Did the Steelers have a good draft?
Probably not.
In the first round, they got outmaneuvered for the player they wanted.
There were six first-round caliber wideouts in the draft. The Steelers settled for one below that line.
They took a return specialist in the fourth round. Way too early.
They made a showbiz pick in the seventh round. Local guy who played for Navy. Nothing wrong with that, but it reeked of camouflage for a bad draft.
The Steelers’ draft seemed haphazard. Like getting gazumped for Makai Lemon rattled them and they never recovered. They did a lot of reaching.
The selection of Penn State quarterback Drew Allar in the third round will be the talk of the town for months.
Allar is hated by disgruntled Pitt marks who haven’t gotten over their golden boy going splat. Allar has far more potential than Kenny Pickett. (As it happened, that’s not saying much.)
Then there’s the Allar vs. Will Howard debate.
It’s not much of a debate: It’s third-round pick vs. sixth-round pick. It’s measurables vs. intangibles. Howard gets cut, if it comes to that.
It doesn’t have to.
Drafting Allar enables the Steelers to do something they should have done a long time ago: Tell Aaron Rodgers to get lost.
It’s cliched to keep saying how ridiculous and embarrassing this endless wait is, especially for a second straight year. It makes the logo look weak and sets back the preparation process.
That’s true even if the Steelers know Rodgers will return.
How can, say, third-year wideout Roman Wilson get on the same page with Rodgers if Rodgers shows up as late as possible? If Rodgers skips OTAs, etc.? Rodgers is hurting Wilson’s career.
What about incoming rookie receiver Germie Bernard?
No worries: Just bring back Marquez Valdes-Scantling or some other Rodgers crony.
Sit the young guys. The Steelers are an old man’s team.
A better plan is to tell Rodgers thanks, but no thanks. (I’d use stronger verbiage.)
Start the season with Mason Rudolph at QB1.
Allar and Howard compete for the backup spot. Transition whoever looks best at training camp and in practice to starting duty whenever the time seems right. It doesn’t even have to be this season, especially if Rudolph plays OK.
You have the personnel to move past Rodgers.
There’s no good reason not to.
How far can the Steelers go with Rodgers?
He was no better than mediocre last season. He’s not one of the NFL’s top 20 quarterbacks. Another year older won’t make Rodgers better, or braver. Last season saw him chicken out of every play when he felt even remotely threatened by taking a hit.
Rodgers didn’t win a playoff game. In fact, the Steelers got routed by Houston in the wild-card round and Rodgers added an exclamation point at game’s end by throwing a pick-six.
Get your long-term quarterback plan in motion. Now.
If the Steelers go 4-13, that’s fine. Draft your long-term QB next year.
But maybe the answer can be found in Allar or Howard.
You make no progress on finding that out if Rodgers comes back.
McCarthy is supposed to be the quarterback guru. But Rodgers doesn’t need that. He likely doesn’t even listen much.
With Rodgers out of the way, McCarthy can invest his wisdom in Allar and Howard.
Maybe they fail.
Maybe McCarthy fails.
But Rodgers can’t succeed enough.
What’s his ceiling, a playoff win?
OK, then what happens next year? What progress have the Steelers made at quarterback?
Drafting Allar makes bringing Rodgers back downright idiotic.
The Steelers won’t cut Allar.
If Rodgers returns, they either have to cut Howard after McCarthy bleated praise about his potential. Or trade/cut Rudolph and go into the season with a 42-year-old starter and two backups who have never taken an NFL snap.
Drafting Allar enables the Steelers to do the right thing.
Or, more likely, get even stupider.