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Brian Batko's Steelers chat: 02.19.24
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Brian Batko
1:00
Hello and welcome back to another Steelers chat. Sometimes I fear it’s all we have in these lean days between the end of the season and the combine. Let’s talk, shall we?
Pat from Ellwood city
1:00
Hi Brian  do you think the first 2 picks will be center and tackle
Brian Batko
1:01
Maybe. Or perhaps center and DL. Or tackle and DL. Or center and ILB. Or tackle and LB. Not necessarily in that order.
Pastor Carl
1:02
I believe Mason showed he can be a good #1 QB. He appears to have the confidence of his teammates. Why isn’t the front office or Tomlin high on him? It doesn’t make sense to me. Why are they so enamored with KP??
Brian Batko
1:04
I actually thought Mike Tomlin and Art Rooney II spoke fairly well of Mason Rudolph since the season ended. Tomlin’s actions spoke louder than anything though by sticking with him for the stretch run. Granted, it would’ve been a terrible look to do otherwise but it’s Tomlin. We know how stubborn he can be.
Steve
1:06
Hey Brian, Ray wrote a fair article and some the PGs pods have covered some draft misses over the last five years.  I think criticism is fair but the fans may be too hard on Colbert and not giving coaching enough blame.  How much say does Tomlin have on the draft?  Personally, I think we've lost a ton of quality players to free agency over the years. (The Trubisky contract was all time bad though $7M per win)
Brian Batko
1:09
When a player doesn't pan out it's always difficult to say whether it was a bad evaluation, poor development or both. Tomlin is heavily involved in the process. We do tend to focus on the misses, because the Steelers have gone seven years without winning a playoff game, but let's also give credit to Kevin Colbert (and Tomlin) for picks such as TJ Watt, Cam Heyward, Javon Hargrave, et al.
Lou
1:10
Hey Brian.  What’s your take on making Kenny QB2 and bringing Cousins as cheap as possible?   I feel that’s the best chance to “win now”. Anything else is just sticking to mediocrity.
Brian Batko
1:11
As I always say, everyone has a price. If Kirk Cousins is going to come here "as cheap as possible" - which I find to be highly unlikely - then sure, you probably owe it to yourself to do that. But let's not forget he's coming off a torn Achilles and will be 36 in August. For me, it better be pretty darn cheap.
Texan Steeler
1:11
Hey Brian, I am sure the goal of the Steelers is to win the SB. If this is the goal, do you think ARII, MT, Khan really think they can achieve this goal with KP and MR as their starting QB?
Brian Batko
1:15
To me, there's a divide between the national outlook and the local outlook right now on Steelers QBs. To folks like Peter King or whoever, it seems absurd for them to run out those two options. But to those of us closer to it, I think we understand how the Steelers traditionally operate, how patient they're willing to be and their overall philosophy. Then again, this is literally uncharted territory in the Mike Tomlin era, so that's a wild card when it comes to this QB situation.
RJT
1:16
I am of the belief that system matters. I mean Flacco looked like he was 50 with the jets but he looked like he did in his prime with the browns, so I am curious what Kenny would look like with a coordinator.  However shouldn’t cam heyward, TJ watt, Minkah, be upset the Steelers aren’t doing everything possible to upgrade QB?  Those guys aren’t getting younger and the Steelers have a good roster. Why not try to win now?
Brian Batko
1:19
None of us are getting younger, RJT. But I hear you. To my previous answer, the Steelers will stick with Kenny Pickett because above all else, they're an organization built on stability. That's one view of it. The Steelers will NOT stick with Pickett because they're becoming increasingly more aggressive when it comes to trading first-round picks, firing coaches midseason, etc. That's the other side of the coin. Obviously, we'll see.
David
1:20
Do you think Patrick Queen is a realistic target? Assuming they restructure Cam, it seems Queen would be an interesting investment of some of that cap savings given the need, the difficulty finding ILB in the draft, and his age.
Brian Batko
1:24
Patrick Queen has been so productive for such a strong defense in Baltimore that I assume he'll fetch quite a bit on the open market, probably the most of any linebacker this offseason. The Steelers either weren't able or weren't willing to spend up on Tremaine Edmunds at that spot last year, but hey, the bad luck keeps piling up for them at linebacker. He and Mike Tomlin had an interesting exchange his rookie year, one that makes me think he's either highly likely or highly unlikely to want to play here https://www.baltimorebeatdown.com/2023/10/4/23903866/patrick-queen-sha...
Steeltree
1:24
Brian thanks for the chats.  What I’ve read so far about the draft is there’s maybe a dozen or less can’t miss guys who will probably all be gone by pick 20, but there’s 70-80 really talented guys. Given that wouldn’t it bd wise to trade back out of 20, maybe even a couple of times the way the Ravens did a few years ago and accumulate multiple extra day 2 picks.
Brian Batko
1:25
I feel like that gets said every February. That and the NCAA tournament bubble is really weak this year.
Mike
1:26
Any update on Mike Sullivan’s role with the offense?
Brian Batko
1:27
Not that I know of. Sort of an odd situation that he's been replaced as QB coach but remains with the team, at least for now. I suppose these things can happen when you're an offensive staff in transition.
Steelers Nation Jersey Chapter
1:27
Brian so much hate for Kenny Pickett!  The kid was in a crappy offense as a rookie and was developed by a coordinator who was fired mid-season which is unheard of in the Steelers organization.  The first game without Canada and Kenny gets the offense over 400 yards.  Do you think the Steelers need to see if he can actually be a franchise quarterback with Smith's offense?
Brian Batko
1:30
I think that would be fair to Kenny Pickett, but we all know life isn't fair, particularly life in the NFL. My prediction is he'll have a high threshold for losing the job in a camp competition, get to start the season as QB1 and not have a very long rope as that guy.
Sherman Klump
1:31
The Steelers have to know about the lack of support from WR's regarding Pickett.  Is there a chance the Steelers are low keying the interest in Fields to drive the price down and at the last minute, make a deal for him?
Brian Batko
1:34
There's always that possibility, because when you're in a business as competitive as the NFL, why would you ever want the other 31 teams to know how you're thinking and what you plan to do? That being said, the Steelers have not been a team to hide their interest in draft prospects, free agent targets, etc.
Jud
1:35
Who else besides Robinson is a guaranteed drop?
Brian Batko
1:36
I don't see another sure thing. Patrick Peterson cast quite a bit of doubt on his own future here in his latest podcast, so I'd probably put him at the top of that list. If it were me, I'd move on from Larry Ogunjobi.
Doyle37
1:38
Should the steelers sign Antoine Winfield  ?
Brian Batko
1:38
He'd be a perfect fit with Minkah Fitzpatrick and there's a connection with Mike Tomlin, who coached his dad with the Vikings back when. But Winfield Jr. is one of the best safeties in the game. The Bucs won't let him walk. Look for the franchise tag there.
Sunner in Orlando from Lebo
1:39
Good afternoon, Brian! Has there been any updates on whether Mason wants to sign back with the Steelers, or will he test free agency?
Brian Batko
1:41
In case you missed it, the national rumblings are that he wants a fresh start. I'd probably want my agent to put that out there if I were Mason Rudolph and make the Steelers adjust their contract talks accordingly.
CJ
1:41
Why would Pittsburgh go into the 2024 season with Pickett & Rudolph as only options even if they add a guy like Tannehill that’s not good enough come on Bats you know what to do
Brian Batko
1:42
Oh I know, CJ
Joe Friday
1:42
Hey Brian - I like the Smith hire. The super bowl had balanced offenses not all downfield. I think they'll still struggle with KP. He is the only QB in the NFL who consistently throws 10 yards away from the closest receiver. He should have had 4 or 5 pick sixes but defenders dropped balls in their hands. When Mason hit GP in stride for the long catch and run, my thought was if that was KP it would be too high/low/wide. What is your prediction for whether KP will be QB in the 2nd half of next season?
Brian Batko
1:43
One way or another, I don't think he'll be starting at quarterback for the Steelers in their 10th game of the 2024 season, but I wouldn't bet on it. I'm not that down on him.
Gene
1:44
Brian will you be doing a mock draft ?
Brian Batko
1:44
Yeah, sure, I'll whip one up.
the real guest
1:45
Brian, Picking up Najee's 5th yr option is a no brainer. The real question is do they use this as an opportunity to give him  a new contract? What deal  would GM Brian propose?
Brian Batko
1:47
I wouldn't. Pick up the fifth year, benefit from the extra season of contractual control and then wish him well at age 27 with close to 1,500 (grueling) NFL touches.
Les
1:47
Hi Brian, do you think the Steelers will try to sign Najee Harris to a long term contract? If so, what do you think their offer will be/look like? Also, what do you think he is expecting for a long term contract (years/money)?
Brian Batko
1:50
The running back position is so down financially these days that I'm not even sure Harris would want them to pick up his option. He might want to test the market at a younger age with less wear and tear. But that's the double-edged sword of being a first-rounder. Anyway, I could be wrong but I just get the vibe from him that as much as he enjoys playing for Mike Tomlin and being the featured back here, he'd love to get back closer to home out west at some point.
BPOS
1:52
Its pretty clear to have a deep run into the playoffs, you need a top flight QB, of which there are few. Any one with two eyes sees that Pickett is never going to come close to that. If the goal is to win the super bowl, doesn't that mean having to go off brand and trade away lots of draft capital to move up enough to get the best? I get the inherent risk of getting a Trey Lance or Zach Wilson, and missing other guys to build your roster. But QB is a must have, and would rather swing and miss than never swing at all.
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