Ray Fittipaldo's Steelers chat: 04.28.26
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Ray Fittipaldo
12:00
Good afternoon. Let's get the chat started.
Stairway to seventh seed
12:00
Ray: can you give us more insight on the criteria you used to grade each pick?  Was it based more on need, value, or just your view of that player?  You gave a C to Big Max, but B+ to the massive reaches (by consensus of draftniks) of Wetjen and Rubio.
Ray Fittipaldo
12:03
I think Iheanachor has a high ceiling, but there is some development that has to take place. It will be a great pick if he realizes his potential. Honestly, a lot depends on coaching and how he responds to that coaching. As for the others, it was just a feel for where they were taken and the potential from that spot. Rubio is a prototypical 3-4 DE with his size. He needs development too, but he came in the sixth round.
Stairway to seventh seed
12:03
Ray: should a team as far away from contention as the Steelers take a return man in the 4th round?  Even the player was shocked he went that high.  Heidenreich seems to have a better offensive skillset and is faster, but lasted until round 7.
Ray Fittipaldo
12:05
That's about where they drafted Calvin Austin III. Austin had more offensive production at Memphis, but Wetjen was the best punt returner available at this portion of the draft, maybe the entire draft. It will be interesting to see if his game translates to the NFL, but you cannot deny what he did at Iowa. But you are right in one sense. I think for this pick to be viewed as a good value down the road the Steelers have to create some packages and give him an opportunity to be more productive as an offensive player. It seems like they have a plan for him. Omar Khan said Mike McCarthy is going to have some fun with him.
Stairway to seventh seed
12:06
Ray: either Iheanachor or Fautanu is going to have to move to left tackle at some point.  I fear the Steelers will start with them both on the right until deep into training camp or maybe even until Cook/Jones prove definitively that they aren't good enough.  Shouldn't the Steelers decide which of the two to move to left tackle right now?  Which would you move?
Ray Fittipaldo
12:07
They already started repping all of their linemen on the left and right side at the voluntary minicamp last week. Eventually, they'll have one player settle on the left side, but I don't think that has to happen in May or June. This time of the year is for stuff exactly like this. Put guys in different spots and see how they play. I would say by the first preseason game the Steelers will have a plan and allow someone to focus strictly on left tackle.
Scott via Louisville
12:08
By tagging Rodger’s, can we infer that the Steelers are not quite on the same page as they were last year with what Aaron is going to do?  That tag looks like an insurance policy to me.
Ray Fittipaldo
12:10
I don't have all of the information yet on why the Steelers did this, but I will tell you this: I would be surprised if they did not notify Rodgers they were going to do this before they did it. If they didn't, then the relationship is fractured and all of the positive signs of Rodgers returning might have to be reevaluated.
Marvin P
12:10
Good morning Ray.  My head is still spinning from the draft, I thought it was disjointed. I liked the picks for Bernard and Dunker but overall, but the Allar pick baffled up.  I saw him play several games at Penn State and can’t recall one game where I came away impressed with his performance.  Beyond the measurables of height and a strong arm, what are they seeing that others are missing?
Ray Fittipaldo
12:13
I also like the Bernard and Dunker picks. Here's the thing about Allar: QBs are always pushed up boards because it's the most important position on the team. And in a year you have three third-round picks it makes perfect sense to use one on a developmental QB. No one is saying Allar is the future franchise QB. They're going to develop him and we'll see if McCarthy can get more out of him. My hesitation with the pick is I don't know if a coach can develop the "It" factor -- that intangible presence all great QBs seem to have.
Dpreble001
12:13
Ray, my biggest concern about our 1st round pick is needs developing, hasn't played alot of football,sound familiar? It was a 1st round pick with same credentials with a bad neck and bust like results,what do u think?
Ray Fittipaldo
12:16
Jones was a bit younger I think, a redshirt sophomore when he came out. He didn't have as much starting experience. What this pick tells me (the Dunker pick too) is Mike McCarthy has a tremendous amount of trust in OL coach James Campen. Iheanachor can be a Pro Bowl caliber player in time if he's coached up in the right ways. He's a former soccer player who is still using how to use his hands in pass pro. He's a big guy, but he has to learn how to use his size and strength to his advantage. He's very raw, but the upside is big.
Steeler Joe
12:16
Hey, Ray -- thanks for the chat. Can you offer any insights into the plans on the O-line, in broad strokes? I'm a bit worried that Fautanu might have been the best lineman but could get moved to an unfamiliar position. And it seems like there could be two rookies competing for starting jobs. That seems ... like we haven'tt made much progress in the last few years.
Ray Fittipaldo
12:17
They'll only move Fautanu if they believe he can handle the switch to the left side. I think he can do it seamlessly. He's that good with his footwork. Going from right to left should not be a big deal for him. Sometimes this happens in the NFL. You have plans, the plans change because of injury or a player not playing up to his potential. Then youo have to start over or retool a bit. That's what the Steelers are doing now.
Scott via Louisville
12:18
Do you mind going into some details about how a guard and tackle are similar and different?  Why can some folks play anywhere and another person can’t or isnt built for it. Seems like they are all big, strong and better be smart enough to figure things out. Yet moving one place to left or right can be a big deal.
Ray Fittipaldo
12:20
Putting it in the simplest terms, in today's NFL, your best athletes and your longest athletes are playing tackle because you need those traits to deal with the elite edge rushers. Guards are boxed in by the center and tackle and don't have as much space to cover in their pass pro assignments so you can get away with someone who isn't blessed with elite athleticism. And most of the time your better run blockers are guards but not always.
Jeff M
12:21
Hi Ray, Both you & Gerry has said their is a possibility Troy moves to G. Especially is Brod is able to play. If Troy moves to G do they run the risk of the same issue BAL had with Linderbaum? They wouldn't pick up his 5th year option so because they didn't want to pay him T money. Seemed like he got T money anyway from LV.
Ray Fittipaldo
12:23
If Fautanu develops into the player the Steelers believe he can be they won't have any problems picking up his option. They want to develop and keep their best players under contract. I'm not sure what happened with Linderbaum and the Ravens, but if they really thought he was a foundational piece of their future they would have found a way to keep him.
Maryland Steeler
12:24
We have heard a lot of discussion on the outside linebacker position (who is on the trade block, Highsmith? Herbig? and the growth of Sawyer) but what is your feeling on the inside linebacker group?  How deep is the bench and the trade talk about Queen has practically disappeared.
Ray Fittipaldo
12:26
They'll have to address that next offseason if Queen is not re-signed. Payton Wilson might be a future three-down player and captain of the defense, but last season they had to remove him on some run early downs. He still put up great stats, but there will always be a question about his run-stopping abilities until he does it over the course of an entire season.
Ben
12:26
Hey Ray, I read your article on the oline, thanks. I still have questions though! Why do they keep drafting guys and moving them to other positions? What the heck were they thinking with Jones and if they just would have played him at left tackle his second year wouldn’t we be somewhere so much better with this group?? Thanks -
Ray Fittipaldo
12:27
The issue with Jones is the neck injury. They do not know for sure if he'll be ready for the season. That really complicates things for them and they've put together a plan B. They have plenty of players to choose from now, and you are right, position flex is a big ting for McCarthy and Campen. They want to have options when they put together their starting five and their gameday roster.
Jeff M
12:27
Hi Ray, do you think Bernard can buck the trend of Aaron Rodgers not using or trusting young WRs? The WR still seems a bit thin considering Wetgen is primarily a returner. Could they resist the FA market?
Ray Fittipaldo
12:28
Depends on when Rodgers decides to show up, doesn't it? Reps are good with Howard and Allar and Rudolph this spring if Rodgers doesn't show, but none of those guys will be throwing to Bernard in the fall if Rodgers decides to return.
Buckeye Fan
12:29
Iheananchor appears to be a project.  Does that pick surprise you given the win now mentality exhibited by Rooney?
Ray Fittipaldo
12:29
No because there is always a balance between the present and planning for the future. They have to plan for a future without Broderick Jones because they don't know about his long-term health.
Socal jeff
12:30
Ray, after the embarrassing loss of Lemon, it seemed like the Steelers either moved up for their pick or severely reached on a player. Is that your impression?
Ray Fittipaldo
12:30
I wouldn't say Iheanachor was a big reach. Maybe they could have traded back and got him a few spots later, but if you're not sure that player will be there youo never make that move.
Barry in MD
12:31
Any reason the didn’t pivot to Boston or Conception after losing Lemon
Ray Fittipaldo
12:31
Just where they were ranked on their board. I'm not sure where Boston was on their board exactly, but he did fall into the second round.
I hope Mike knows what he’s doing
12:32
Hi Ray, love your work. Can you sight an example of a college quarterback who played so poorly in big games that then went on to star in the NFL?
Ray Fittipaldo
12:36
I cannot off the top of my head, but I did a podcast with Adam Bittner that's up on our YouTube channel right now. He argued that some QBs who come into the NFL never play in that many big games. I brought up Joe Flacco, who went in the first round in 2008. Did anyone pay attention to his record against the top teams from the old Yankee Conference? Did anyone focus on how Brett Favre did against teams from Conference USA, or whatever conference Southern Miss was in back in the mid 1990s? I see both sides. Playing well in clutch situations is important, but there might be some QBs who discover that later when they have better coaching, better players around them, etc.
Bones in Iowa
12:36
Morning Ray, thanks for your time.  I know round 1 was a bad look Thursday, but I think we dodged a bullet with Lemon. And with the pick of Iheanachor, we have a cheaper future T that could be better, but at least as good as Jones.  If Jones cannot play because of the neck injury, than great.  If hecan play this year, use that season for development and let him walk and prepare to use that $80-100 million to pay Frazier/Fautano and maybe McCormick.  What say you?
Ray Fittipaldo
12:38
I've heard a lot of fans say they dodged a bullet with Lemon. We'll have to see how his career plays out, but I do know the Steelers didn't seem to have a big issue with his attitude or personality. They obviously were going to draft him. As for your other point, yes if Jones can play they'll give him some runway to see if he can get back to where he was before he was injured. He wasn't perfect, but he was starting to play better. Having said that, he was still playing just average football. Lots of his technique issues remained.
Uncle Leo
12:39
Hello! It feels like the Steelers drafted as if they lost the Super Bowl by a field goal, stocking up on long term projects and specialists because they are just a fingernail away from greatness. If they think they are that good, they should have at least gone BPA and taken the Oregon safety or traded up for Lemon! I can’t wait to read the articles next April about how the Allar pick could have been a second rounder had they flipped it… thanks for the coverage!
Ray Fittipaldo
12:40
Uncle Leo, Hello! I think Thieneman is going to be a really good player. The Bears did well to draft him where they did. I'm willing to see how Iheanachor develops before I say it was a mistake. It's fun to grade drafts the day after, but for this Steelers class in particular you need a few years.
SteelerSteve
12:40
With us drafting Allar in the 3rd round, how do you imagine the QB room plays out if Rodgers returns? Do we go into the season with 2 guys with no NFL snaps behind him?
Ray Fittipaldo
12:40
There will be an injury and someone will go to IR before the season starts. That's my prediction.
Josh
12:41
Is today’s tender news that’s been placed on Rodgers an indication that the Steelers have zero clue on what this guy is going to decide? This situation seems murkier than last year.
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