Art Rooney II Says It’s Too Early For Steelers To Plan For Life After Ben Roethlisberger

[polamalubeast]

http://www.steelersdepot.com/2016/01...oethlisberger/

[tube517]

[steelreserve]

What's the best case if we drafted a QB now? He leaves in free agency at the end of his rookie contract? You can start planning as early as you want, but if the timing's not there, then it's a shit plan.

[hawaiiansteeler]

What's the best case if we drafted a QB now? He leaves in free agency at the end of his rookie contract? You can start planning as early as you want, but if the timing's not there, then it's a shit plan.

and that's why drafting Landry Jones was such a genius plan.

he's so shitty no other team will want him at the end of his rookie contract...

[fansince'76]

The last QB the Steelers took in the first round before Ben? Mark Malone.

Couldn't find a pic or gif that showed the "grinning idiot" trotting off the field yucking it up after throwing yet another pick, but there is this...

"But I haven't played terribly. I haven't done anything to lose us ballgames single-handedly. I haven't thrown a lot of interceptions or anything like that." (HA!) "I haven't been on the top of my game, but...

...No matter who plays quarterback on this team, he's going to be replacing one of the best who ever played the game (Terry Bradshaw). Yet, I can remember times in his prime when he was booed out of the stadium. People called the talk shows and said he needed to go to the eye doctor, that he needed glasses, that he was throwing to the wrong jerseys. But now that he's gone, people only remember the good things."

https://news.google.com/newspapers?n...,4528362&hl=en

Sorry, Mr. Malone, but all I remember of you is how badly you sucked and how happy I was when the Steelers finally unloaded your worthless ass to the Chargers. I still seethe over the fact that Noll publicly cited you as the reason we didn't take Marino in '83, because "we already had a QB."

I personally am DREADING the day Roethlisberger either hangs it up or otherwise becomes ineffective. And considering the way the league is going in general, that's probably when I'm gonna stop paying attention altogether...

[SteelersProfessor]

Malone was right. That fan base hated Bradshaw from the time he showed up until the time he left.

Only when the SB's stopped coming in the 1980's did people realize how well they had it with him.

Ben's headed down the same path. He actually gets it WORSE than Bradshaw ever did.

[fansince'76]

[86WARD]

No he doesn't...lol.

[tube517]

The last QB the Steelers took in the first round before Ben? Mark Malone.

Couldn't find a pic or gif that showed the "grinning idiot" trotting off the field yucking it up after throwing yet another pick, but there is this...



https://news.google.com/newspapers?n...,4528362&hl=en

Sorry, Mr. Malone, but all I remember of you is how badly you sucked and how happy I was when the Steelers finally unloaded your worthless ass to the Chargers. I still seethe over the fact that Noll publicly cited you as the reason we didn't take Marino in '83, because "we already had a QB."

I personally am DREADING the day Roethlisberger either hangs it up or otherwise becomes ineffective. And considering the way the league is going in general, that's probably when I'm gonna stop paying attention altogether...

Rumor was a 2nd round pick and Stoudt for #27 pick of the Dolphins was a suggestion to Noll, but it was suggested to Dan Rooney by John Clayton (BSPN and former Steelers beat writer). Noll was interested but when he found out it was suggested by a reporter he said no. I had never hear of this until now.

Yes, it's woulda coulda shoulda but interesting.

http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/s...s/200711040190

[SteelersProfessor]

Yeah he does. Social media and the internet is a big reason why.

[fansince'76]

Rumor was a 2nd round pick and Stoudt for #27 pick of the Dolphins was a suggestion to Noll, but it was suggested to Dan Rooney by John Clayton (BSPN and former Steelers beat writer). Noll was interested but when he found out it was suggested by a reporter he said no. I had never hear of this until now.

Yes, it's woulda coulda shoulda but interesting.

http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/s...s/200711040190

I vividly remember a TV interview with Noll shortly after Marino started to tear it up where he was asked why the Steelers didn't draft him, particularly since he was a Pittsburgh native, and the reason Noll gave is that they "already had a QB."

[SteelersProfessor]

They were spooked by the drug rumors.

Marino had a private workout for Noll at TRS and begged him to draft him.

Jim Kelly also wanted the Steelers to trade for his rights when he was still in the USFL.

[tube517]

They were spooked by the drug rumors.

Marino had a private workout for Noll at TRS and begged him to draft him.

Jim Kelly also wanted the Steelers to trade for his rights when he was still in the USFL.

Yeah, Noll was spooked by the drug rumors.

https://news.google.com/newspapers?n...,1699158&hl=en


But, Rooney still had a say and blames himself:

http://www.wtae.com/sports/Dan-Roone...arino/25838460

[SteelersProfessor]

It was Art Rooney Jr. who said they didn't need Marino and overruled Noll.

[zulater]

It was Art Rooney Jr. who said they didn't need Marino and overruled Noll.

You seem to have that story different than every other person ever associated with the Steelers had it. Care to share your source?

[steelreserve]

It was Art Rooney Jr. who said they didn't need Marino and overruled Noll.

Wasn't Art Rooney II like, 20 years old when Marino was drafted? I doubt he had much say in that.

[SteelersProfessor]

You seem to have that story different than every other person ever associated with the Steelers had it. Care to share your source?

Sporting News, 1984, which also mentioned the private workout he had for Noll at TRS. Art Jr. thought they could squeeze three more years out of Bradshaw and wanted to draft "the next Joe Greene".

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Wasn't Art Rooney II like, 20 years old when Marino was drafted? I doubt he had much say in that.

I'll just let that quote above stand on it's own merit.

Not even I will swing at that 2-0 fastball right down the pipe.

[zulater]

Sporting News, 1984, which also mentioned the private workout he had for Noll at TRS. Art Jr. thought they could squeeze three more years out of Bradshaw and wanted to draft "the next Joe Greene".

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I'll just let that quote above stand on it's own merit.

Not even I will swing at that 2-0 fastball right down the pipe.

Let's not forget the Steelers were also pretty high on Mark Malone when Marino was drafted. He was a former first round pick who hadn't been proven a bust yet. And who knows, if he hadn't tore up his knee playing wr maybe he would have turned out alright? All water under the dam now. And if it wasn't for Art Jr we end up with Robert Newhouse instead of Franco and we never draft Swann in 74. (Noll wanted to take Stallworth in the 1st round) So you take the good with the bad. And there was quite a bit of good back then.

[86WARD]

It was Art Rooney Jr. who said they didn't need Marino and overruled Noll.

You couldn't be more wrong. Jr., Haley and Nunn set up the draft board and Noll had final say. That's pretty much a well known fact. It was Noll's decision that was botched. Sure Rooney could have over ruled it and the staff liked both players but look at Noll's track record...pretty okay.

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Let's not forget the Steelers were also pretty high on Mark Malone when Marino was drafted. He was a former first round pick who hadn't been proven a bust yet. And who knows, if he hadn't tore up his knee playing wr maybe he would have turned out alright? All water under the dam now. And if it wasn't for Art Jr we end up with Robert Newhouse instead of Franco and we never draft Swann in 74. (Noll wanted to take Stallworth in the 1st round) So you take the good with the bad. And there was quite a bit of good back then.

Thing about that draft, in hindsight, they probably could've drafted Marino, traded Malone or Stoudt for a second round pick and gotten Rivera there.

[zulater]

Bradshaw tore up his elbow pretty badly in the 83 season, I really doubt Art Jr or anyone else in the organization thought Brad had even 1 year left let let alone 3 when the 84 draft took place.

[SteelersProfessor]

Um, well, um, Marino was drafted in 1983.

[zulater]

You couldn't be more wrong. Jr., Haley and Nunn set up the draft board and Noll had final say. That's pretty much a well known fact. It was Noll's decision that was botched. Sure Rooney could have over ruled it and the staff liked both players but look at Noll's track record...pretty okay.

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Thing about that draft, in hindsight, they probably could've drafted Marino, traded Malone or Stoudt for a second round pick and gotten Rivera there.

Stoudt had already signed with the USFL by that time I believe, and even if he hadn't he looked so bad when he finally got a chance to play in 83 that he wouldn't have brought anything back in a trade.

Personally I think Noll bought into the rumors that Marino's awful senior season was due to cocaine use. No one quite yet realized just how bad a head coach Foge Fazio was.

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Um, well, um, Marino was drafted in 1983.

OH yeah that's right.

Regardless if Noll had really wanted Marino I'm fairly certain he would have been a Steeler.

[86WARD]

Stoudt had already signed with the USFL by that time I believe, and even if he hadn't he looked so bad when he finally got a chance to play in 83 that he wouldn't have brought anything back in a trade.

Personally I think Noll bought into the rumors that Marino's awful senior season was due to cocaine use. No one quite yet realized just how bad a head coach Foge Fazio was.

Stoudt was on that 1983 roster. He threw for 2500+ yards. He was kinda like a Kirk Cousins type guy (while RGIII was starter) in that he appeared to be a nice prospect but didn't have a lot of game tape to back it up.

[zulater]

In the end as is usually the case with most things there wasn't any one reason the Steelers didn't draft Marino, it was likely the combination of everything that's been mentioned. Maybe they thought Bradshaw had a few good years left, and as well as he played in 82 that wouldn't be unreasonable presumption at the time. Stoudt always looked good in the preseason, he certainly had a big enough arm, and Malone was an unproven commodity that they had invested a first round pick in 80. And the drug rumors were certainly there with Marino, fair or not. And Gabe Rivera probably would have been a good player if he hadn't gone and wrecked his career away while drinking and driving.

I certainly wouldn't anoint any one the villain over that long ago missed opportunity.

[86WARD]

In the end as is usually the case with most things there wasn't any one reason the Steelers didn't draft Marino, it was likely the combination of everything that's been mentioned. Maybe they thought Bradshaw had a few good years left, and as well as he played in 82 that wouldn't be unreasonable presumption at the time. Stoudt always looked good in the preseason, he certainly had a big enough arm, and Malone was an unproven commodity that they had invested a first round pick in 80. And the drug rumors were certainly there with Marino, fair or not. And Gabe Rivera probably would have been a good player if he hadn't gone and wrecked his career away while drinking and driving.

I certainly wouldn't anoint any one the villain over that long ago missed opportunity.

I'd agree with that.

[Mojouw]

Hey. Remember the Steelers eventually got their man from the infamous '83 QB class: