Mar 2, 2017 4 min read

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I had pending free agent quarterback Mike Glennon of Tampa Bay on my wish list for the Steelers heading into next week, but you can scratch that.

I spoke with Roy Cummings, a longtime Tampa Bay beat reporter, today on ESPN Pittsburgh and he said the Bucs have offered Glennon a deal for $8 million per season to return as the backup to Jameis Winston.

Now, it’s possible that Glennon would not want to return to Tampa because Winston is younger than him and was the top pick in the draft a couple of years ago. He’s not going anywhere.

But of this year’s free agent QB class, Glennon, to me, offers the most upside. He’s still just 27 and has enough seasoning to be ready to be a full-time starter at some point.

To me, Glennon would have been a good backup to Ben Roethlisberger and could have eventually taken over for Roethlisberger when he retires while still being young enough to give your four or five good years.

If Tampa is offering $8 million per year – and the Jets and Bears are interested in him as their starter – he’s not coming to Pittsburgh.

We also had Tony Grossi of ESPN Cleveland on the show on Wednesday and he said there’s a possibility the Browns could be interested in bringing Brian Hoyer back as their starter.

That would take another potential Steelers backup off the market.

The Steelers, by the way, still like Landry Jones as their backup.

@ Belle Vernon High School graduate Dorian Johnson had a big day at the NFL Combine on Wednesday as he checked in a little heavier than expected.

The 6-5 Johnson weighed 300 pounds on the nose, which was good news for a guy who was listed in the low 290s while playing at Pitt.

Why is that important?

Johnson obviously is athletic. But at 6-5, he’s a little longer than you might like, especially if he’s coming in at well under 300 pounds.

Teams would be concerned if he could anchor on the line at that weight.

Now, eight or 10 pounds honestly doesn’t make that much difference in reality, but it does in terms of perception.

I’ve been told that some teams were looking at Johnson possibly as a center because they felt he was too light to play guard.

@ Pitt’s James Conner came in at 6-1, 233 pounds, which was good for him.

Le’Veon Bell, like Conner, played in college at 240-plus pounds. But when it came time for the combine, Bell trimmed down to 230 pounds.

It improved his agility and speed and he wound up playing at that weight as a rookie for the Steelers.

Bell has since continued to trim down to the 220-pound range and has blossomed into being perhaps the NFL’s best running back.

This is not to suggest that Conner is going to follow in Bell’s footsteps as a player, but he does have some similar skills.

He catches the ball well and has a devastating stiff arm.

Teams will be concerned about Conner’s cancer returning, but we did just see the Kansas City Chiefs give safety Eric Berry a 6-year, $78-million contract despite Berry missing most of the season in 2014 while being treated for Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

@ The James Harrison deal, two years at $3.5 million, is a bargain to be sure.

But it also shows that the Steelers, again, aren’t looking at Harrison as a starter.

Ideally, the Steelers would like Harrison to split time at outside linebacker in 2017, whether that be with a rookie – the first choice – or a mid-level veteran free agent.