Pittsburgh Steelers 2011 Free Agents Analysis: Dennis Dixon
by Michael Bean on Mar 9, 2011 2:50 PM EST
in Steelers Roster
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PrintIt's been a few days since we discussed the potential future of a Steelers player whose contract expired after the 2010 season. Free Agency is officially on hold as of last week while a new Collective Bargaining Agreement is negotiated. So we won't hear any more news on the free agency front until a new CBA is ultimately reached. But that doesn't mean we can't do our best to speculate about what might happen with certain players. So let's do just that with reserve quarterback Dennis Dixon, who the Steelers tendered last week.
2010 salary: $470,000
The back story: 2010 was supposed to be Dennis Dixon's time to shine. With Ben Roethlisberger suspended for the first four games of the year, Dixon hoped to cement his status as a viable starting candidate option in the National Football League. He was ultimately named the starter over veteran Byron Leftwich at the end of last summer's training camp, but a knee injury early in the Steelers' Week 2 game against the Titans derailed his season and any hopes he had of being a starting quarterback somewhere in 2011.
With just three years of service under his belt, Dixon almost assuredly will still be a restricted free agent under the provisions of a new CBA. The Steelers offered an existing round tender to Dixon last week. Will another team be willing to surrender a low draft pick to acquire Dixon? Not likely because of the injury he suffered and his subsequent inability to prove himself last year. But stranger things have happened I suppose.
What I'd Do: You can't figure that the Steelers will face the same sort of unique circumstances at the QB position in 2011, which makes the choice of who to keep behind Roethlisberger a bit tricky. Do you roll with Byron Leftwich who has a year left on his contract, and then have Charlie Batch serve as the emergency No. 3 option? Do you have Leftwich and Dixon battle it out for the backup spot and cut the loser of the camp competition? Surely you don't keep all four around, but is there a way to keep Batch in the fold without designating any sort of spot for him officially unless he's needed?
Basically, I don't know if I have an opinion just yet on how the Steelers should handle the back up QB duties next year. What about you? Thoughts?
s
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WR
If there was a receiver with his attributes in the draft, where would the Steelers pick him? Sounds like the missing tall receiver Ben needs.
"I don't mind being a symbol but I don't want to become a monument. There are monuments all over the Parliament Buildings and I've seen what the pigeons do to them."
"Canada is like an old cow. The West feeds it. Ontario and Quebec milk it. And you can well imagine what it's doing in the Maritimes."
Tommy Douglas
by Cold_Old_Steelers_Fan on Mar 9, 2011 5:33 PM EST up reply actions
Very clever!
I like it. But is he mean enough to be a Pittsburgh WR?
"If you're not getting better, I don't care what business you're in, you're a dead man. I try to look critically at the mistakes that I make and try to learn from them, like our team does." - Mike Tomlin
by Rebecca Rollett on Mar 10, 2011 7:13 PM EST up reply actions
i thought the only reason dixon started is cuz byron got injured…not because he was named the starter over him
Correct - Byron had been declared the starter...
"If you're not getting better, I don't care what business you're in, you're a dead man. I try to look critically at the mistakes that I make and try to learn from them, like our team does." - Mike Tomlin
by Rebecca Rollett on Mar 10, 2011 7:14 PM EST up reply actions
Batch is gone unless there are more injuries or BB f%^%-ups again.
Dixon battles it out with a rookie 6-7 round/FA for 3rd QB.
Lord Byron is the #2
by Steeler Nation VA on Mar 9, 2011 4:00 PM EST reply actions
Trade Dixon for what you can get!
Byron was #1 until he got hurt; Batch proved to be more effective; Dixon hasn’t shown any real development so far. In fact, he more often looks like a lost puppy. Bring in a round 6-7 or UDFA as a project. That’s what I would do, but the FO will likely re-sign Dixon and set up another competition at camp. FO is usually right.
"We have met the enemy and he is us" - Pogo (1970)
Yea - FO is usually right.
That is why they do what they do and we don’t
by Steeler Nation VA on Mar 9, 2011 5:19 PM EST up reply actions
The Steelers FO
That is why we have 6 rings and 2 other trips.
The Raiders FO is a joke. Probably one of the only FO jokes. O’h forgot the Bungles. and Panthers Looks like the other jokes may be turning it around.
by Steeler Nation VA on Mar 9, 2011 5:55 PM EST up reply actions
the lions used to be the butt of my jokes
but after the past few years ive had to find someone else.
by steelerintexas on Mar 10, 2011 12:43 AM EST up reply actions
i would think leftwich would be easier to trade than dixon. maybe we throw leftwich or dixon in a deal to trade up in the draft?
by steelerintexas on Mar 9, 2011 5:43 PM EST up reply actions
Don't trade Lord Byron
Not with Ben taking 50+ sacks a year.
by Steeler Nation VA on Mar 9, 2011 5:56 PM EST up reply actions
thats why we would keep around batch and dixon. no way we would get rid of both dixon and leftwich.
by steelerintexas on Mar 10, 2011 12:44 AM EST up reply actions
Developing Dixon
It is hard to come down too hard on Dennis Dixon after he had all of a game (which he won) and a quater and change to play.
Still, the difference between him and Batch in there was marked. Batch may not have been all world against Tennessee, but he instantly looked in control and command of the huddle. Dixon… Not so much.
“Developing” a quarterback is becoming a lost art. At one point the conventional wisdom was that a kid had to mature for 5 or 6 YEARS before he was ready to start. Perhaps that was over exaggerated even then, but I still think you can bring a quarterback along, and Dixon has enough raw talent to merit an attempt.
"developing" a qb
is probably one of the most inexact sciences we have in this world. there is no strategy that will work for every player. you just gotta do what would be best for htat individual player. im sure some would benefit most from riding hte pine and others would do better immediatly starting.
by steelerintexas on Mar 10, 2011 12:46 AM EST up reply actions
Honestly,
I think that some guys just have the instinctive leadership and confidence, and some don’t. Compare Colt McCoy’s game vs. us, as a rookie, with Dixon’s game vs. the Ravens last year – as a second year player. McCoy didn’t get flustered or distracted, and was able to command the offense in a way that Dixon never seemed to – at least it looked that way to me.
"If you're not getting better, I don't care what business you're in, you're a dead man. I try to look critically at the mistakes that I make and try to learn from them, like our team does." - Mike Tomlin
by Rebecca Rollett on Mar 10, 2011 7:18 PM EST up reply actions
i completely agree
i find it interesting that teams get so caught up in things like arm strength and physical things like that. yes they are important, but they are nothing if they arnt mentally the right person. however, i think teams are starting to do a much better job of getting the right mentality with the right physical skills.
by steelerintexas on Mar 11, 2011 12:27 AM EST up reply actions
It’s all about the knees, gotta measure them and go from there, everything else is moot.
Great point about Colt vs Dixon Rebecca, but some of that might be the other players on the offense. The Browns were looking/hoping for that future franchise QB and were more likely to latch onto anyone that showed even a glimpse of that potential.
Dixon came in to replace an injured Ben, and nobody on the Steelers offense was looking, or thinking, that he was going to completely take his place long term. They rallied around the kid hoping to prop him up, not the other way around.
I still agree that Colt showed more in that game than Dixon has his entire career with the Steelers, and some of that has to be inherent leadership.
I say we look first to try and trade him to a team in need of a solid backup or that’s looking for a QB competition next preseason. If we can’t pull off a trade where we get at least a 4th rounder or so back in return, then I suppose that keeping him and Leftwich wouldn’t hurt since both are likely among the best backup QB’s in the league right now.
However, as Charlie showed that he still has enough in him to be a good backup, trading Dixon should be the first option, since that will enable us to keep Batch in the 3rd-string/coach-type role he’s played for us for so many years now.
if another team will trade for him he’s worth a 4-5 round pick. otherwise keep all 4, and may the best three win. if i had to guess charlie would be the odd man out in which case we could at least bring him back as a ‘consultant’. thats what the colts did with their OC right?
by steel.curtain.number2 on Mar 10, 2011 12:32 AM EST reply actions
My Opinion
Drop Batch as a player, but keep him in some position in the organization – he deserves that. Dixon as the #2 man and Lefty as #3. Would love to see us pick up Colin Kaepernik (QB from Nevada) in the later rounds if he is available as a project on the PS. He has good running and passing skills and can emulate Flacco when we prepare for the Ravens or any mobile QB we will be facing.
Byron
I like the idea of Dennis and Byron battle it out for the 2nd seed and cut the other one. Or don’t cut either. No salary cap anymore, so we keep both and keep Old Charlie as a coach. Mike Tomlin gave Charlie the three over Byron after he showed veteran superiorness when Dixon was hurt.
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