The Steelers on Tuesday signed center Doug Legursky to help improve their depth on the interior offensive line following Maurkice Pouncey's injury.
Legursky, of course, began his career with the Steelers but has played the past two seasons with Buffalo and San Diego.
He was currently without a team.
Also today, ESPN is reporting the Steelers are bringing in Mike Vick for a visit.
This was basically the nuclear option at quarterback and tells me the team is worried about Bruce Gradkowski - not necessarily Landry Jones, though that can't be comforting, either.
Gradkowski missed most of training camp and a good chunk of the offseason workouts with a shoulder issue, then suffered a finger injury on his left (non-throwing) hand in his first preseason action Sunday.
And Jones isn't ready to be No. 2 at this point - or maybe ever.
The Steelers will take a look at Vick to see if he's ready to be Ben Roethlisberger's backup.
Vick has long been a favorite of Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin and is several years from his incarceration for dog fighting.
Some people will never forgive Vick for that, and that's understandable. But he hasn't been in any trouble since.
There are two huge reasons that this is disturbing. The obvious is at some point he thought it was ok to torture helpless animals for fun. That makes him a bottom feeder, period. Second, vick is one of the most inaccurate QB's I have ever seen. How would that possibly be a good signing? Would I rather have Landry at #2, no chance. He isn't an NFL QB. Must be somebody else. How in the World can Vick be one of Tomlin's favorites?!?!?! That speaks volumes about MT, and I am not a Tomlin hater (think he is "on the line -- avg"). What a total joke.
ReplyDeleteJust NO to Vick.....
ReplyDeleteHey Dale - Looking forward to your upcoming 53 projection and wanted to get your early feedback.
ReplyDeleteIn short, I don't want to lose one of our position players to hold onto a 3rd team QB. I bleed B&G just like the rest but, I know if we are down to our 3rd team QB it's time to look towards next year. With that being said, if LJones is not the future, why not put him on practice squad (if he has time left). Keeping TMurphy around also gives another arm at practice if necessary. BTW, can he return kicks....kinda like Brad Smith did with the Jets?
With my earlier statement, it maybe time to also cut the cord on DArcher. He's not going to see the field and again I don't want to lose a position player over someone who will rarely see the field. I don't care he's a 3rd round pick - we've had UDFA make the time so it all washes out.
Starting the campaign to keep guys like Chick, Darby and Wild......
Would much rather see a player-for-player trade if at all possible, similar to what they did a few years back with that LB in exchange for Felix Jones. Does Buffalo have a position need that we could meet while getting one of their QB options since they have 3?
ReplyDeleteOK, what is your alternative at backup QB than Vick? The Vick that put it on the Steelers last year didn't look washed up to me. We all know Vick's history. Some people will never forgive him for that regardless of what he does the rest of his life. Personally, I think there are still people playing in the NFL who have committed just as bad or worse crimes. He's paid his debt to society and has moved on. If he can help this team on the field, particularly for nothing more than the vet minimum, sign him.
ReplyDeleteMy goodness, do you want to see Landry Jones on the field this year if Ben goes down?
agreed with datruth, he paid his debt and moved on. zero problems of any kind since. if he's in shape and throws decently, then pick him up.
ReplyDeletenice to see legursky back.
This is why the possibility of signing Vick was the nuclear option. Gradkowski apparently needs surgery to repair his finger. They're not going into the season with Landry Jones as their No. 2. They are, at least at this point, just talking to Vick, seeing what kind of shape he's in.
ReplyDeleteHe's obviously a guy who elicits a response from pretty much everyone. But to deny that the guy is talented is silly.
They're more than likely going to keep three QBs on the final 53. That's what Colbert and Tomlin believe in. Can Murphy take some snaps? Yes. Is he accurate enough to give them a good look in practice other than when they're preparing for a read-option QB? No.
As for Tomlin's like of Vick and his family, he knows them. They're from the same area. They know many of the same people. You always root for the guy from your hometown.
Todd Haley nearly beat the Steelers with Tyler Palko. Landry Jones is probably better, so there's that if Jones would have to play.
ReplyDeleteIt's too bad the Steelers preferred Hubbard over Elkins last year. Had they kept Elkins on the PS, they could have spent the season developing him into a competent interior OL back up since he played both C and G. Instead they are hurrying to teach Hubbard to be a center. At least Legursky is familiar with the Steelers and Munchak should help him maximize his ability.
It really doesn't matter what anyone thinks about Vick. If the Steelers think he's the best option available to help them win, they'll sign him. I'd probably wait to see what qbs are cut before committing to him.
Did Tomlin go to Vicks home ever? If they knew the same people, there must have been knowledge about the dog fighting.
ReplyDeleteNever thought I hear the day the Rooney's would be entertaining ex cons. He's done his redemption, good, let him live in someone else's neighborhood.
Did Tomlin go to Vicks home ever? If they knew the same people, there must have been knowledge about the dog fighting.
ReplyDeleteNever thought I hear the day the Rooney's would be entertaining ex cons. He's done his redemption, good, let him live in someone else's neighborhood.
ReplyDeleteMy ex wife had a gambling addiction and I didn't know about it, my best friend is having an affair with his sister in law which now is out because of the divorce.
So, just because your know the person doesn't mean that you run inside the same circle..
What Michael Vick did was despicable. He was caught, convicted, sentenced, did his time and now, it seems, he has turned his life around and has become a better person. If he has kept himself in shape and can still run and throw (he could as of last year against the Steelers), he is a good option in the case of injury to Ben. He doesn't have to be pinpoint accurate. He will hand the ball off to Leveon Bell a lot and can prove he still has legs by hurting teams that don't respect his arm. I agree with Anonymous 11:59. Stash Landry Jones on the practice squad. He's safe there. Use the roster spot on a lineman. There will likely be a few available after cut downs.
ReplyDeleteSend the scouts to watch Carson Wentz. He should be on the Steelers' radar as Ben's eventual backup since LJ obviously won't be.
I heard Mengele didn't torture, murder, or experiment on any Jews for the rest of his post-WWII life.
ReplyDeleteThat is the dumbest out of proportion comparison I've heard so far.
DeleteThat is the dumbest out of proportion comparison I've heard so far.
DeleteVick did his time, but I still want a real QB as our backup not a running qb that can barely compelte 55% of his passes
ReplyDeleteMaybe Tim Tebow will be cut ...
ReplyDelete[throws hand grenade and runs away]
Dale, Bob Labriola mentioned today that the Steelers coaches weren't too pleased with Cam Thomas' performance against the Packers and that it's no lock that he will make the team's final 53, due to his play and his $2.5M salary this year (Steelers could save $2m by cutting him). Do you still think Thomas makes the final 53?
ReplyDeleteI still think we will see another DE picked up after final cuts (Josh Mauro, Nick Williams, Corbin Bryant?) Thoughts?
People have no sense of moral proportion. Vick did a year for abusing animals. Rice didn't do a day for beating his wife. Ben was accused of rape twice and you see women wearing his jersey. Vick hurt some ANIMALS and years later people don't think he should be allowed to play?
ReplyDeleteI dare you to come to my house and hurt my ANIMAL
ReplyDeleteI just lost sooooo much respect for my team, yes, MINE, just like so many of us feel. We feel part of it. I was ready to push Ben to the side (and I love his abilities), if he was proven guilty. They allow Tomlin to bring in this non-human, really?????
ReplyDeleteDale, I love your stuff, check every morning and I will not stop, but F me, this is BS. Venting, I am sure people will disagree. It's not looking at a dog as a human, it is looking at a human with zero morals.
Well, just shows where the Country is going, all jump on me now, just lost for words here. There is my rant, criticize as you will.
NS in ATL (yes, Atlanta for the last 15 years....)
Disgusted with the Ronneys and the Steelers. Anyone but this bum.
ReplyDeleteYou're right about that proportion thing. Love how his crimes get reduced to 'he made a mistake' or 'he hurt some ANIMALS'. He electrocuted dogs to death. He hung them to death. He beat them to death. He shot them to death. And those were just the ones that sucked at dog fighting. The rest of them, he had fight to their deaths. Over years and years and years. It wasn't just some mistake he made in the heat of the moment, like Rice snapping and punching his wife. Hurt some animals. Geez. I don't really care if he plays. I have no control over that. But I sure as shat don't want to see him in a Steeler uniform. But I do have control over whether I want to spend my time rooting for a team than hires a POS like that. That goes for Rice too. But what he did is easier to get past if you want to believe it was a one time snap mistake. What Vick did was systematically evil. To the core. I'm sure a year and a half in prison was enough to undo that nature. I would've been fine if he never saw the light of day ever again.
ReplyDeleteI'm done. Vick is an asshole human being. You will delete this post Dale, but I want you to know so that MAYBE you will speak up and be a HUMAN BEING instead of a Rooney shill and stand for something RIGHT in your life.
ReplyDeleteYou can do something Dale. You can get to Rooney. You can ask the tough questions. This is WRONG and you know it.
The Steelers no longer EXIST as long as Michael Vick is part of this franchise. I am embarrassed at being a fan. I am dismayed at Art Rooney II and what he stands for. He is a disgrace to the lineage that is Art and Dan before him to sell out like this.
What a disgrace.
Very disappointed. I think I'm getting sick of football. 15-11 scores are bad enough.
ReplyDeleteA few points:
- No one is denying Vick a second chance. That's nonsense. He's already gotten a second chance, gotten his job back, made a lot of money, etc. It's better that he's done the right things since going to prison compared to if he'd gone back to running dog fighting rings. It's not a civil rights issue. I just don't want him on the Steelers.
Again, no one is saying he "shouldn't be allowed" to play. He already has, with two teams, and someone else would have signed him in the next few weeks if the Steelers hadn't.
- I don't like the notion that Vick "made a mistake."
You could definitely argue, in theory, that James Harrison made a mistake when he lost his temper and knocked down a door, broke a phone in half, and slapped a woman in the face because of baptism. That's one time.
And there's so much drunken gray area in Roethlisberger's adventures in Georgia that it's probably not likely the worst accusations against him are true.
Vick's behavior was deliberate, calculated, and repeated. There's something wrong with him. He's pretty demented. Good for him if he's working on it, but I just don't like him on the team.
- Even with his two or so good quarters against the Steelers last year before the Jets turtled and tried to give the game back to the Steelers, he's not that good anymore, and, at 35 and scrambling all the time, has probably reached Leftwich territory as far as injury likelihood. Also not a great fit with what Haley likes, IMO.
- As far as Landry Jones goes, it's not really even about keeping three QBs anymore. It's more that, if in year three the Steelers are still terrified of him seeing the field in a real game, he should be cut.
I don't like three QBs but apparently they're sticking to it. So go get someone's castoff as a third QB who you would actually trust to play a series or two (I don't know, Flynn or somebody must be better than Landry, right? Although isn't he hurt, too? Eh. I don't know. I hate preseason.)
I'm already exhausted with 2015.
Micheal Vick did something deliberate that at the time he didnt see as wrong. He bought dogs raised them to fight and killed them. So the people that think that is wrong are the people that love dogs. There are people all over the world that go out shoot deer in the head throw them on the truck and go about thier day likes its nothing. Yet those ppl are distusting to people that love deer. Its all about culture. He realized what he was doing was wrong culturally and admitted he was wrong for it. Give the man a break. Way to Steelers great pick up.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI find it hilarious that people are so up in arms over Vick. I think what he did was terrible, but so is rape, assault, battery, and drug dealing. All things that players have either done or been convicted of. And yet people still root for them. I don't think Vick is a good signing because he's not a good player. The morality police need to just let it go. I don't hear people calling for Harrison to be cut. And by all accounts people have forgiven Ben. So I'm sure you will all be fine with Vick. And if not, feel free to sell your tickets at discount to the rest of us.
ReplyDeletePatrick, where do you live?
ReplyDeleteSeriously though, some of these comments illustrate how extremist and dangerous these animals-are-better-than-humans idiots are. I think they all need a good muzzle and shock collar.
ReplyDeleteHow do you justify harming an animal that clearly feels pain as well as it feels compassion?
ReplyDeleteIf you think the harm Vick inflicted upon animals is somehow less of a heinous act by the fact that it wasn't inflicted on a human, then maybe you are the human that needs a muzzle and a shock collar.
To be perfectly honest, I'm torn on the Vick situation. I'd prefer he not be on the Steelers, but I do believe people can change and deserve second chances. Living in Philly, there were a lot of good stories passed around about how he interacted with the public. None of that changes what he did. Anyone trying to belittle it by comparing it with Rice and/or Ben and/or any crimes against a human are not getting the point.
Patrick's a hanging judge. I see through it. A man can't make a mistake, can't change.
ReplyDeletePatrick's perfect.
Anon 530 ...
ReplyDeleteKey word there is accused.
Let's refresh, shall we?
A group of girls follow Ben and his group from bar to bar to bar all night long. The woman in question is wearing a label that says "DTF" which stands for Down To F@#&. She is drinking in a bar as a minor and goes into the bathroom with Ben. Afterwards she tells her friends who freak out and cry rape. Her friends then press details of the "rape" to the police that they 1) would be completely unaware of and 2) that the "victim" can't even remember. The "victim" then recants her story, quits school in shame and the DA is left with no witness and the physician no evidence.
In Reno a woman has sex with Ben in his hotel room. Brags about it in emails to her girlfriends even saying she hopes she's pregnant with his child. Then 12 months later decides not to press charges but sue him for some cash. You somehow believe that constitutes two counts of rape.
Therefore, while Ben was ACCUSED:
He wasn't charged.
He wasn't arrested.
He wasn't tried.
He wasn't convicted.
He wasn't fined.
And he wasn't incarcerated.
Seriously ... people really need to stop with the Michael Vick to Ben Roethlisberger comparisons already.
And yes, I do believe that the guy is (or at the very least was) a pompous jerk and an idiot for even putting himself in situations to be accused of those crimnes.
By the way, I don't recall Patrick having a cow about Ben R.'s alleged transgressions.
ReplyDeletei read where tomlin said "there's not a throw on the field he can't make" what a load of baloney. apparently they think very, very little of landry jones.
ReplyDeleteBen's alleged transgressions v. Vick's admitted harm to numerous animals.
ReplyDeleteGo get your muzzle.
Hypocrisy, thy name is Patrick.
ReplyDeleteOr is it misogynist?
Patrick, what did you have for lunch today? A slaughtered chicken? An enslaved turkey? A poor little cow, led to the butcher?
Or is your argument that she was asking for it? Or that she liked it? Oh my, women's rights set back 100 years for the sake of the Patrick's punctilios.
ReplyDeleteHello Guys,
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