Joshua Dobbs continues to work, despite talk of Steelers drafting a quarterback

You can only imagine what it might feel like to be a player like Joshua Dobbs. Drafted in the fourth round of the 2017 NFL Draft to the Pittsburgh Steelers, excitement had to be boiling over for the former Volunteer quarterback.

A chance to learn from Ben Roethlisberger, with the future being bright in hopes of taking over as the primary backup after Landry Jones’ time is up with the organization. After all, as a competitor, Dobbs quite possibly is looking at a future which has his name on the depth chart as the team’s starting quarterback.

You may disagree, but Dobbs does not have a backup mentality, nor does any NFL player who competes on a regular basis. You can only imagine the thoughts going through his head when he hears the talk of the team drafting potentially the next franchise quarterback for when Roethlisberger hangs it up.

However, when you hear him talk, or read his quotes, he is focused solely on improving as a quarterback.

Not about what the team may, or may not, do in the upcoming 2018 NFL Draft.

When talking about what he wants to improve upon this offseason, as told to Teresa Varley of the Steelers official website:

“Continuing to grow my knowledge of the game. A big part of our offense is the no-huddle, and it’s on the quarterback to diagnose the defense and give the team the best look. A big part for me would be to continue to grow my understanding of our playbook so when we get to OTAs, when we get to camp and get in those situations, I’m not just calling a play. I’m calling a play for a purpose, to diagnose and take advantage of something the defense is showing in a pre-snap look. That’s the biggest thing I want to work on.

“You’re always looking to hone your footwork, shorten your release, make sure your mechanics and fundamentals are intact so you can hit to ground running. But from a football intelligence standpoint, just continue to grow.”

Many reading this see Dobbs as nothing more than a career backup, but maybe fans should give him a chance to show what he is truly made of — outside of his rookie preseason. I’m not suggesting he is the answer at the position post-Roethlisberger, but his raw skills are evident when you watch him play. With some fine tuning, Dobbs might just surprise some people in 2018.