Pittsburgh Steelers: Ben Roethlisberger Denies He's Lobbying for a New Tight End
Looks like Ben Roethlisberger didn't really ask the Pittsburgh Steelers to select a tight end in the draft.
NFL.com's Aditi Kinkhabwala recently said Roethlisberger was "lobbying" for a new tight end, but the veteran quarterback told ProFootballTalk that wasn't true.
"The report of me lobbying to draft a tight end or pass catcher is wrong. Coaches and teammates know I love the guys we have and always believe we can win. I trust the organization to do their best selecting players to help us, and and every year they tell me generally the positions they are exploring, but I have not lobbied or demanded we add a tight end or pass catcher or any other position through the draft or free agency," Roethlisberger said in a statement.
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Roethlisberger might have given Jesse James and LaDarius Green his seal of approval, but the Steelers could use an upgrade at the position. Those two didn't really get the job done last season and the Steelers could probably find a suitable replacement in this year's draft.
The top two tight ends in the draft, Alabama's O.J. Howard and Miami's David Njoku, should be off the board already by the time the Steelers are on the clock to select their pick. They have other options, but they don't really have to use a high pick to get one.
Interestingly, WTVR's Lane Casadonte has reported that the Steelers have sent a contingent of scouts to check out Mo Alie-Cox's workout at the Sports Reality Performance Training Facility in Mechanicsville, Virginia.
Alie-Cox is actually a basketball player from Virginia Commonwealth and he has not played organized football since the ninth grade. However, he believes he can make it in the National Football League (NFL) as a tight end. Several NFL teams have shown interest in him as well and the Steelers should also take a closer look.
