Steelers News: Ben Roethlisberger played a role in the Steelers landing Eric Ebron

The Pittsburgh Steelers 2019 season is officially over. After finishing the year 8-8, the Steelers, and their vast fan base, has another long offseason awaiting them. Just because the games are done doesn’t mean we stop providing you with features, commentary and opinions to tide you over throughout the offseason!

Today in the black-and-gold links article we take a look at how Ben Roethlisberger played a big role in the Steelers landing Eric Ebron in Free Agency.

Let’s get to the news:

• The Steelers got a playmaker in tight end Eric Ebron, and Ben Roethlisberger is one of the reasons why.

Ben Roethlisberger influenced Eric Ebron’s decision to sign with Steelers

By: Joe Rutter, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Eric Ebron was attending a Christian-based conference in January when he learned that Ben Roethlisberger would be one of the speakers.

Ebron always wanted to meet the Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback. Before he could approach Roethlisberger, he was beaten to the punch. In their conversation, the 6-foot-4, 253-pound tight end mentioned to Roethlisberger that he was going to be a free agent.

Two months later, Ebron signed with the Steelers and, if all goes according to plan, he will spend the next two seasons catching passes from the 16-year veteran quarterback.

Coincidence?

“Maybe he pulled a string or two,” Ebron said, laughing. “Who knows?”

To read the full article, click HERE (Free)

• Chris Wormley coming to the Steelers “as advertised”.

Chris Wormley is coming to Steelers from Ravens exactly as advertised

By: Tim Benz, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Since NFL free agency started, we’ve tried to drill down for a little extra insight on each of the new players.

• We learned Stefen Wisniewski may have been an even more positive on-field addition to the Kansas City Chiefs’ Super Bowl run than originally thought.

• Based on his time in Indianapolis and Detroit, we learned that Eric Ebron’s off-field attitude may be more of a challenge than what the Steelers may have estimated.

• And we’ve learned that new fullback Derek Watt may already be planting a seed to get his oldest brother J.J. to join him and T.J. in Pittsburgh someday after he leaves Houston.

When it came to new defensive lineman Chris Wormley, I turned to Jeremy Conn of 105.7 The Fan in Baltimore for Thursday’s podcast. He covers the Ravens and hosts a show in Maryland. I’ve spoken with Jeremy on the air many times, and, in this podcast, I was trying to mine for some sort of extra nugget about Wormley.

To read the full article, click HERE (Free)

• The Steelers’ current defense deserves some respect.

Labriola on this defense deserves respect, too

By: Bob Labriola, Steelers.com

Ready or not, here it comes:

• Which NFL team employs the best defense?

• Based on what I have been hearing from the talking heads on cable and reading from the “analysts” on the websites that serve as extensions of the bloviators on television, the conventional wisdom would be that it’s the Baltimore Ravens. It’s the easy, simple answer, even if it’s largely based on reputation and the recent hype generated by the Ravens’ trade for a soon-to-be 34-year-old defensive end whose production has gone from 14.5 sacks in 2017 to 10.5 in 2018 to 6.5 in 2019.

• Not to let facts get in the way.

• Speaking of facts, now seems to be the appropriate time to acknowledge that I work for the Pittsburgh Steelers and wrote this for Steelers.com, and having people then conclude that everything coming out of my mouth or springing from my fingertips is therefore slanted in the team’s favor is nothing new. Even though the list of former players and coaches who would enjoy skinning me alive and mounting my pelt on their ego wall is as long as some of those runs Tennessee’s Derrick Henry ripped off during that AFC Divisional Round Game in Baltimore last January, but I digress.

• If you still haven’t been able to follow the bread crumbs to arrive at the point of this piece, well, it’s that I’m not completely certain the Ravens even have the best defense in the AFC North.

To read the full article, click HERE (Free)

• BTSC articles you may have missed...

Grading the Steelers’ retention of their free agents

A look at Derek Watt, and what he brings to the offense

The Steelers met with a Clemson guard at their pro day

At least NFL owners are trying to pass crazy rules this year

• Social Media Madness