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Ray Fittipaldo's Steelers chat: 01.07.20
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Ray Fittipaldo
1:53
Happy New Year everyone! Let's get the chat started.
Alan
1:53
It seems to me that the Steelers not only need an offensive playmaker or two but they also need to start adding some youth and toughness to their O line. What do you think their strategy will be this off-season in terms of the draft and free agency to help address these needs?
Ray Fittipaldo
1:57
Great question, Alan. If I'm Art Rooney, I'm paying attention to what the teams in the playoffs are doing with their offenses. The Titans beat the Patriots with a QB who threw for 71 yards in a playoff game. That would have been unheard of five years ago. But things are changing in the NFL. Look at all the playoff teams that value the running game. It's not only the Titans. It's the Ravens. It's the Bills. It's the 49ers. It's the Vikings. You don't need a great QB if you have a strong defense and a reliable running game. Some of those teams have running QBs. The Steelers don't have one of those so they'll have to go about the reinvigorating their run game in a different manner. But it can be done. And it should be done, especially with Ben Roethlisberger turning 38 in March and coming off elbow surgery. I'd be floored if Rooney doesn't make the running game a priority this offseason both in terms of philosophy and the personnel they acquire in the draft.
Lloyd's 3-Count
1:57
Outside of Barron, who else do you predict to be a likely cap causality?
Ray Fittipaldo
1:59
Barron is a possibility, but he's not at the top of my list. Ramon Foster and Anthony Chickillo are two likely cuts. After that there are others that might be considered. Barron is one of them. Vance McDonald is another. Jordan Berry is another. But if you're talking slam dunk cap casualties all I got are Foster and Chickillo. We can debate the decisions on the others.
Lloyd's 3-Count
1:59
So did Keith Butler suddenly become a genius or did he actually have the horses?
Ray Fittipaldo
1:59
Minkah Fitzpatrick helped a whole lot. But let's give credit to Butler and Mike TOmlin for understanding where his value lied. They used him very well in their defense.
Lloyd's 3-Count
2:00
How much of the end of season slide do you attribute to teams actually having enough tape on Hodges? (Not to mention luck running out.)
Ray Fittipaldo
2:02
Probably a little, but I was more swayed by what Bud Dupree had to say in the locker room after the game. He basically came out and said offenses realized if they were able to run the ball and not turn it over they had a great chance to beat the Steelers. He was right. Look at the final three games. The Bills and Ravens had great success running on the Steelers. So did the Jets in certain situations. They didn't commit a lot of turnovers, either. That's something I'd study hard over the offseason if I was Tomlin. The blueprint is there. Now they should consider adding a big run-stopper along the defensive line to help with that. Or maybe reevaluate how they deploy their LBs, at least in terms of who the QB is.
Lloyd's 3-Count
2:02
If you were a betting man, what are the chances we have three Steelers inducted in HoF this year? Related: is Ed still the rep?
Ray Fittipaldo
2:05
I think Polamalu is a good bet to get in on his first try. I think Faneca deserves to be in, but there are still a lot of linemen eligible. And I don't have a strong feel for which one(s) will get in this year. And I have no feel for the panel that will elect the senior candidates, which includes Bill Cowher. And yes, Ed still is the local rep in the room, but I believe Dale Lolley will be handling it this year.
Steven
2:05
Colbert made a ton of great moves this season (i.e. Fitzpatrick, Dupree Option) but having no backup with experience cost them the playoffs. Shouldn't Mason be the number 3 QB running the scout team while a veteran QB with experience be the number 2 in case Big Ben gets hurt. The number 2  does not get many reps in practice and having no experience there is costly.
Ray Fittipaldo
2:06
All depends on the doctor's report in February. If everything in on schedule with Ben and he's set to begin a throwing program then I think they can afford to go into the summer with Rudolph as the backup. However, if the report suggests the rehab isn't going well and there are some questions about his ability to be ready for the season then I think they'd have to look hard at a veteran that could at the very least compete with Rudolph.
Nate
2:07
Hi Ray, I know Tomlin mentioned there could be possible staff changes.  What do you think the chances are that Danny Smith (and Jordan Berry, for that matter) is let go?  And will Tomlin hire a QB coach?  Thanks!
Ray Fittipaldo
2:08
Tomlin said he is open to hiring a QB coach. In terms of the assistant that might or might not be retained it's not easy to find out whose contracts are up. Most of the assistants sign two-year deals, so we can speculate who might be up based on when they were brought on board.
Lloyd's 3-Count
2:08
Think we've seen the last of Big Ragu?
Ray Fittipaldo
2:09
Yes, but I thought that last year too, and they decided to bring him back. I don't think they can afford to do it again. That line got real old real fast, and he turned 34 this week. Not to mention he wasn't very good.
GSMP
2:09
I know it wouldn't be an exciting pick but could you see the Steelers drafting a guard with their first pick? I think the line needs more help than a lot of people are saying.
Ray Fittipaldo
2:13
you're right. It wouldn't be sexy. This isn't a great year for guards in the draft. I was looking at one top 100 board this morning. There were two guards in the top 100. There were 18 receivers. And probably 12 offensive tackles. So yes the Steelers desperately need a guard, but they might not find the player they want or need in the second round or third round or fourth round, for that matter. With Matt Feiler's versatility, I think they are in position to draft the best available offensive lineman if that's what they decide to do early in the draft. Maybe you find a really good tackle that falls to 50. Maybe he's ready start as a rookie, and the easy solution is moving Feiler to guard. Or maybe you draft a tackle, redshirt him for a year you still move Feiler to guard but insert Chuks or Banner at tackle. There are a lot of options for the Steelers when it comes to rebuilding their line. Feiler's versatility is a big key in that.
Jack Lambert's tooth
2:13
What if the Feb report on Ben's elbow is bad.  What to do then?
Ray Fittipaldo
2:16
If I was the GM, I'd go after a QB that can run and pass. Maybe a guy like Marcus Mariota. Maybe a new environment would help him progress as a QB. But even if a running QB isn't an option, I definitely put a lot of resources into improving the running game.
Alan in Nashville
2:16
Hi there. Do you think the Steelers just stick with the status quo with Ryan Shazier? One of these years a tough decision is going to have to be made. My uneducated guess is that he never plays football again. Do the Steelers continue to hold on as long as he still has hope?
Ray Fittipaldo
2:17
Shazier will have a place with the Steelers as long as he desires. Right now, it really doesn't matter what capacity. He's involved in scouting and such and I can see that as an avenue down the road. Just not sure when that develops.
Nate
2:17
Hi Ray, pretend you're Colbert for 2020 draft.  There is still some 1st round talent in the 2nd round.  You have your choice of some really good skill position players.  Which position would you select:  TE, WR or RB and why?  Would love to get your thoughts.  Thanks!
Ray Fittipaldo
2:20
All three! Honestly, they could use a RB especially with Conner entering the final year of his rookie contract. They didn't have a lot of RBs that could make defenders miss. They could use another WR to compete with James Washington for playing time. You're set with 18 and 19 as your top two, but how about a deep threat that can run 4.40 or better and make some plays. We all saw how teams defended the Steelers last season. They faced a lot of man coverage, and the WRs and TEs didn't get open often enough. So if you have a speedy playmaker I think that helps the offense. Same goes with the TE position, but the TEs in this draft aren't great. This is a much deeper draft for WRs so I think it might come down to picking the best skill player when it comes time to pick regardless of position.
Lloyd's 3-Count
2:20
Of the remaining teams, which potential Super Bowl matchup is most intriguing to you?
Ray Fittipaldo
2:22
Good question. I know the Ravens are heavy favorites, but I'm not convinced they're going to get there. I think the Chiefs have a shot to make it. In the NFC, the 49ers have the edge because they have home field, but I wouldn't be surprised if the Seahawks made a run. So how about Chiefs-Seahawks, Mahomes vs. Wilson. That would be fun.
kjacksonpgh
2:22
Hi Ray, the Steelers can't look at a top veteran QB at this point until Ben's evaluation is complete right?
Ray Fittipaldo
2:22
Correct.
AK
2:23
Do you think Donnie Shell will be voted into the HOF?
Ray Fittipaldo
2:23
Yes forgot about Shell. He's one of those senior candidates, too. I think he has a shot obviously.
KK
2:23
The TE draft is supposed to be weak.  Who would be a good pick for the Steelers?
Ray Fittipaldo
2:26
A few of the top-rated TEs aren't exactly in the Steelers mold of TEs. Bryant from Washington and Hopkins from Purdue are mentioned as two of the top TEs in this class. Neither is known as a complete TE. They're pass catchers first and don't offer much in the running game. But those are the types of players the colleges are producing. So you either have to adapt your offense to them or go without the prototypical TE. You're not going to find any Heath Millers anymore. That's just not the type of TEs colleges produce nowadays.
KK
2:26
Is 2nd round too early to take a RB in the next draft for the Steelers, given all their needs?
Ray Fittipaldo
2:29
Maybe not if the Steelers believe that RB is capable of helping the offense. I watched the Patriots-Steelers game this morning because I was doing some research. Conner and Samuels got most of the touches in that game and neither did d a very good job of making guys miss. There were instances when the Steelers blocked it up OK, and they just had to make one guy miss, but they couldn't make it happen. But I think WR, TE and OL are definitely possibilities in round 2 as well. Just depends on who is available and what they like in the player.
kjacksonpgh
2:29
Ray, do you believe with a few player restructures, and or player releases it would be possible to sign Bud and extend other key veteran players this off season?
Ray Fittipaldo
2:30
Yes. I mapped that out in a story last week. https://www.post-gazette.com/sports/steelers/2020/01/02/Pittsburgh-Ste...
Utah Jim
2:30
Seven of the top 10 rushing offenses made the playoffs while only 3 of the top 10 passing offenses did.  Are offenses taking advantage of defenses built to stop the pass with smaller and faster players?
Ray Fittipaldo
2:32
I think that's part of it. This trend started late last season with the Patriots, who won the Super Bowl with a run-oriented attack. I wrote about it last January and suggested the Steelers make a better commitment to running the ball. They obviously didn't take my advice. But other teams did see the trend coming and had lots of success. I'm not suggesting the Steelers have to become a 50-50 run-pass team again. But what I am suggesting is they have to be able to run the ball much better than they have. Their running game has been a joke for the past two seasons.
kjacksonpgh
2:32
Ray, why wouldn't the Steelers consider adding Bruce Gradkowski as a QB coach? He seems to be interested in the job, and may actually assist with the development of Mason.
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