The NFL dropped the hammer on Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger by suspending him six games. The move comes as a result of an alleged sexual assault that took place in a nightclub.

Amid the report of the suspension is a report that states the Steelers attempted to trade Roethlisberger to St. Louis. The Rams declined, suggesting Sam Bradford will indeed be the top pick in the draft.

But what is perhaps most telling of the Rams decision is the fact a struggling franchise dodged a Pro Bowl quarterback in favor of someone either average, if the team sticks with Mark Bulger or signs a free agent, or unproven, in the case of Bradford or another rookie quarterback.

One potential suitor may be the Raiders, who were rumored to be front in line for Donovan McNabb before he was traded to Washington. The Raiders have few options at quarterback, and JaMarcus Russell is dreadful. Nabbing a player with a history of immaturity wouldn’t be out of character for Al Davis. Furthermore, Roethlisberger represents what Davis loves: a big, physical quarterback who can throw the deep ball.

It’s a perfect match, and it may be Pittsburgh’s only option.

Aside from Buffalo, that is. Unless the Bills want to spin their wheels in mediocrity for another 16 games (or relocate to Canada in the near future), trading for Roethlisberger is a good bet. He brings baggage, but he also wears two Super Bowl rings.

Sources: ESPN (video) and NFL.com

Over the past few days, the Bengals have been tied by rumors to two of the most controversial wide receivers of the decade: Terrell Owens and Brandon Marshall. (If only there was a news report suggesting interest in Randy Moss…)

Chad Ochocinco (another player in the aforementioned group) has lobbied for the Bengals to get Terrell Owens, and now it looks like a legitimate possibility. According to Drew Rosenhaus, who represents both Ochocinco and T.O., the Bengals are a very potential suitor for Terrell Owens.

“Right now, I would say that everyone knows that the Cincinnati Bengals have expressed some interest in Terrell, and they have spoken with him and myself,” Rosenhaus said. “Where we go from here, I’m not sure, but I think it’s at least a positive dialogue. … And we’ll just see how that plays out. But certainly that’s something that is a possibility. I guess that’s about the most I can say right now.”

But it doesn’t sound like a deal will get done for Marshall. Recent analysis over at PFT suggests the Bengals are merely trying to drive down the price on Terrell Owens (and Antonio Bryant) by feigning interest in Marshall. That makes some sense, and I’ll repeat what I’ve said in the past: at the end of the day, Brandon Marshall’s most likely home next season is Denver.

Dick Jauron was handed a pink slip today after coaching the Bills to an abysmal 3-6 start. It is the team’s worst record through 9 games since Jauron took over in 2006. Jauron coached the Bills to three consecutive 7-9 seasons prior to 2009, but Buffalo has lost 14 of their last 19 games.

His offenses consistently finished in or near the bottom third of the NFL in scoring. This season the offense was joined by the defense, currently ranking 28th in points scored and 22nd in points allowed.

Side Note

Running back Fred Jackson, who currently has 693 yards from scrimmage, has been the sole bright spot in a season murkied by the addition of Terrell Owens. Combined, Owens and Jackson have just three touchdowns. Fun fact: Owens has more rushing touchdowns (1) than Jackson, who, like most of the offense, has yet to find the endzone on the ground.