Pittsburgh Steelers Sign Perfect Replacement For Heath Miller In Ladarius Green

When the beloved Heath Miller elected to retire earlier in the offseason, the Pittsburgh Steelers were devastated. Miller was a fan favorite and a locker room leader who was voted team MVP by quarterback Ben Roethlisberger every season. The team was going to have a tough time replacing him, but they made a good move to take care of his on-field production by signing Ladarius Green away from the San Diego Chargers.

Green is a young tight end who was supposed to be the Chargers’ successor for Antonio Gates. He was taken with a fourth-round pick in the 2012 NFL Draft and had relatively mild success over the first four years of his career. However, because Gates never elected to retire and is still playing at a high level, Green never got a chance to be anything more than a No. 2 option. He did have some starts when Gates was injured, but he was never the team’s primary tight end.

Still, Green made the most of his opportunities on the field, and he was able make a name for himself last season. After a subpar 2014, Green was very good last season, logging 37 catches for 429 yards and four touchdowns as he developed into one of the more reliable targets for Philip Rivers. Of course, the Chargers did have a lot of receivers injured last season, but Green really stepped up and tried to make things easier on the veteran.

With the Steelers, Green is going to have a huge opportunity to develop into a top-notch tight end. The Steelers have a prolific offense and one of the league’s best quarterbacks, so Green may go under the radar on the team. He will probably be the third or fourth target behind Antonio Brown, Martavis Bryant and maybe Markus Wheaton, but he is still going to be a safety valve for Roethlisberger. He will likely log a career high in receptions if he can stay on the field and will also be a blocking upgrade over Jesse James. This may actually be Green’s biggest impact as he attempts to replace Miller.

The Green signing carries a lot of upside for the Steelers. Green is a well-rounded player with a lot of potential, and he should be a perfect fit into their strong offense. The Steelers will likely be very happy with the investment they are planning on making, especially if Green can create a strong rapport with Roethlisberger and become a leader on and off the field.