Landry Jones has been released by the Pittsburgh Steelers according to a report by Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. The veteran quarterback has been with the team since 2013, when he was a fourth-round pick out of Oklahoma and the first quarterback to hold the mantle of Ben Roethlisberger'spotential successor. He has since lost that title to the two youngsters that will remain on Pittsburgh's roster for the 2018 season: Josh Dobbs and Mason Rudolph. Now Jones moves on to the next phase of his career. He should be coveted by teams looking for a veteran backup quarterback. He has won NFL starts in the past. He completed all but three of his pass attempts this preseason. He is the sort of player that won't win you a Super Bowl, but can hold down the fort for a few weeks if necessary. Now, those left behind in Pittsburgh have plenty to say on the subject. Even if Dobbs' performance in the preseason finale sealed the deal, this still felt unlikely as recently as Saturday morning. Momentum seemed to be building for the Steelers to carry four quarterbacks. But they ultimately chose to move Jones. And that incited some fiery reactions from those who follow the team.<doc-sep>When I scrolled through my various social media platforms on Saturday and saw posts saying “Yes!” and “Finally!” and “Thank God!” and “Rejoice!” — I just assumed a Third World fascist dictator had been sent into exile. It didn’t take me long, of course, to figure out the release of Steelers’ veteran backup quarterback, Landry Jones, was the real reason for the worldwide celebration. I must say, I was a bit surprised Jones was included in the many casualties of the annual, mandatory cut-down day. But not because I thought he truly was the heir-apparent to Ben Roethlisberger. It’s just how all the signs leading up to Saturday didn’t point to such a move. For one thing, Jones was essentially given the starting quarterback treatment during the preseason, meaning he didn’t play much, while Joshua Dobbs and rookie Mason Rudolph got the bulk of the action. As this pertained to Dobbs, the second-year man out of Tennessee, who was seemingly destined for the chopping block at the very moment Pittsburgh selected Rudolph in the third-round of the most-recent NFL Draft, August football looked like an audition for Dobbs — but one for other NFL teams. You might say the Steelers already knew what they had in Jones, and there was no reason for him to have to fight for his job. It was up to Dobbs to do what he could to convince the coaching staff and front office he was valuable enough to keep over the veteran. Mission accomplished, I suppose. I’ll give you that, but what about the whole “win now” mode the Steelers are in this season? I think we’re all in agreement that, if Roethlisberger is lost for all or most of the regular season, the Steelers are toast. Therefore, it wouldn’t matter if Jones, Dobbs or Rudolph was under center. However, the whole point of having a backup to a franchise quarterback is to win a game or three if the franchise quarterback is lost for those games. Can Dobbs do that for the Steelers this year? The powers-that-be must think so — otherwise it really doesn’t make much sense to place him one heartbeat away from the presidency. But what if Dobbs isn’t ready to do that this year and the Steelers are keeping him because they feel his upside is just too good to expose him to other teams? With Rudolph in the mix, that would certainly increase the Steelers’ odds of finding a legitimate future heir to Roethlisberger. But, again, what about now? Roethlisberger previously implied, and even outright stated, having Jones around was of great value because he was experienced enough to act as a mentor to the younger quarterbacks on the roster, thereby keeping them out of No. 7’s hair while he concentrates on winning his third Lombardi. But now, No. 7 not only is going to have to act as a mentor to one young quarterback, but two. That’s a huge responsibility to take on, while also needing to concentrate on learning a slightly-newer playbook designed by a kind of new offensive coordinator. But while I can find a lot to question in the decision to keep Dobbs over Jones, I also get it. As alluded to earlier, the Steelers already knew what they had in Jones, and if he hadn’t morphed into anything but a backup after five seasons, he likely wasn’t ever going to. Besides, when Jones was thrown into the fray early in the 2015 regular season in a game against the Cardinals at Heinz Field, there was no confidence he would perform the way he did in leading Pittsburgh to a come-from-behind victory. So there’s precedent that an inexperienced Dobbs, who only in his second summer with the team, already looks better than Jones did over his first few preseasons, and therefore can be thrown into the fire and perform well under pressure. OK, I get that, but I don’t get the glee. From what I’ve seen, most fans don’t sincerely think Dobbs will be a starter in the NFL someday, so why all this excitement that he’ll be head-and-shoulders better than Jones? After all, by most standards, Jones is an average backup quarterback — meaning he’s your basic backup quarterback. If you think Dobbs is substantially better than Jones, that judgment essentially would make him a future starting NFL quarterback. Do you think Dobbs is a future starting NFL quarterback? If not, the glee over the Jones’ release just seems irrational and out of touch — like maybe you needed a quarterback to kick around — and since Roethlisberger was untouchable, you had to go after the backup. If that’s the case, I really hope you’ll have some mercy and go easy on Dobbs if and when he discovers that filling in for a franchise quarterback is mostly a thankless job. John Madden used to say: “The backup quarterback is the most popular player on the team.” I’m guessing if Madden wanted to add to that quote, he’d say, “. . . until he gets in the game.”<doc-sep>And Then There Were Three… The Pittsburgh Steelers have decided to part ways with Landry Jones. We all knew something had to give with the quarterback group in Pittsburgh. Mason Rudolph is a rookie and a work in progress but showed potential at times. But Josh Dobbs was the most impressive non-starter to take the field for the Steelers this preseason and honestly can do things Landry Jones can’t. Like consistently throw the ball to the guys in black and gold, and using his feet to get out of the pocket and keep drives alive. Last year in the AFC Divisional Playoffs, Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles scrambled for 35 yards and multiple first downs against the Steelers defense. The game is changing, so having a quarterback that can turn broken plays into positive ones is a priceless commodity. The Steelers should know, that’s when Ben Roethlisberger is at his best; making plays happen. So, besides the obvious reason; that Dobbs out-played Jones this preseason. Why did this move make sense for the Steelers? Dollars and Sense Even though there was some trade interest in Jones, cutting him was the right move. It all boils down to money. Jones was due $2.2 million this season, and cutting him only leaves the Steelers with a $300,000 dead money salary cap hit. In comparison, Josh Dobbs is making $704,781 this season and Mason Rudolph is making $713,066. Combined their salaries don’t equal what the Steelers were due to pay Landry Jones. When you look at the big picture and realize Vance McDonald recently converted $2.91 million of his salary into bonuses to clear up an additional $2.18 million in cap space for the Steelers. Toss in the $1.9 million the Steelers just saved by cutting Jones, and that’s $4.0 million of newly acquired cap space the Steelers can use to pursue a player didn’t make the cut on from another team or to make a trade with. Don’t be surprised if the Steelers have a trade in mind or a new free-agent in their crosshairs, the front office isn’t freeing up 2018 cap space just for fun. Look for the front office to be very active in the coming days.<doc-sep>
Landry Jones has been released by the Pittsburgh Steelers according to a report by Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. The veteran quarterback has been with the team since 2013, when he was a fourth-round pick out of Oklahoma and the first quarterback to hold the mantle of Ben Roethlisberger's potential successor. He has since lost that title to the two youngsters that will remain on Pittsburgh's roster for the 2018 season: Josh Dobbs and Mason Rudolph. The Steelers entered training camp this season with those four quarterbacks on their roster. Roethlisberger was assured a roster spot as the team's starting quarterback. Rudolph was guaranteed a spot as well by virtue of being a third-round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. While he might be ideally suited for the practice squad if the Steelers don't intend to play him this season, that is a moot point, as they would never be able to sneak him through waivers. That left one roster spot to go to a veteran backup. Jones is the true veteran of the two, having spent five seasons in the system. He has five NFL starts under his belt already, but Dobbs is seen as the more naturally talented of the two. He has a rocket arm and far more overall athleticism. His rookie preseason was plagued with interceptions and poor decisions, and while his 2018 preseason started on the same note, he made great strides as the exhibition season progressed. That progression seems to have been enough to earn Dobbs the role as Roethlisberger's veteran backup. He has never started a regular season game in the NFL, but with a year under his belt in Pittsburgh system, the Steelers feel comfortable enough with him potentially starting a few games that they were willing to move on from their long-time backup. That they of all teams were willing to do so shows just how much faith the Steelers have in Dobbs. Roethlisberger is not Tom Brady. In 14 NFL seasons, Roethlisberger has started all 16 games only three teams. The odds state he is going to miss a start at some point. Now it appears likely that Dobbs will be the one to replace him. Once the Steelers made the decision to elevate Dobbs into the No. 2 job, Jones became one of the most coveted veteran passers available. He has a 3-2 record as a starting quarterback in the past, and his 86.2 passer rating is higher than several full-time starters. Jones doesn't have exciting upside, but he is a stable veteran presence that teams would love behind their more accomplished starters in the event of an injury. But this decision says more about Dobbs than it does Jones. Keeping him does not just indicate that they believe in him in the present. It also means that the Steelers are prepared to give him another chance to prove that he is their quarterback of the future. Jones lost his competition against Dobbs. Rudolph will now have to make sure that he does not meet the same fate.