I'm not the type of football fan that likes to throw names of free agents out there for general discussion purposes. Sure, maybe it's fun for some to speculate how, for example, Nnamdi Asomugha might fit in with the Buffalo Bills. I find these discussions are often far-fetched and, ultimately, meaningless. But I'm going to break the trend today and write for a minute about Steelers reserve quarterback Dennis Dixon.
We talked last week about Buffalo's severe depth issue at quarterback. Finding a veteran backup to Ryan Fitzpatrick is mandatory. Dixon is just 26 years old, has shown some "it" factor in brief appearances with the Steelers, and has ties to Bills Assistant GM and Director of Player Personnel Doug Whaley, who was with Pittsburgh when Dixon was drafted. He makes a logical candidate to back up Fitzpatrick, and could offer more.
Working against the idea: Dixon will be a restricted free agent under any new labor deal, and a team that signs him will need to send a fifth-round pick back to the Steelers. There's also the fact that Dixon has a history of knee issues, with the most recent one robbing him of an opportunity to start the 2010 season in place of the then-suspended Ben Roethlisberger. Still, you have to imagine that Dixon is a player on Buffalo's radar. Would anyone be averse to the idea of sacrificing a pick to get him? (Other than perhaps Buddy Nix, that is?)