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Brian Batko's Steelers chat: 07.27.20
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Brian Batko
11:56
Hi everyone, the chat has started. It's officially training camp week. What could go wrong now?
Gene
11:57
Hi Brian Big Ben looked fit and trim when he and Vance McDonald were distributing food. Hopefully Ben has a decent season.  Your thoughts.
Brian Batko
11:58
Yeah, I'm not sure there should be all that much concern about Ben Roethlisberger's physique. To me, it's just all about the elbow and how he responds to that injury.
Mark
12:00
With camps opening, any more clarity on the access writers like you will have to the team, practices, players?  (Maybe it doesn't matter yet, first several weeks are just conditioning, right?)
Brian Batko
12:02
Right, but we are going to have some Zoom interviews with players/coaches this week, I believe. Once the on-field work starts in mid-August, the plan is for a few writers to get the chance to watch in-person at Heinz Field, not from the field, but from the stands. It will be a lot of "pool reporting," which means very limited observations from some of your favorite beat writers. But such is life. We'll manage.
Steeltowntim@aol.com
12:03
Brian, Is the salary cap set for 2021 and if so what we goona due with Ben can’t cut but I makes signing JuJu and Watt hard
Brian Batko
12:05
No, it's not set yet. But there's just been a lot of speculation lately that the number will end up around $175 million, because that's the floor that the NFL has proposed as of now. That would throw just about every team's plans out of whack, not just the Steelers.
Byron
12:07
Good morning. How do you think Hayes is affected if Evans continues to play well?
Brian Batko
12:09
Uhhh, Byron found his way into a Steelers chat with a Pirates question. I'll ask Jason Mackey and Mike Persak.
Buzzard Bill
12:10
Hi Brian,  do the Steelers have a plan if one or more players turn up COVID positive once pre-season workouts and then actual games start?  If one or two players come up positive, do they replace them for a few weeks and move on?
Brian Batko
12:13
Yeah, and that plan comes down from the NFL, really. There will be contact tracers that players wear at all times, and if any of them came in close contact with a positive test, they'll undergo more testing. And yeah, as far as one or two guys testing positive, their availability might also depend on whether they're asymptomatic or not. It's gonna be fun!
Terry
12:15
Hey Brian...do you think Andy Russell will ever make the hall of fame?  He played on a lot of bad teams and had his career interrupted by his military service.
Brian Batko
12:16
Time is running out, Terry. Seems like LC Greenwood is the first guy from those Super 70s defenses that comes up as being snubbed for the Hall, not Russell. But hey, a lot of people didn't think Donnie Shell would get in at this late date, so you never say never.
Guest
12:17
Hi Brian, given their respective positions, which rookie (who is likely to make the roster) faces the steepest learning curve? It’s going to be difficult with this years lack of preseason,etc.
Brian Batko
12:18
Probably Antoine Brooks. His most likely role would be a hybrid type linebacker/safety position, and while that would only come into play in certain packages, he'd be a 6th-rounder trying to learn this defense on the fly.
12:19
I do think Brooks will make the team, though. Should be able to use his athleticism and instincts on special teams right away.
Mark
12:20
So how will the reporters for "pool reporting" be selected?  One from every media outlet, or can you amongst yourselves select the best reporters, or Steelers pick and choose?  Might it rotate who's reporting regularly?
Brian Batko
12:21
As far as I know, it will just be a rotation by outlet, and then the outlets can rotate their own reports or do whatever they want with those spots.
Steeler in Virginia
12:22
Seeing what's happening with the Marlins today, I'm feeling worse by the minute about football happening this season. But, if it does, have you heard of any of the Steelers getting together already for working out, running routes, etc.?
Brian Batko
12:23
Funny you should ask, because Ray Fittipaldo just filed a very interesting story about how some of the significant veterans have navigated the lack of OTAs: https://www.post-gazette.com/sports/steelers/2020/07/27/steelers-summe...

Also, since arriving last week, many of the rookies and XFL guys have been working out at local fields around town.
Dorian
12:24
Like everyone else, I was impressed by Brubaker’s outing yesterday.  Does Shelton plan to keep him in the bullpen or is he projected to become a starter?  Thanks.
Brian Batko
12:24
I think he'll be working out of the pen.
Yuri
12:25
In light of the latest news regarding the Miami Marlins having so many players being affected by the virus, a shout-out to Polanco for recognizing he might have it and informing the appropriate people thereby possibly saving a number of teammates from getting the virus.
Brian Batko
12:25
I guess this is now Brian Batko's All-Sports Chat.
Chris
12:26
Hi Brian.  It was nice to see Shelton get his first win as a manager.  I was impressed by the way his coaches and players celebrated his victory.  They were genuinely happy for him.  It seems the players believe in him and his system.
Brian Batko
12:26
OK, I think we've emptied the chat queue of Pirates questions.
rman
12:26
Hi Brian....with the news about covid-19 and the Marlins my hopes for an NFL season are slim.  Can you cheer me up?
Brian Batko
12:29
You woke up today, the sun is shining, uh...but no, on a serious note, be happy that the NFL and NFLPA hammered out most of their concerns last week. You'd be worse off if we were still dealing with all those uncertainties on this Monday afternoon rather than (cautiously) awaiting the opening of training camps.
Kevin Colbert
12:30
Hypothetical Question, let's say the salary cap is set to $198M for 2021. If JuJu does have a great season this year with #7 (90 catches, 1100 yards, 8 TD's), do you think the Steelers will be able to keep him?
Brian Batko
12:31
Shouldn't I be asking you that? But from where I sit, yes, I think they could at least afford to franchise tag him and keep him for one more season. Although if JuJu has another year like that, that'd be three out of four NFL seasons in which he was among the league leaders. You'd be very tempted to try to lock him up long-term.
Sunner in the sunshine
12:32
Hi Brian! Thanks for the chats! I'm sure you will get this question 20 times today but can the NFL get through a season without a bubble atmosphere like the NBA and MLS which has worked so far versus MLB which may have to be canceled because there is no bubble? Is it even feasible? Are the powers to be even thinking about this possible switch to the bubble?
Brian Batko
12:33
Yeah, I'm not gonna say they can't. The NFL's just trying to make their players create their own bubbles for themselves, essentially. There's now language in the agreement that prohibits them from a lot of high-risk activities, basically anything indoors with more than 25% capacity.
Ernest Da 3rd
12:34
Brian.... Good afternoon. Any early "sleepers" to keep our eyes on during training camp?
Brian Batko
12:36
Anthony Johnson is intriguing. Conventional wisdom is that the 5th receiver spot will come down to Ryan Switzer or Deon Cain, and that the Steelers might even keep six, but Johnson is 6-2, 220, spent last season on the Chargers practice squad, was super productive in college at Buffalo and works out with fellow South Carolina native Mason Rudolph in the offseason. So he'll have at least one QB vouching for him, right?
Steelrz99
12:37
Hi Brian, For reals, how much does Switzer’s relationship with Ben figure into his making the team, etc.?
Brian Batko
12:38
For reals, I'm not sure. It can't hurt to have a rapport with No. 7, and perhaps Switzer just happens to have a great off-field relationship with Ben, too. But that simply can't be a player's ONLY avenue to the 53. To Switzer's credit, he seems to be in phenomenal shape after working hard this offseason.
Ryno
12:39
Fans worry about signing guys next season like JuJu, but isnt a reality that next season the players getting new contracts shouldnt be expecting to make as much with a reset cap amount?  I'm thinking no players next season should be looking to reset the market for their position.
Brian Batko
12:40
That's a good point, and one of the major reasons the NFL and NFLPA were going back and forth on economic issues as much as they had been. The union doesn't wanna see a slew of guys get hemmed in and lose money because of teams dealing with cap crunches. Especially when that's going to affect a lot of long-tenured vets more than young, cheap options. But what you probably will see is teams/agents getting more creative with how to structure these long-term deals until the revenues rise again.
bob
12:41
I see the NFL experts just looking over the Steelers as has-beens. If Ben is even close to his regular self, I see them having a very good year. Your thoughts?
Brian Batko
12:43
Ben's health/performance is the biggest factor, but it's not the only one. Will the defense be able to stave off regression and the loss of a couple starters? Will the OL return to form after a down year? Is the cast of skill players up to the challenge?
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