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Brian Batko's Steelers chat: 07.11.22
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Brian Batko
2:00
Hey folks, long time no see. Not a whole lot going on in the Steelers-verse these days, other than the new stadium name, but I don't doubt your collective ability to come up with new and entertaining questions. Let's hop to it.
2:01
By the way, the Steelers just officially announced the new Acrisure Stadium name, and it's a 15-year agreement.
Y-Town Steeler
2:02
What up BB?  Other then the QB battle, which positional battle are you most looking forward to?
Brian Batko
2:03
I'd say left guard. Kind of a boring answer, I guess, but to me the Kevin Dotson-Kendrick Green competition will be the fiercest of any and is probably the most wide-open.
Stone
2:05
Am I missing something or are the national "experts"?   They say the steelers QB play will be the worse in the league, but I expect it to be better than last year.   Ben wasnt the worst in the league last year was he?   I know he was the old wise wizard, but his skills we gone.   Mitch or Ken are better, right?
Brian Batko
2:07
Not sure exactly how you're comparing the new QB situation to Ben Roethlisberger last season, but I'd say it's not mutually exclusive. The Steelers could have subpar QB play last year and have subpar QB play again this year with a new face there. Mitch Trubisky's body of work is just that, middle of the road or worse - probably worse given how many players are bursting onto the scene at that position lately.
ev
2:08
Brian, do you foresee a time where teams (aside from their stadiums) will be named after corporations?  e.g., The Iron City Beer Steelers
Brian Batko
2:08
It wouldn't shock me at this rate, ev. We'll all be living in the metaverse soon enough anyway.
GM
2:09
I recently looked at the 2018 class and I used to wonder why we took Edmunds, but after looking at all the picks that never made it in the league.  Minus a few big names right after Edmunds, did we "luck" up or am I being too optimistic?
Brian Batko
2:11
Eh, he wasn't a great pick but wasn't the worst, that's for sure. It's a classic example of how difficult it is to hit on picks late in the first round. I wouldn't say they lucked out on that one, and the notion that getting lucky on a pick would probably bother a lot of scouts to begin with. But it's too easy and simplistic to say in retrospect that they should've taken Lamar Jackson or Darius Leonard.
Javi
2:11
Wow is this real batz?acrisure stadium?thats what they came up with?
Brian Batko
2:12
It's real. And it's not a matter of "what they came up with." It's about who's paying the most to put their name on the stadium, and it just so happens the company is called Acrisure. Follow the money.
Dave
2:13
Hi Brian,   Overthecap.com showed the Steelers had $4,755,000 dollars in “voidable” dollars to be spread equally over 2023, 2024, and 2025 against the cap.  Now that Tuitt has retired do the Steelers have to charge the entire amount against the 2022 cap?  Thank you.  PS. I hope you had a good vacation.
Brian Batko
2:14
Thanks, Dave. As I understand it, Stephon Tuitt leaves behind $9.7 million in dead money which will be pretty much split between this year and next.
CoalportKid
2:16
$8M/y for Larry O.  Was there that much competition for his services that such a high salary was needed?
Brian Batko
2:18
It's possible. There aren't a ton of under-30 interior defenders with recent high-level production sitting on the couch right now. I'm a bit surprised the Steelers didn't just roll with Cam Heyward/Tyson Alualu/Chris Wormley/Isaiahh Loudermilk/Montravius Adams/DeMarvin Leal but I suppose at least one of those guys isn't as appealing to them as we thought.
Guest
2:19
Hey Brian.  While I personally like the name Heinz Field over the new name, I have to wonder why there is so much outrage.  Does the name of the stadium matter at all?  I go to games to watch the product on the field.  I doubt people decide to go to a game or not go to a game based on a stadium name.  This is the first time that it is completely Tomlin's team.  This is 100% his players and coaching staff.  We are finally about to find out in year 16 if Tomlin is a good coach or not.  Isn't that more important??
Brian Batko
2:21
I think it's pretty easy to explain, actually. The name of a stadium doesn't matter that much, but Heinz was a local company that people are proud of, whether you think that's weird or not. Of course the name of the place has no bearing on the product on the field, but I understand why some fans will be miffed by this.
Direstraits
2:22
In most cases I would think a #1 pick has a good opportunity of seeing the field in his first year. Should the scenario of Turbisky starting and making a case for staying on the field isn’t taking Pickett in the 1st round a mistake considering all the defensive needs of the team.
Brian Batko
2:24
Only if you look at it through the prism of 2022 being an all-or-nothing season. And I would argue that's clearly not the case. Generally, first-round picks should help you right away, but they also need to pay off in the long term. They're investments above all else. If anyone thought Patrick Mahomes was a mistake because he didn't play his rookie season, they looked silly pretty quickly.
Paul
2:25
How many rookies make the 53 man roster for week 1? I'm going with 8.

Austin III, Heyward, Tyree Johnson, Leal, Oladokun (Rudolph traded), Pickens, Pickett, Steele
Brian Batko
2:26
I'll say seven.
Steelers fan 35
2:28
Hi Brian question can you see Kenny Pickett Being the number one quarterback for the Steelers this year because honestly I don’t think Mitchell Trubisky is that good
Brian Batko
2:28
My prediction since Kenny Pickett was drafted is that he will be the starter by the end of the year.
ABTennessee
2:29
Am I the only one who had never heard of Acrisure before today, and how does their ketchup compare with Heinz?
Brian Batko
2:30
That makes two of us. If you told me they actually do make ketchup and other condiments, I would've believed you.
Tux
2:31
Brian Flores trades Minkah Fitzpatrick to Steelers as the head coach of Miami. Did he miss-use Minka in Miami? Can we trust his judgment? Thoughts?
Brian Batko
2:32
He may have misused him, but I'm willing to give Flores the benefit of the doubt there for a couple reasons. Number one, it was obviously a bad situation there in terms of what was being invested in that roster, or the lack thereof. Number two, Fitzpatrick's calling card coming out of college was his versatility and ability to do just about anything asked of him. Not gonna fault Flores too much if he thought corner, strong safety, slot, etc. was where they needed Fitzpatrick the most at that time.
fredward
2:33
BB, where do you see the main position battles being fought in camp for the Steelers on defense?
Brian Batko
2:35
I think the addition of Larry Ogunjobi will certainly create competition on the DL, and someone like Chris Wormley might even have to compete for his job. And I might be in the minority on this, but I also think Devin Bush will have to hold off Robert Spillane at ILB. The cornerback spot will be one to watch with Levi Wallace/Ahkello Witherspoon/Cam Sutton vying to be "starters" in the 3-4. And lastly, Terrell Edmunds vs. Damontae Kazee at strong safety could become a battle as well.
Polish Hammer
2:36
Who was the best high school athlete you ever reported on?
Brian Batko
2:39
Great question. I really enjoyed my time covering high schools here. The short list for me includes Tyler Boyd and Phil Jurkovec. Those are the two that immediately come to mind. Boyd just glided out there on the field. Jurkovec was a force in basketball too, more than people realized.
Mark
2:39
If you had been Steeler GM this offseason, as specific as practical what would be different about the team that’s heading into camp?
Brian Batko
2:41
I probably would've done things differently at QB, to be honest. Not overly optimistic when it comes to the outlook for that position. But I'll also stick with my usual answer on this question and say I would've invested more in the OL, or at least differently. That unit needed to improve in a major way and I'm not sure it did.
Krugerrand
2:41
Brian, do you know who pays the bill to change all of the road signage from Heinz Field to Acrisure Stadium? If not the Steelers / Acrisure, the signs should be changed to "Football Stadium."
Brian Batko
2:43
Not sure, but the press release put out by the Steelers says the partnership will include "new stadium identification for the 2022 season." That much is obvious, but I guess I'm at least mildly curious to see what the finished product will look like now on the exterior.
Sir, this is a Wendy's
2:43
Are you surprised the Steelers couldn't find a local company to name the stadium? I know PNC, PPG and Highmark (with the soccer stadium plus the Buffalo Bills stadium) are kind of spoken for, but there are still a few others, yes? Do you know if other companies were approached, or was this Thomas Tull's baby from the jump?
Brian Batko
2:45
Yeah, I am. This certainly came out of left field. Don't know who else was involved and to what degree, but I would've bet good money that the name would come from a company we'd heard of before.
Guest
2:45
Hi Brian,  I love the chat transcripts.  What do you think will be the soft spot in our most expensive defensive unit?
Brian Batko
2:47
Thanks, Guest. The area I'd be most concerned with is still inside linebacker. I think Myles Jack will be good, but if they don't find someone else to step up alongside him, they'll be exploited there.
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