith if we had that when mason gets his shot and then draft a rookie in that year. Having Dobbs as the backup would be having 3 green guys at that time.​

 

You mean like Andy Reid? He seems to be doing pretty good with a young QB. Who would have thought??? Maybe there's hope for Coach T after all.

 

I think Reid has always been one of the bette offensive minds in the game. He was also smart enough to take advantage of Mahomes's mobility.....He also instituted a lot of motion in his offensive sets. He was ahead of the curve with that as well and you are starting to see more teams incorporate that too.

As far as hope for Tomln being able to do the same......none. He is a D coach and even just saying that makes me question my own statement.

 

Both hilarious and sad which means.........................

 

No.
He's currently playing in the AAF

 

Rudolph was not drafted to be a backup. That's just a ridiculous notion. He was drafted as a potential starter after Roethlisberger.

Keeping Dobbs was a mistake. He doesn't have starter upside, so it wasn't worth going without a competent veteran backup. I said it all along last preseason and I was proven correct in the loss to the Raiders. The Steelers were lucky that was the only game in which a backup quarterback saw significant playing time.

Cue some idiot going on about that one throw.

 

Being with the right coach or OC and having a system that fits your skills also goes a long way in determining success. Goff was considered a bum until Mcvay got there and I'm pretty sure Trubiski benefited from a good OC as well. I'm not entirely sure of their situations though. I don't follow that closely...

 

Can anyone name the last "stud" QB to be drafted in the 3rd round or lower? And when?

 

You mean like arguably the greatest QB of all time Tom Brady.

I do not think Brady was drafted in the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, or even the 5th round. 199th overall pick!

I think Mason will be the Answer. He should have been a 1st round pick; just a strong Draft class last year.

 

Russell Wilson......2012