Mitchell Trubisky to Pittsburgh | Low risk and possible smokescreen

Technically, it is not until 4 p.m. this Wednesday, when the new year officially begins in the NFL, that teams will be able to announce the agreements they have reached with players from other teams. But the agreements reported have been numerous since the famous negotiation window opened on Monday.

Miguel Bujold
The Press

As of this writing, two of the top quarterbacks who could switch teams have already found new homes. Teddy Bridgewater has signed a one-year contract with the Miami Dolphins, where he will compete against Tua Tagovailoa.

But it was the other agreement that made people talk. As they prepare to play their first season since 2003 without Ben Roethlisberger, the Pittsburgh Steelers have signed Mitchell Trubisky to a two-year contract worth approximately $14 million ($7 million per season). second overall in the 2017 draft by the Chicago Bears.

Rather than sacrificing several draft picks, players and a small fortune in order to get a star quarterback like Russell Wilson or Deshaun Watson, the Steelers opted for a low-risk bet that makes sense for several reasons.

First, Trubisky wasn’t the No. 2 prospect picked five years ago for nothing. He has some talent. Not as much as the Bears thought, sure, but definitely enough to be a decent starting quarterback in the NFL. He had played very little at the University of North Carolina, so his early pro career wasn’t too bad (64.1% pass completion, 64 touchdowns, 38 interceptions and 87). Crucially, Trubisky has won 29 of his 50 NFL starts, even though the Bears were far from a great powerhouse.

Then, without being an athlete as accomplished as Lamar Jackson or Josh Allen, Trubisky is a mobile quarterback, which should fit well into the system of play that the offensive coordinator of the Steelers, Matt Canada, wishes to implement. More than Roethlisberger last season, anyway…

In addition, because Trubisky will receive a very modest salary for a starting quarterback, the Steelers have already been able to conclude agreements with three players to reinforce an offensive line which snatched a lot last season, including guard James Daniels, who would have signed a contract of nearly 27 million for three years, Tuesday.

Finally, the fourth reason hiring Trubisky makes sense, and perhaps the most important, is that it won’t stop the Steelers from drafting a quarterback with their first-round pick this month. next. Whether it’s Malik Willis, Kenny Pickett, Matt Corral or Desmond Ridder. They are not tied to Trubisky in the long term and the financial implications would not be a deterrent.

We’ll see next fall if Trubisky does better in Pittsburgh than in Chicago, but the Steelers took a calculated risk. Even more so if he serves as a smokescreen to improve their chances of getting their hands on a young quarterback in April.

Kevin Colbert will retire after more than two decades as Steelers general manager after the draft. And according to reports, Colbert wants to find the team’s next quarterback before leaving the organization, as Ozzie Newsome did with Lamar Jackson at the Baltimore Ravens.

Watson coveted

On Monday, Deshaun Watson spoke with the Carolina Panthers and New Orleans Saints, two teams that would like to complete a trade with the Houston Texans in order to obtain him. Watson still faces 22 civil sexual charges but will not face criminal charges, it was learned last Friday.

Watson’s problems off the field clearly haven’t deterred some teams from signing the 26-year-old quarterback as the Cleveland Browns reportedly talked to him on Tuesday. If the Browns managed to complete a trade with the Texans, it is presumed that Baker Mayfield would then be traded as well. We doubt the Texans would accept Mayfield as part of the deal, as they seem fully invested in second-year quarterback Davis Mills.

Rumors also started swirling about the Atlanta Falcons on Tuesday, who said Matt Ryan was still their man at quarterback not too long ago. Note that the Falcons, Panthers and Saints, three of the four teams that would be interested in Watson, are part of the same division as Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Two additions for the Bucs offense

Speaking of the Buccaneers, they acquired two offensive players on Tuesday. They reportedly signed a three-year pact worth $30 million with formerly Falcons receiver Russell Gage. Gage will join a group of wide wingers who can also count on Michael Evans and Chris Godwin, named franchise player by the team last week.

The Bucs also got top guard Shaq Mason from the New England Patriots for a fifth-round pick. Mason will replace Alex Cappa, who is about to sign a contract with the Cincinnati Bengals. Note also that the Bucs agreed with their center Ryan Jensen on a new three-year contract worth 39 million in the hours following the announcement of the return of Brady.

(relatively) reasonable prices

Normally, the contracts offered to the best cornerbacks available on the free agent market are among the most raised in eyebrows. Let’s face it, the star cornerbacks have obtained very good contracts since the beginning of the week, but one would have expected them to collect even more money.

Considered the best cornerback available, JC Jackson was handed a five-year, $82.5 million contract by the Los Angeles Chargers. This is an annual average of 16.5 million, while the former New England Patriots was looking for a contract comparable to that of Jalen Ramsey (20 million per year).

Carlton Davis and Charvarius Ward, two of the other top players at that position who were free to negotiate with teams of their choice, will receive annual salaries of $15 million and $14 million respectively. Davis will stay with the Buccaneers, while Ward left the Kansas City Chiefs to join the San Francisco 49ers.