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Ray Fittipaldo's Steelers chat: 03.17.26
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Ray Fittipaldo
11:57
Welcome and let's get started.
Noah Kravitz
11:57
It's still very early on but do you think they would be comfortable with rolling with Cook and Anderson on the left side to start week 1
Ray Fittipaldo
12:00
They like Anderson and Cook. Does that mean they won't draft a guard at pick No. 21 in the draft? No. If there is a guard who is the BPA on their board at that point I think they might take him. Tackle is a bit of a different story because of the uncertainty surrounding Broderick Jones. There is a bit more optimism that he'll be able to return. Because of that I do not think tackle will be in consideration in the first round. However, they do need to develop some young depth at the position especially with Jones' status up in the air.
Wasabi peas
12:00
When do you think they will lock up JPJ? Or Boz?
Ray Fittipaldo
12:02
They typically like to get through free agency and the draft before they negotiate deals for players with one year left on their contracts. I don't think Boswell's deal will be hard to negotiate. He'll get top money for kickers because he's proven to be one of the best in the NFL. Plus, it won't be expensive. I think he'll come in around $7 million a season. Porter's deal could be trickier because the deal will be much bigger. That negotiation might stretch into the summer.
Noah Kravitz
12:03
What is the deal with Broderick Jones and do you think there's a high probability that they either draft a guy in the early rounds and decline his option.
Ray Fittipaldo
12:04
Given the uncertainty with his injury I don't think they can pick up the option. I don't think they'll know for sure by May 1 if he'll be cleared by doctors. For that reason, he'll be in position to play out the final year of his rookie deal. That does not close the door on a second contract. They could still do a deal with him this summer before the season starts or after the season is over.
Tim from Canada
12:04
Hi Ray - thanks for the great chats. When speaking of the draft, and considering the free agents we landed, what would be your higher priority - CB or S? Thanks.
Ray Fittipaldo
12:07
Safety. Look at what they did there. They signed Brisker and Savage to one-year deals. If they find a safety in the draft who projects as a long-term starter there is no commitment beyond the 2026 season to those guys. Corner is a much different story. Dean signed a three-year deal worth $36.75 million. If they wanted to walk away from that deal after the season is over they'd be on the hook for $8 million in a dead cap hit. The Steelers do not typically take on big dead cap hits like that. On the surface, it looks like they are committed to Dean for more than one season. For that reason I don't think corner is a consideration in Round 1. And an corner they take likely will project to the slot and not outside.
Bud
12:07
Hello Ray. Any chance the Steelers would consider signing Derek Carr if Rodgers doesn’t return?
Ray Fittipaldo
12:08
I don't think so. They would like Rodgers to return. If he decides to retire they are very excited about the potential of Will Howard.
Noah Kravitz
12:08
What's your dream day 1 and day 2 of the draft for the steelers?  or what position do you think is a must to have solved by the end of the draft
Ray Fittipaldo
12:08
My second mock draft publishes tomorrow so stay tuned.
Noah Kravitz
12:08
Two positions that aren't necessarily needs: running back and tight end.  in the event that either Sadiq or Love falls to them would you think they'd take a shot at one of them, and if so which one?
Ray Fittipaldo
12:09
Running back is not a need, but tight end most certainly is after the release of Jonnu Smith and the departure of Connor Heyward in free agency. Now I don't think it's a first-round need, but I could see them taking one on Day 2 or Day 3. It's a good TE class.
Bud
12:09
Hello Ray. Do you think the Steelers might move up to get the safety from Oregon? And do you rate him below the safety Downs from Ohio State?
Ray Fittipaldo
12:11
Downs is a good player, but I see a higher ceiling in Thieneman. Maybe Downs has a higher floor, I don't know. But it's hard to watch Thieneman on film and not at least put him in the same general area as Downs. There is not a lot of difference in my opinion. Maybe people in NFL circles feel different. We'll find out soon enough.
Wasabi peas
12:11
I think we go OL in the first round unless a can’t miss wr prospect falls to them. What are your thoughts?
Ray Fittipaldo
12:11
Guard, receiver or safety in no particular order. Might be BPA at those three positions.
Bud
12:12
Hello Ray. Will you and the other PG writers be in different places throughout Pittsburgh during the draft?
Ray Fittipaldo
12:14
I don't think plans are completely set, but I do believe Chris Carter will be doing a live show on our YouTube channel. The rest of the beat writers will be at the South Side complex with the team. That's where they always do the draft and that won't change just because it's in Pittsburgh this year. I'm sure the Steelers will have former and current players out meeting and greeting people at Point State Park and over at the stadium, but Omar Khan and his scouting department will be operating as per usual from the South Side.
Tom M.
12:14
The Steelers have signed some free agents and lost some. Do you know how the various moves will affect compensatory picks for next year? I do know that those who were released (e.g. Jonnu Smith) do not figure into this.
Ray Fittipaldo
12:15
So right now Gainwell and Dowdle cancel each other out pretty much. Dean does not count against the comp pick formula. The other free agents do. I'm not sure how it will shake out, but I am confident they will not have as many comp picks next year as they do this year.
SMF
12:16
Hi Ray:  Thanks for the Chats.  Do you think the Steelers should try to package their 1 and 2  more draft picks to move into the top 10 for the best Safety or WR in the draft--a Polamalu type of move.
Ray Fittipaldo
12:17
Never say never, but I don't think this draft is loaded with generational type players. It's an OK draft at the top, but the strength of this draft is in its depth. So if they can get similar players in subsequent rounds without losing draft picks, why would they trade up? There might be one or two players they'd do that for, but I'm not expecting that to happen as I sit here right now.
Rooney
12:18
If they can draft a safety late in the first round the secondary becomes a strength this year with the other pickups? WR in the second round, OG/OT 3rd, DT 4th and extra pick QB ? Agree? Thanks!
Ray Fittipaldo
12:18
I like it, Rooney.
Bob
12:18
Ray, do you agree that they should sign former cowboys C/G Brock Hoffman to replace Semaeulo at OG? He is only 26 and played for McCarthy in Dallas. I am worried that the ravens will sign him as their center.
Ray Fittipaldo
12:19
If they sign him he's not an automatic starter. He'd compete with Anderson, and I'm fairly certain Anderson would have pole position in such a competition. Plus, they'll probably draft a guard with one of their five picks in the top 100. There is going to be competition for that left guard spot no matter what.
Tom M.
12:19
The Steelers signed Brisker but for only one year. Is he expected to be a starter or is it for depth? If he’s a starter, wouldn’t you want to sign for more than one year? There’s also been a lot of talk about taking a safety with the #1 pick. How is that impacted by this?
Ray Fittipaldo
12:22
We'll have to see how Patrick graham wants to run his defense, but Jalen Ramsey is making a lot of money so he'll be on the field pretty much all the time. The same goes for Porter and Dean and probably Elliott. So then it's about how Ramsey is deployed. Is he a slot CB sometimes? In that case, Brisker would go to safety. If Ramsey is at safety then maybe another DB subs in at slot CB. Training camp and the preseason games should be interesting this summer because we'll get to see how this all plays out.
Sunner in Orlando from Lebo
12:22
Should the Steelers go with a wide out or a DB in the first round?  I say they draft a WR,DB.OG,DT and an ILB with the first 5 picks. Maybe switch the DB and the WR in the first round. How would you draft?
Ray Fittipaldo
12:25
I agree with you for the most part. Not sure where I would rank ILB as a need right now. Patrick Queen, Payton Wilson Malik Harrison and Cole Holcomb are under contract. Only Wilson is beyond this season, but it's hard for me to see them taking one early. Maybe they get a guy in the middle rounds to develop, but they seem committed to keeping Queen so taking an ILB in Round 1 is a long shot.
epiballo
12:25
It seemed a lock that the Steelers would trade up in the first round for a top WR. With all the signings, will they still trade up, or try to trade for draft capital for 2027?
Ray Fittipaldo
12:26
I think they'd like to trade back and get some capital for 2027. For as much as they like Will Howard there are some really good QB prospects who are expected to be available next year.
Jim
12:26
If you were running the Steelers draft, would you still go WR with the 1st pick or would it depend on who is still there? I'm thinking the Oline is still a work in progress and we need another stud there.
Ray Fittipaldo
12:27
It would not surprise me at all if they took a guard, a receiver or a safety at 21. Anything else I'd be surprised.
Stairway to seventh seed
12:27
Ray: 2027 QB class observation: Manning, Sayin, Dante Moore, and my personal favorite Darian Mensah all will have more college eligibility after this season.  In an era where top college QBs can make $6-$9m in NIL money, does it make sense to project them as coming out?  And if not, should the Steelers trade picks this year for picks next year as the QB savior might not come in 2027 either?
Ray Fittipaldo
12:29
These prospects get pretty good intel on where they'll be taken when they decide to come out. So if they're projected as top 10 picks I don't think there is enough NIL money to coax them to come back. It gets interesting after that. Let's say the '27 class is as advertised. Let's say 5 QB are expected to get drafted in the top 10. In that scenario, what do prospects Nos. 6 and 7 do? That's where it can get tricky.
Stairway to seventh seed
12:30
Ray: who do you think the best free agent signing is including the cost and which one has you most scratching your head?
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