OT: The Pittsburgher Thread: Off Season We dont need a QB Edition

[pistolpete11]

Pryor was one of the freakiest athletes I’ve ever seen in my life. The hype around him in Western PA when he was at Jeannette was something I’ve never seen before.

Yup. I was in school at Penn State at the time. People were reeeeeeal excited and then reeeeeeeeeeeeeeeal disappointed

 

[pistolpete11]

I always thought Stewart could have been a Pro Bowl receiver had he been willing to switch to WR full time:



He had his convictions about being a QB though and I respect that, but I suspect his career would be more fondly remembered if he had become a WR.

I'm not sure what's harder to wrap my head around.

That they won as many games as they did with him at QB or that they stuck with him for as long as they did

Times were different of course, but he really wasn't THAT productive as a receiver or a rusher. Maybe he could have been, but he wasn't. And he wasn't a good QB.

 

[End of Line]

Yes he a lottery ticket with high upside you take shots at those types on day 3

The only upside he has is his ability to run the ball. He can’t hit water if he fell out of a boat. I’d rather they go after the kid from Louisville. If Milroe didn’t play for Alabama he’d be a UDFA.

 

[pistolpete11]

i still cant believe we have an owner who lets his terminally mediocre coach hold the franchise hostage over an old washed up quarterback that virtually everyone in the locker room is bound to despise

What are they being held hostage from doing?

 

[Buddy Bizarre]

Milroe to me is kind of like Tim Tebo. Doesn’t have a NFL arm but has elite athleticism. Question is will a team be dumb enough to waste a 1st round pick on him. Will Milroe be willing to change positions.

Makes sense why Tomlin wants to draft him. Because he won't be able to beat him in an awful playoff loss like Tebow did

 

[Buddy Bizarre]

Dude is hellbent on getting those 9 wins.

Just straightening everyone out on the narrative for next season:

Tomlin goes 9-8 with Mason at QB: "WOW. COY!!!!. 9-8 with Mason Rudolph as his QB is incredible"
Tomlin goes 9-8 with Rodgers at QB: "WOW. Aaron Rodgers is washed. But how great is Tomlin to still go 9-8?!?"

 

[Buddy Bizarre]

I always thought Stewart could have been a Pro Bowl receiver had he been willing to switch to WR full time:



He had his convictions about being a QB though and I respect that, but I suspect his career would be more fondly remembered if he had become a WR.

Slash was really before his time. Drop him into today's game as a QB and he wouldn't look out of place running RPO and all that stuff.
I too believe that he could have been a very good WR.

 

[Double-Shift Lasse]

Arod at 42 is going to get hurt. I hope he retires he has nothing left to prove just like RW they are both HOF walking green jackets

gold

 

[cookthebooks]

What are they being held hostage from doing?

moving forward

 

[Double-Shift Lasse]

The last guy I could remember being drafted as a QB and switched to WR was Terrelle Pryor which I remembered being an utter failure. However, he did have a 1,000yd receiving year with the Browns . He only lasted 2 more seasons, though, with 250-ish yards each year.

With how little faith I have in him being an NFL QB, though, I don't think it's worth a pick before the 6th round.

 

[Double-Shift Lasse]

It works out when the player buys in. But that's a hard thing for kids who have always had the ball in their hands to do.

Antwaan Randle El is a good example close to home. He was a legit #2/3 NFL receiver who could also help with gadget plays. Josh Cribbs in Cleveland l although he was mostly a returner. Edelman, of course, but f*** that guy.

Lastly, on Kordell Stewart -- he was unproductive as a receiver because he didn't play full-time. He was always intended to be a Swiss Army Knife-type player who saw the field in certain packages. I'm not saying he would have been a Pro Bowl WR, but it's hard to measure his productivity historically via the stats. Whoever said he was before his time I think is spot on. And as a QB, Stewart was good. Not a star, not very good, although he was at times very good, but good. If he could have overcome his propensity to have his mechanics degrade in pressure moments, he could have been a Super Bowl starter.

 

[Mr Jiggyfly]

I'm not sure what's harder to wrap my head around.

That they won as many games as they did with him at QB or that they stuck with him for as long as they did

Times were different of course, but he really wasn't THAT productive as a receiver or a rusher. Maybe he could have been, but he wasn't. And he wasn't a good QB.

His numbers weren’t eye popping as a WR because he wasn’t used every down, but he had a ton of raw talent for the position.

He avg like 17 YPC and displayed really nice hands, speed, and body control - he was even a pretty good route runner.

Had he committed himself to learning the position full time, he no doubt would have put up a few big seasons as a WR.

He didn’t like being shoehorned into the role of a WR because he was a black QB though - which I get, but he wasn’t very good at reading D and had accuracy issues.

It works out when the player buys in. But that's a hard thing for kids who have always had the ball in their hands to do.

Antwaan Randle El is a good example close to home. He was a legit #2/3 NFL receiver who could also help with gadget plays. Josh Cribbs in Cleveland l although he was mostly a returner. Edelman, of course, but f*** that guy.

Lastly, on Kordell Stewart -- he was unproductive as a receiver because he didn't play full-time. He was always intended to be a Swiss Army Knife-type player who saw the field in certain packages. I'm not saying he would have been a Pro Bowl WR, but it's hard to measure his productivity historically via the stats. Whoever said he was before his time I think is spot on. And as a QB, Stewart was good. Not a star, not very good, although he was at times very good, but good. If he could have overcome his propensity to have his mechanics degrade in pressure moments, he could have been a Super Bowl starter.

I should probably take back the Stewart making the Pro Bowl as a WR idea, because I forgot it wasn’t a joke back in those days - but I suspect he could have strung together a couple 1000 yard seasons and been around a 55-65 catch 850-900 5 TD guy - which would have been really good for Steeler WRs back then.

 

[bigdaddyk88]

Just straightening everyone out on the narrative for next season:

Tomlin goes 9-8 with Mason at QB: "WOW. COY!!!!. 9-8 with Mason Rudolph as his QB is incredible"
Tomlin goes 9-8 with Rodgers at QB: "WOW. Aaron Rodgers is washed. But how great is Tomlin to still go 9-8?!?"

The same Rodgers that was supposed to make the jets a sb contender?

 

[bigdaddyk88]

The only upside he has is his ability to run the ball. He can’t hit water if he fell out of a boat. I’d rather they go after the kid from Louisville. If Milroe didn’t play for Alabama he’d be a UDFA.

The kid from Louisville is often hurt and and a 1 year wonder after 6 college years

 

[pistolpete11]

moving forward

To what? There weren't any good QBs available this year let alone at this point in the offseason. They either bring in Rodgers, bring back Russ, or go with Rudolph. Training camp doesn't start for another like 4 months, so who really cares if they give Rodgers some time to make a decision? Conversely, who really cares if Rodgers doesn't sign or they "miss out" on Russ while waiting for him? They can go with Rudolph. It's fine because they aren't winning anything this year anyway. Not with the QBs that were available.

 

[Goalie_Bob]

The kid from Louisville is often hurt and and a 1 year wonder after 6 college years

Seven years. Nobody is saying to take Shough high in the draft. He is more of a 4th-5th round guy. Which is where Milroe should go. As an athlete, sure Milroe is better, but he is Malik Willis 2.0, can throw the ball a mile but has no ability to throw short or intermediate routes.

Shough is a better QB. Tyler Shough 2025 NFL Draft: Scouting Report For Louisville Cardinals QB

"Shough projects as a developmental starter or bridge quarterback at the NFL level. He could absolutely be an adequate starter with a good cast around him in time, but the unlikely intersections required for opportunity, time on task at the NFL level, and health make it difficult to bet too big.

He’d be a good fit for an under center, play-action scheme that can play off of the dropback passing game with rollouts and bootlegs while taking advantage of his arm fluidity and athleticism. "

Projects perfectly into the Arthur Smith offense. But I'm also realistic enough to say he could be Carson Strong 2.0. Who was thought of as 2nd-3rd round pick due to his passing skills but had injury concerns and fell totally out of the draft, was signed as a UDFA and didn't even make it out of training camp.

 

[pistolpete11]

It works out when the player buys in. But that's a hard thing for kids who have always had the ball in their hands to do.

Antwaan Randle El is a good example close to home. He was a legit #2/3 NFL receiver who could also help with gadget plays. Josh Cribbs in Cleveland l although he was mostly a returner. Edelman, of course, but f*** that guy.

It *can work, but we're going back 20+ years to find a couple of guys that successfully made the transition. How many tried and failed that we forgot about because it's really not that easy to do?

Also, Edelman was a 7th round pick (and was drafted as a WR, as was Randle El) and Cribbs was undrafted. If they take Milroe in the 7th, I have no problem with trying it. But I think most people are expecting him to go much earlier than that. Given that I don't think he can make it as a NFL QB and the transition to WR is not as easy as it sounds, I'd pass.

Lastly, on Kordell Stewart -- he was unproductive as a receiver because he didn't play full-time. He was always intended to be a Swiss Army Knife-type player who saw the field in certain packages. I'm not saying he would have been a Pro Bowl WR, but it's hard to measure his productivity historically via the stats. Whoever said he was before his time I think is spot on. And as a QB, Stewart was good. Not a star, not very good, although he was at times very good, but good. If he could have overcome his propensity to have his mechanics degrade in pressure moments, he could have been a Super Bowl starter.

Granted I was a kid at the time, but I remember a lot of bitching and moaning over Kordell after the 'slash' hype died off. He was not a very good passer and while he was a good rusher for a QB (for the time at least), I don't think it made up for it. But again, I was a kid, and maybe he was a victim of the era he played in.

 

[Double-Shift Lasse]

It *can work, but we're going back 20+ years to find a couple of guys that successfully made the transition. How many tried and failed that we forgot about because it's really not that easy to do?

Also, Edelman was a 7th round pick (and was drafted as a WR, as was Randle El) and Cribbs was undrafted. If they take Milroe in the 7th, I have no problem with trying it. But I think most people are expecting him to go much earlier than that. Given that I don't think he can make it as a NFL QB and the transition to WR is not as easy as it sounds, I'd pass.


Granted I was a kid at the time, but I remember a lot of bitching and moaning over Kordell after the 'slash' hype died off. He was not a very good passer and while he was a good rusher for a QB (for the time at least), I don't think it made up for it. But again, I was a kid, and maybe he was a victim of the era he played in.

Yeah I didn't mean to suggest drafting Milroe in the first round as a receiver. In fact, I'd prefer they not draft him at all. I was just adding context to the "Terrelle Pryor is the only guy and he failed" line of discussion. My point was it can work when the player has buy-in and when the team acquires him with the appropriate resources and provides him with the time and training. Could Milroe be a good receiver? I don't know, but if he's committed to playing QB and the team drafting him doesn't put a clear plan in place, the answer is no.

As for Stewart, he was a good passer. Had the Steelers created an offense around him the way Atlanta did for Vick or Baltimore has done for Jackson, maybe he could have been great? Or maybe not. But he did make some bad throws at bad times. I think he took a lot of undeserved criticism from fans at the time. My opinion is he could have been very good, but I can't tell you how often I've ben wrong about that kind of thing.

 

[pistolpete11]

Seven years. Nobody is saying to take Shough high in the draft. He is more of a 4th-5th round guy. Which is where Milroe should go. As an athlete, sure Milroe is better, but he is Malik Willis 2.0, can throw the ball a mile but has no ability to throw short or intermediate routes.

Shough is a better QB. Tyler Shough 2025 NFL Draft: Scouting Report For Louisville Cardinals QB

"Shough projects as a developmental starter or bridge quarterback at the NFL level. He could absolutely be an adequate starter with a good cast around him in time, but the unlikely intersections required for opportunity, time on task at the NFL level, and health make it difficult to bet too big.

He’d be a good fit for an under center, play-action scheme that can play off of the dropback passing game with rollouts and bootlegs while taking advantage of his arm fluidity and athleticism. "

Projects perfectly into the Arthur Smith offense. But I'm also realistic enough to say he could be Carson Strong 2.0. Who was thought of as 2nd-3rd round pick due to his passing skills but had injury concerns and fell totally out of the draft, was signed as a UDFA and didn't even make it out of training camp.

A couple of counterpoints.

1. I don't know that they should be investing in long term projects because they fit Artie Smith's offense. It's a matter of time until he bolts.

2. Are the Steelers really in a position to be using even mid-round picks on guys that project to be bridge QBs? I don't know that any team really is. You can still find good players, even if they end up only being rotational pieces, in the mid rounds and there are also a handful of bridge QBs available in FA every year. Just pick one of them up off the scrap heap.

I think the only acceptable QB picks are R1 talents, boom-or-bust types, and late round picks.

 

[Pens x]

To what? There weren't any good QBs available this year let alone at this point in the offseason. They either bring in Rodgers, bring back Russ, or go with Rudolph. Training camp doesn't start for another like 4 months, so who really cares if they give Rodgers some time to make a decision? Conversely, who really cares if Rodgers doesn't sign or they "miss out" on Russ while waiting for him? They can go with Rudolph. It's fine because they aren't winning anything this year anyway. Not with the QBs that were available.

What about Wentz or Winston? Dont get me wrong, neither is ideal but we need another QB on this roster. At some point, those QBs will sign elsewhere while coach numb nuts waits on A rod.

I think people forget how mid of a QB Rudolph is. What happens when Cleveland f***s up Rudolph again? What if he sucks? Will Tomlin play QB at that point? Maybe bring in a fat yinzer fan to play?

Something something hindsight

 

[pistolpete11]

Yeah I didn't mean to suggest drafting Milroe in the first round as a receiver. In fact, I'd prefer they not draft him at all. I was just adding context to the "Terrelle Pryor is the only guy and he failed" line of discussion. My point was it can work when the player has buy-in and when the team acquires him with the appropriate resources and provides him with the time and training. Could Milroe be a good receiver? I don't know, but if he's committed to playing QB and the team drafting him doesn't put a clear plan in place, the answer is no.

As for Stewart, he was a good passer. Had the Steelers created an offense around him the way Atlanta did for Vick or Baltimore has done for Jackson, maybe he could have been great? Or maybe not. But he did make some bad throws at bad times. I think he took a lot of undeserved criticism from fans at the time. My opinion is he could have been very good, but I can't tell you how often I've ben wrong about that kind of thing.

For the record, I said Pryor was the last guy I could remember, not the only guy

I'll take your word for it on Kordelle as a passer. His stats suggest otherwise, though, even considering the era. Using QB rating for simplicity, he was only above average in 2001, and barely.

 

[bigdaddyk88]

What about Wentz or Winston? Dont get me wrong, neither is ideal but we need another QB on this roster. At some point, those QBs will sign elsewhere while coach numb nuts waits on A rod.

I think people forget how mid of a QB Rudolph is. What happens when Cleveland f***s up Rudolph again? What if he sucks? Will Tomlin play QB at that point? Maybe bring in a fat yinzer fan to play?

Something something hindsight

It seem like Arod is holding up the other qbs. Winston and Weintz have had multiple back up talks with teams but no offers. If they draft a developmental qb that guy would play if Rudolph got hurt. Maybe they finally get that 6-10 season people want

 

[pistolpete11]

What about Wentz or Winston? Dont get me wrong, neither is ideal but we need another QB on this roster. At some point, those QBs will sign elsewhere while coach numb nuts waits on A rod.

I think people forget how mid of a QB Rudolph is. What happens when Cleveland f***s up Rudolph again? What if he sucks? Will Tomlin play QB at that point? Maybe bring in a fat yinzer fan to play?

Something something hindsight

Bro, ALL of these guys are mid-to-terrible. They aren't winning shit with any of them. If anything, we should be rooting for them to end up with the worst one so we get a higher pick and don't have to trade up as far to get someone in the draft next year.

I just can't imagine anyone being upset that we missed out on 33-year-old Carson Wentz who will be on his 6th team in 6 years. Like who gives a flying f***?

Winston, I kinda get, but that's for the interviews and memes moreso than his play on the field.

 

[Peat]

A couple of counterpoints.

1. I don't know that they should be investing in long term projects because they fit Artie Smith's offense. It's a matter of time until he bolts.

2. Are the Steelers really in a position to be using even mid-round picks on guys that project to be bridge QBs? I don't know that any team really is. You can still find good players, even if they end up only being rotational pieces, in the mid rounds and there are also a handful of bridge QBs available in FA every year. Just pick one of them up off the scrap heap.

I think the only acceptable QB picks are R1 talents, boom-or-bust types, and late round picks.

1. I'd imagine that when Smith goes, they'll look for a guy with similar concepts so that bit is okay

2. You know I very much agree with you but, devil's advocate a bit, I think you can make the case for Shough's boom. Hell, that profile does slightly - says he can be an adequate starter (wish he'd define adequate better), just it's unlikely due to the lucky breaks he'd require. He's got several serious plus traits - not quite elite, but very much a plus - and if he can stay fit and make a big jump in dealing with pressure, maybe there's a solid T2 QB who can give a really strong team a chance. Likely? Hell no. Would I do it before the fifth? No. But I think there is some boom there and he's not just a plucky polished guy.

 

[bigdaddyk88]

A couple of counterpoints.

1. I don't know that they should be investing in long term projects because they fit Artie Smith's offense. It's a matter of time until he bolts.

2. Are the Steelers really in a position to be using even mid-round picks on guys that project to be bridge QBs? I don't know that any team really is. You can still find good players, even if they end up only being rotational pieces, in the mid rounds and there are also a handful of bridge QBs available in FA every year. Just pick one of them up off the scrap heap.

I think the only acceptable QB picks are R1 talents, boom-or-bust types, and late round picks.

I kinda just feel like you draft a qb every year until one sticks
I don’t think Smith leaves he turned down UNC and he is the reason why RW isn’t coming back