The Pittsburgh Steelers have signed veteran journeyman QB and Pittsburgh native Bruce Gradkowski to a three-year contract. This is an excellent move for a number of reasons. First, obviously, is the fact that Byron Leftwich is being held together with staples and chewing gum and simply can't be counted on to step in and perform anymore. With grandpa Batch as the only other backup, someone younger and healthier was just going to be a necessity. Gradkowski doesn't have any outstanding consistent health problems and he's only 30 years old. He's a fine quarterback when called upon, as Steeler fans would know from playing against him apparently every season.
I've been beating the drum recently to spend a mid-round pick on a quarterback in this year's draft, as the QB class isn't great in terms of franchise guys but a lot of them could turn out to be serviceable NFL players. That said, I've got no problem with having a veteran backup. Gradkowski's signing also frees up one of those mid-round picks to fill other holes on the team like safety or wide receiver.
I'm guessing there were two major factors that led to this signing: First, that the Steelers wanted to save their draft picks for depth at other positions instead of gambling on a project backup. Second, Gradkowski is from Pittsburgh and perhaps his financial considerations softened a bit for the chance to play in his hometown. Giving him a three year deal is no joke either. With Leftwich out the door and Batch on the very of retirement, Gradkowski becomes the primary backup while the Steelers likely get some youth on the depth chart in the next few years.
With Ben's general propensity to get injured throughout a football season, Gradkowski is going to get the opportunity to take plenty of snaps and start a handful of games. He's a trustworthy passer and has looked better than his career 6-14 records accounts for (having played on some bad teams). He won't light the league on fire but, hey, he's a backup.
Plus, he's been called "The Polish Rifle," which is awesome.
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