Bens replacement?

At what year do you start looking for a replacement for Big Ben? He has been in the league for 8 years and is at the top of his game. Most QBs start to show slips in there game in there 30s. This is not a bash Big Ben thread. I would love to just grab a young QB who could some day take the helm for Big Ben if he takes a serious injury due the lask of protection he gets. Or when he just simply has enough and wants to retire. We need that Aaron Rodgers type of guy in the waiting.

 

Big Ben has too many years left to worry about his replacement. Yes, you always need a capable backup, but you can't expect a future star QB to sit behind Ben for 5-7 more years, it just won't happen. Any backup that has the talent to start would not play backup for that long. Plus, we don't need to spend a high draft pick on a QB yet, we have much more pressing needs.

 

I understand that Shaner82. Yes we need more help at OL,DT,CB thats fine but can we afford for Ben to go down with a serious injury and never be the same? Lets face it we have the worst OL in the league and it could happen against the Bengals or anyother team and i do not trust the QBs on our Depth chart behind Ben. So thats my question how many more years will we go befor we draft a Qb who could step in and play. You know we will never trade or sign a big free agent. So the draft is it.

 

It's too early to look for a replacement for Ben - if someone is of the calibre to do that, then their agents will likely be too greedy to let someone sit on the bench for four years waiting their turn. There is a pressing issue in getting a solid back up, though.

When we picked up Dixon I was optimistic - yes, he was never going to the Hall of Fame, but he seemed capable enough to step in when needed, agile enough to deal with the dodgy o-line and even had the potential of coming in as an extra on a play or two. It's just a shame that he hasn't performed as well as he might, and - for whatever reason - doesn't look as comfortable on the field as he should imo.

 

I guess thats what im saying maybe not someone to take his place but if he were to go down we could still play at the level were at now. Do you think drafting a QB in the 4th-5th round would be to high? I think if a guy like Ryan Tannehill is there why not take a shot at him He reminds me alot like Big Ben he is 6-4 weighs 222 he can run like ben and throw like him has well. Im not sure where he predicted to go in the draft this year.

 

how about draftng Russell Wilson, QB, Wisconsin...I think he could be a steal if we could get him in the 4th or 5th round

 

The replacement needs to be elite. We should wait until we have a lame season and draft early. I hope this year will not be that year.

 

just like the Colts are doing right now, huh?

 

If Ben was the Brady or Manning type, I'd say start looking when he's 33 or 34. But taking the beating he does, I'd move that up 2 or 3 years.

To me the question is, do we want to spend a high draft pick on a kid and let him sit for a few years, like Aaron Rodgers? Or wait for Ben to fizzle out/retire, stink it up for a year, then draft someone and wait for him to mature? We'll lose some SB contending time if we do it that route. Unless we get another rookie QB who wins his first 15 starts or whatever. But I'm guessing we can't count on that.

 

It's NEVER too early to search for a quality QB. Never. In fact, I think by policy we should draft one every year, or at least every other year to prevent position log-jam. Can never try too hard to find the next starter at the most important position in the game. But as far as using a high round (1-2 rd) pick on a QB while Ben is still relatively young, I wouldn't support that. Not time to do that yet, but we should start looking at later round QB's.

Wilson would be cool, especially when we bring his OC here to replace BA.

 

This is an interesting question, because it`s not that often, that an Aaron Rodgers type qb will sit on the bench, to learn behind a star like Farve...
I think it is in big part because of Ben`s early success, that a lot of teams are putting young qb`s(Cam Newton, Sam Bradford, Andy Dalton, etc...), on the field, earlier than they used to.
Now, a lot of that has to do with a team`s situation, or injuries to their starters(McCoy, last year), but in general...
Teams are not letting a "starting caliber QB", sit on the bench and learn...
In regards to us... I agree with the poster who basically said we should draft a 3d or 4th rd qb every year, till Ben is done...
Maybe we will get a good one...
In the meantime.. Ben is gonna be here for at LEAST 4 more years(I`m guessin/hoping longer)....
I had hoped that Dixon would serve as a good backup, in a pinch during the season...
To step in and win a game or two, if Ben got hurt, but not bad...
But I`m not convinced he can, and if Ben is out more than a couple games, I`m fairly sure he can`t. (after teams study a little film on him)...
We will see if anyone wants him next year.. he has already said he would prefer to start, but won`t ask for a trade...
Just another reason, that a strong running game makes you a better team...
But that`s a different topic... you can plug in a RB, easier than a QB...
Top tier qb`s don`t come around that often, although, I wonder how many there are, out there, who just never got a chance?
We gotta keep looking for one, but not with a high draft pick, for at least 4 more years (hopefully more, barring injury)...
Shame that Batch will be gone next year or two, and Lefty may be done, period.
If Dixon goes freee agency....
Our backup QB spot, just became wide open next year... or soon.. You always have to have a capable back-up, in case Ben goes down, even to finish one game...

 

For those who think that franchise QB's grow on trees and there is no hurry to find the next Steelers starting QB I say please try to remember the lean years when Jim Miller and Kent Graham were what they had. Realistically given the style of play that Ben has including this year without anymore abuse I see him playing at his current level for maybe, maybe mind you three more years. If he changes his game enough to minimize the abuse he takes year in and year out and learns to play on a mixture of talent and technique instead of talent alone you can stretch that to 5 years tops. So the front office and scouting should be looking for that replacement now. I would like to add that given how they are currently drafting and building the team for the next 5-7 years the QB position is essential. You can not have a plug and play QB when you are designing the offense around the QB and having him drive it. If they revert back to the traditional Steeler football where they rely more on running the football, playing tough defense and working play action than they could look for a less skilled QB.

 

Draft a QB every year??? This isn't college man, where you carry 6 QBs on an 85 man roster. And its probably not a great idea to change your BU every year because there will be a learning curve that could take focus away from other aspects of the O.

 

now.

 

If the FO brings in a young QB with some talent, Dixon will be gone. Not sure if they can get anything for him, but he has a short future in PIT. IMHO

 

i think so much hinges on BA staying or retiring. we missed out on a good crop of qb's last year. the next guy doesn't necessarily have to be ben's future replacement either but we need a guy that can possibly be or just a guy we can teach and have some faith in to run the offense if ben does go down for a few games. i'm not overly comfortable that dixon is that guy. we need to throw some decent youth at the position and especially if BA is leaving. let the guy come in fresh and learn the system with the rest of them. at least one of the other 3 will remain i'm pretty sure. if fichtner becomes the new OC all the better, he's quite familiar with these guys and can have a new protegie to work with his way. there are some really good qb's that will come out again this year. we can't wait til the cupboard is bare. it doesn't have to be a 1st or 2nd rounder either. just get a big one that has the arm, build and intelligence to be able to mold into something for down the road. :hello:

 

A kid I like (of course being a Va Tech fan) is Logan Thomas. He is a sophomore, so he won't be in the NFL right away. But the kid is big (6'-6" - 254), runs a around a 4.6 sec 40, has a strong arm and is a load to bring down. If any of you watched the VT/GT game on ESPN last night you saw what I am talking about.
Definitely not ready to be a starting NFL QB yet, but plenty of upside for the future.

 

way too early to worry about his replacement. they do need to look for a good backup though. Dixon, Lefty and Batch are not going to cut it.

i think in 3 to 4 years they will start to look for a guy to groom to replace him. they need to draft a guy and let him watch for 2 or 3 years.

hopefully we are 7 years away from needing his replacement. he is just hitting his prime. i think he will have a 5 year span of being a true top qb/HOF qb then he will start to drop off. probably mid 30's like most.

 

Never to early to start looking for a qb to get ready to take over. With the Hits Ben has taken in the previous years, you never know when he could go down. Granite he is a hell of a competitor and it takes a bad injury to keep a player like Ben out. Go Steelers

 

Seems like a few people here do not realize that Ben will be 30 in March. They need to have a plan in place in 2 years.

 

Wow... the older you get, the quicker time flies...
Ben will be 30, already, next year?!?!....
Seems like he`s only been here five years or so, and I was guessin he was about 21, when he came out of Miami, Oh...
Maybe he`s been here longer than it seems, or he was older when he got drafted...
Was guessing he was still a couple/few years shy of 30....
Then again, it doesn`t feel like I`ll hit the big four-oh, next summer, either, but I will! :O
Trying to think now...
He was with Cowher, for 2 years, right?(Maybe 3) + This is Tomlin`s what, 4th? 5th? season...
Feels more like his third, but then again, I`ve never been good with times/dates, etc...
Yeah, I guess if Ben IS gonna be 30 after the superbowl, expecting another 4+ years out of him, especially with the beating he takes, is pushing it!!
I am sure his body feels older than mine, already, on Monday mornings!!!

 

Sure, why not? Should be able to tell by the end of training camp (or whenever you have to make cuts) if the new QB has any potential. If not, cut him and keep the last guy you drafted and try again next year. If that's too soon or not enough time to develop, change philosophy to draft one every other year instead. I think it's a sound philosophy; much more so than wasting two picks on a punter.