Pittsburgh Steelers Quarterback Worries Can Be Solved from Within

Much has been made of the Steelers' need to acquire another quarterback in case Ben Roethlisberger's legal woes keep him from the field this season.

While I won't comment on Roethlisberger's legal situation as I believe it is not news until it damages the team on the field, I will comment on the team's quarterback situation.

Spending money to acquire Marc Bulger, the name most often connected to Pittsburgh, would be a mistake.

Bulger is several years removed from an effective season as a starter, spending a great portion of his time injured the last few seasons. While Bulger was not solely responsible for the recent woes of the St. Louis franchise, he certainly hasn't helped matters.

The Steelers already have an injury-prone former starter on the roster in Charlie Batch. The best the Steelers could hope for from Bulger would be what they get from Batch, steady play over short spurts with the understanding that neither can play effectively over a long period.

Bulger isn't mobile, a fact proven by his battering behind a weak offensive line with the Rams. The line isn't likely going to be phenomenally better in Pittsburgh, so anyone asked to step in for Roethlisberger will have to have the ability to get away from the pocket.

Enter Dennis Dixon.

Dixon played well, sans an overtime interception that lost the game for Pittsburgh, in his only starting action against the Baltimore Ravens last year.

Dixon has the tools the Steelers need: strong arm, quick feet, poise, accuracy on the move.

If anyone gets a chance to replace Roethlisberger, it should be Dixon. He's earned that much. People forget that, if not for tearing up his knee in his senior season, he would likely have been a high draft pick. That the Steelers got a now-healthy Dixon in the fifth round could end up being a steal.

Is he Roethlisberger? No. He makes good but not great decisions with the football and does not have Ben's knack for the big play.

But he could be a good starter. He could be effective.

The trick is not to replace Roethlisberger, it is to find someone who can fill in and still run most of the offensive system effectively. That man is not someone who would come in now and have to learn the system anew.

It's also not Batch, who has shown no ability to hold up on the field. His value now is almost entirely as a coach, just as Jason Garrett was in his final years on active rosters.

That man is Dixon, who not only has earned a shot with a good, steady game against a tough Ravens' defense, but is the most sane choice among several alternatives.