Ray Fittipaldo's Steelers chat: 07.08.26
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Ray Fittipaldo
11:00
Good morning. Let's get the chat started.
J D
11:01
Ray, have the Steelers done anything to improve the grass at Acrisure?  It seems that every year in the late fall there is sand flying around and mushy grass making the field slick.
Ray Fittipaldo
11:02
Gerry Dulac wrote about this subject at the combine in February. Yes, the Steelers are trying to improve the surface and the NFL is instituting standards for all 32 teams. https://www.post-gazette.com/sports/2026-nfl-draft/2026/02/26/acrisure...
Richard Coastal Bend
11:02
Good morning Ray, while the quick fix national pundits call for a rebuild any time a team has a bad season the steelers have chosen a slow motion restock and reset that seems to be in progress now and over the last few years, as you look at it with your perspective, how do you think the steeler strategy is going so far?
Ray Fittipaldo
11:06
Not well enough because they haven't won a playoff game, and every high-ranking figure in the front office has said this out loud. Until the Steelers get back to being a legitimate threat in the postseason they are not where they need to be. As for rebuilding, team president Art Rooney II doesn't like to use that word. He wants his GM and coach to build a roster every year that is able to compete for the playoffs. Other teams don't mind the term rebuild and are more open to it because they see a bad season as a way to acquire elite talent in the draft, especially at quarterback. The Steelers haven't finished with a losing record since 2003 so they haven't had the opportunity to draft a QB in the top 10 or 15. That's how many struggling franchises become more competitive.
TVC15
11:06
Hi Ray, What would be your best guess at how many more years McCarthy will coach the Steelers?
Ray Fittipaldo
11:07
Well, he signed a five-year contract so I think he'll coach at least that long, unless things go terribly wrong in his first few seasons.
J D
11:07
Ray, this is the best offensive line since the Pouncey years and they invested a lot with the high draft picks.  They appear to be solid and eager to improve.  Is this line the youngest one in the NFL and how many games do you think it will take before they fully jell?
Ray Fittipaldo
11:10
Now that Seumalo has moved on this quintet just might be the youngest group in the NFL. There is promise in this group, but they need to start playing up to their draft pedigree. That means being able to run the ball whenever you want to run the ball -- not just when teams are giving you the looks -- and protecting your stationary 42-year old QB. They got better with that as last season went on, but there were some struggles early in the season. They need a more consistent season overall from start to finish.
Jim Bow Dean
11:10
I expect Queen to have a strong season, and I believe Tomlin bears most of the responsibility for the team’s struggles at off-ball linebacker over the past decade. The most recent effective play at the position came from Williams and Shazir, but that was long after LeBeau left. Even Queen commented on the scheme and just look how much Spillane improved once he got away from Tomlin. Should they give Queen an extension when he would probably take a discount.
Ray Fittipaldo
11:11
I don't sense any momentum toward an extension for Queen. I think they'll see how he plays in the new system and then make an evaluation from there. My guess is he moves on in free agency in March, but we'll see how the season plays out.
Realist
11:11
The view on whether the Steelers will keep 4 QBs is split.  What do you think?
Ray Fittipaldo
11:11
I think they'll keep 3 on their 53-man roster.
Realist
11:12
What do you think will happen with Kaleb Johnson?
Ray Fittipaldo
11:12
I think he will be the No. 3 RB behind Rico Dowdle and Jaylen Warren. I can't remember the last time the Steelers cut a third-round pick entering his third season. And I don't think it happens to Johnson.
yo yo
11:13
McCarthy doesn't come across as a "put lipstick on it  and hope for something else" type of coach. That was Tomlins mantra with QB selections. McCarthy didn't select Howard who is a second year QB that doesn't even have 1st year under center. Is he trade bait for whatever they can get?
Ray Fittipaldo
11:14
But why did McCarthy say so many positive things about Howard from the time he took the job? I think he genuinely wants to evaluate Howard and see how he works in his offense. I can't predict Howard will become a starter or even a backup, but this idea that he's trade bait merely because McCarthy did not draft him is overstated in my opinion.
Realist
11:15
A long time ago, the backup QB was often the holder for the kicker.  Now, it's the punter. Why did teams use the back-up QB then?  Do any teams use anyone other than the punter to hold now?
Ray Fittipaldo
11:19
Back when I was a kid in the 1970s and 80s you saw receivers and defensive backs holding for kicks along with some QBs. I think back then they just wanted someone who had soft hands and knew how to get the ball down for the kicker. Many of the punters in that era were not asked to do it. Over the years coaches have trained punters to do it and kickers are no worse off. In fact, they're more successful than ever.
Nicholas
11:19
Hi Ray...thanks for the chat.  If the Steelers decide to keep nine OL, who does not make the cut?  For this exercise, let's say Jones starts on IR, so he does not count as one of the nine on opening week.
Ray Fittipaldo
11:24
So in that case, you have your five starters: Fautanu, McCormick, Frazier, Anderson and Cook. Then the two rookies -- Dunker and Iheanachor -- are locks as well. So that's seven. After that, you're looking at guys such as Brock Hoffman, Ryan McCollum and Steven Jones and Jack Driscoll battling for the final two spots. My guess right now is they keep Hoffman and McCollum, but keeping a fourth tackle over an interior player wouldn't surprise me either.
Arthur not Art
11:24
What are the biggest changes that you anticipate for training camp?
Ray Fittipaldo
11:24
Will have to wait and see, but the obvious one is the practice time McCarthy prefers to practice in the mornings rather than the afternoons.
Tin Cup
11:25
Ray, HCMT was fond of saying he didn't live in his fears. His ultra conservative game plans illustrate that he actually did. Will McCarthy/Graham be more aggressive based on what you have seen?
Ray Fittipaldo
11:25
Yes and it doesn't have to be over-the-top with their in-game decisions. Maybe it's just being more aggressive with their play-calling in certain game situations.
Steeltown
11:26
Hi Ray, do you see the Steelers trading one of their cornerbacks to try to improve another position?
Ray Fittipaldo
11:27
No I don't. They want to develop a young guy like Everette and some of the older corners, such as Ramsey, likely won't be used strictly as a corner. He'll move around and be a chess piece for Patrick Graham.
Dean F
11:28
Ray, thanks for the chats. Are we as fans fooling ourselves to think this organization can ever get back to the glory days of AFC championships and Super Bowls?
Ray Fittipaldo
11:29
They need a young QB who can play for them to become a consistent threat every season. That's why teams such as the Ravens and Bengals are coming the favorites every year despite their finish the previous season. QBs like Joe Burrow and Lamar Jackson are elite players. If you build around players like that -- and you can make a good argument the Bengals have failed in that regard, you'll be a strong contender.
Realist
11:29
Where do Steelers fans get the idea that players will take a discount?  Is it just wishful thinking?
Ray Fittipaldo
11:31
Yes the only pro athletes who have taken discounts in order for their teams to build around them are Tom Brady and Sidney Crosby. (And I guess Rodgers did to a certain extent last year). Am I missing anyone else? These players want to maximize their earning power when they can.
Realist
11:31
Would Howard even bring a 7th round pick in a trade?
Ray Fittipaldo
11:31
He's never played in even a preseason game and he's a sixth-round pick. Why would he?
Daniel
11:32
Always been impressed with how much many Steelers are involved in the community.  I know recently Heyward was even won the NFL Walter Payton Man of the Year Award.  Who was our nominee last year?  I assume the Steelers really encourage supporting the community?
Ray Fittipaldo
11:33
Alex Highsmith. And yes, the Steelers, like most teams, strongly encourage their players to sponsor programs in the community.
Tom
11:33
Are the offensive and defensive lines for real for 2026?
Ray Fittipaldo
11:33
Time will tell. They've certainly invested enough in the O-line to take a big step forward.
J D
11:34
Ray, looking forward to the season to see how good the Steelers can be.  Because injuries are part of the game, I think they have good backups on the OL, OLB, DL, DBs, RBs, QBs but are still shallow on WR's.  Do you agree and who needs to step up to make this a more solid group?  Do they still need to sign another vet here?
Ray Fittipaldo
11:35
I think they'll take camp and the preseason games to evaluate Germie Bernard and Roman Wilson to see where they are in their development. If they're not satisfied with their growth you might see them make a move before the season starts, but I don't see expect any big move until they see where the young guys are.
Bob G.
11:36
What do  you out the odds of us trading Highsmith this season? I don't see it happening this season. TJ is very fragile and likely to go down again this season and OLB along with CB are key positions on defense.
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