1. He's a sworn enemy on and off the field.
2. He has off the field issues.
3. Because of 2, he is suspended for the first 6 games.
Guess What. I don't care. Before I even get started, let me dispell these excuses (because you know what they say about excuses).
1a. If 20 years ago Jon Elway said "I feel sorry for the Browns franchise, if it weren't for me they may have won a Super Bowl by now." Would you say "sorry we really like Brian Sipe?" If after the shot Jordan said "I got lucky on the shot, I have a better chance of becoming a superstar playing alongside Price and Daugherty than Pippen. I'm sure you'd say "no no please stay away, we like losing to you all the time. Imagine Roethlisberger being flipped with Phillip Rivers in 2004. We wouldn't even be making this excuse. The simple fact that he once wore Black and Yellow is not means for not having him on your team.
2. Roethlisberger's motorcycle accident in 2006 was not an off-field issue, people get in accidents. He got hit, albeit he should have had a helmet on, but he wasn't doing wheelies in a parking lot. Roethlisberger's off field issue have come since 2007. Mike Tomlin was hired to replace Bill Cowher in Pittsburgh in 2007. Maybe this is a coincidence, but I think not. Anyone who thinks Cowher and Tomlin run the same type of NFL Team doesn't know football. Different coaching styles, different demeanors. To me there is a reason Big Ben's issue off the field have been in the post-Cowher area. I'm not calling Tomlin soft, but personally I'd rather have Tomlin tell me off than Cowher. Mangini is a character guy, he may not be as mean as Cowher but he's more like Cowher than Tomlin. Not to mention Holmgren wouldn't allow it either.
3. The Browns are not going to contend this year. So does the fact that Roethlisberger will have to sit the first 6 games (maybe only 4 depending on how well he cooperates) really matter. Of course not.
Excuses dispelled, now onto the good stuff.
The draft is about getting better right? Bradford, Clausen, Tebow, LeFevour, Dan Whalen are not names of guys who have won Super Bowls, not names of guys who have gone to pro-bowls. Anytime you can get a proven NFL QB your team is going to get better. Look at Washington, look at Minnesota. 1st Round QBs make ridiculous amounts of money. Roethlisberger will make less money than Bradford, he will probably make less money than Clausen (if Clausen goes Top 10). His contract is actually attractive, despite the fact we just paid tons of money for Delhomme.
As I write, ESPN sources report that the Steelers would be willing to trade him for a Top 10 pick. Meanwhile the Pittsburgh Beat Writer is saying they aren't (of course he is, journalistic nightmare for him right now).
I do not want the Browns taking a QB in the draft, but if they trade for Roethlisberger they aren't really taking him in the draft. Say they flip the 7th pick and one of their 3rd for Roethlisberger and 18 (the Steelers first pick). Obviously Eric Berry is gone. But Earl Thomas and Taylor Mays are both likely still there. There is no guarantee that Berry would even be there at 7. Let's weigh this... Proven Top 10 NFL Starting QB and the second or third best free safety in the draft or the best safety in the draft. Hmm? A couple years ago Taylor Mays was being compared to Troy Polamalu he was a Top 10 pick before returning to school. Some draftniks are saying Thomas might be better than Berry. So if those three guys all end up having similar careers. How can you argue against getting a 28 year old 2x Super Bowl Winning Quarterback in his prime versus grabbing Tony Pike in the 3rd round?
You get Roethlisberger with a trade, Delhomme starts until he comes back. Then you have two NFL QBs in stead of two guys who might one day be NFL QBs.
Holmgren and Mangini can turn him around, he will come out of his suspension a better man, and with a renewed spirit. If you don't want him on your team because he played a couple hours East of here, you really don't want the Browns to get better.
Last time the Browns had a shot at Roethlisberger they took Kellen Winslow. Huge character guy in that pick right? In 2010 they have a chance to fix it. Do it!
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