Levi Brown, former Nittany Lion second team All-America offensive tackle, is coming back to Pennsylvania. The former Arizona Cardinal has been traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers, who are desperately in need of protection for Big Ben Roethlisberger. The Steelers offensive line flat-out sucks this year, suffering a major blow when All-Pro center Maurkice Pouncey was lost for the season due to a Game One injury. Both the running and passing games have tanked because of the O-line’s ineptitude.
Behind a porous offensive line, Big Ben has been a juicy target for opposing pass rushers.
Brown brings with him an expiring contract with $3.6 million due to him; however, the Steelers are only $1.9 million under the NFL salary cap. Some creative restructuring will be necessary.
Levi has been with the Cardinals for seven years, but according to head coach Bruce Arians, he has underperformed. That he has fallen out of favor in Arizona is obvious, as the Steelers had to give up only a conditional late-round draft pick. That means the Cards were anxious to dump the big contract and move on. That puts Brown one step from the NFL bone yard.
I think a better move would have been to trade Todd Haley for Bruce Arians. Just sayin’.
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jd says
while you are at it get poz up there.
i hate that he has to keep languishing on crappy defenses.
The Nittany Turkey says
I’d love to see Poz up there. Connor, too, if he wasn’t hurt. I forgive him for Phonegate.
Alums around here were happy that he wound up in Jax, so they could drive a couple hours to see him. I cringed at the notion that he’d be playing on such a crappy team.
He does deserve better.
—TNT
jd says
also, mcgloin to backup this weekend!!!
http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/9760593/terrelle-pryor-oakland-raiders-start-matt-flynn-now-3rd-string
The Nittany Turkey says
Cool! I’ll point all six of my readers at that article just in case they missed it in this comment thread.
Thanks, Drozz.
—TNT
Joe says
It’s going to take more than Levi to cure what ails the Steelers. How about a new OC, a running back, maybe a couple of wideouts that can get open and yes perhaps a few more offensive linemen that can actually pass protect and open up running lanes.
Is it my imagination that Big Ben has become simply pedestrian since he gave up his “wild & crazy guy” lifestyle, got married and had a kid? Not that that’s a bad thing, but just sayin’!
The Nittany Turkey says
A lot of it, in this turkey’s humble opinion, traces back to the shitty relationship between Roethlisberger and Haley. Big Ben has usually had disagreements with offensive coordinators, but Haley takes it to a new level. He’s still a prima donna and I don’t think settling down into a traditional lifestyle has changed him on the field. Instead, I think he’s been throttled back, with running plays calling his number curtailed. It’s led to a crappy attitude not only with Ben but also with the rest of the offense.
Of course, when you have a porous offensive line, calling Ben’s number on a run is quarterbackicide. No, Levi isn’t going to help much. He was never a great pass blocker and his run blocking has diminished over the years. Everybody gets old. The Steelers are so desperate for linemen — and this is the culmination of three years of attrition — that they’ll pick up a guy’s huge contract as he enters the twilight of his career. Flailing like this isn’t very Steelerlike.
Get Dan Rooney’s ass off the Emerald Isle and do some ass-kicking in da Burgh! The player personnel operation needs an overhaul, and at least one primo assistant coach has to go.
—TNT