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Ray Fittipaldo's Steelers chat: 12.19.23
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Ray Fittipaldo
11:27
Good morning, let's get the chat started.
Mats
11:27
Hello Ray, how many Steelers should be traded, Moore?Pickens? Johnson? Okafour (sorry for the spelling)? Tomlin? and what would be their draft value, thanks
Ray Fittipaldo
11:32
Well, there isn't going to be much of a market for Okorafor or Moore. I just think you'll see the Steelers walk away from Okorafor and absorb the dead cap hit for 2024. No one would take on that contact. I don't think Moore has much value either going into the final year of his rookie deal. He's cheap, but he only plays left tackle. Teams would just rather draft guys unless someone is really desperate. Now, the WRs are a different story. Johnson is making $7 million in salary next season and a $3 million roster bonus. So $10 for a good No. 2 receiver isn't bad. I'd say a third-round pick would be good return for Johnson. Pickens? That's more difficult to say. He comes with baggage, but some team might be willing to trade a third or a fourth to see if they can get more out of him. And by the way, you can't trade or cut the entire team! I know that's the knee-jerk reaction after a three-game losing streak, but they have to field a team in 2024.
Retire21
11:33
Ray...who's your most disappointing Steeler? Mine might be a surprise....Mitch Trubisky. Flacco comes off his New Jersey couch and lights it up. Dobbs was what they wanted for a while, an immediate infusion...I know he tailed off, The butcher, the BAKER, the candlestick maker.......
Ray Fittipaldo
11:34
My how times have changed. In August, we were all saying the Steelers had the best backup situation in the league. I would agree Trubisky was disappointing in his two starts, but I think the entire offense from Pickett to Johnson and Pickens and Najee, all of them have been disappointing to me. The only player on offense who has been consistently good is Jaylen Warren.
Joe
11:34
Before all the good chat times ... thanks for the chats, Ray (& P-G staff) and happy holidays. :)

Now, my question. In Zeise's column today he said Najee doesn't want to be in Pittsburgh anymore. You can't speak for Zeise, so I'm not asking you to. But in your interactions with Najee, have you gotten that vibe?
Ray Fittipaldo
11:36
I see frustration in Najee, but I don't jump to the conclusion that he doesn't want to be here. By the way, the Steelers could make that call for him. I don't see how they pick up the fifth-year option on his rookie deal when he's not even the best running back on the team.
Joe
11:36
The OL had a string of games where they looked like bullies. Now they're the ones getting bodied. What happened?
Ray Fittipaldo
11:38
The coaches will tell you the running game hasn't gotten going the past few games because of the poor third-down conversion numbers. There is some truth to that, but there's much more to it. This group isn't good enough to impose their will on people and run whenever they want. And the pass pro has been fairly spotty too in that same time frame. You know what that means? Probably another pick in the first few rounds to help rebuild it. They got Broderick Jones this year. Now they need a center and probably a right tackle in either the draft or free agency this year. It's been a disappointing season in a lot of ways for the line. I think it's clear they need to add better players.
Retire21
11:39
Will it be a festive, almost Christmas Eve crowd with a lot of kids Saturday. Or will they be ready to cascade the boos?
Ray Fittipaldo
11:39
Probably a mix. Lots of people selling their tickets. I know that.
Or giving them away.
Sal
11:39
Do you think a WR coach like Hines Ward can change the culture on those young WR's ?
Ray Fittipaldo
11:40
I think it would help, but the culture is set and enforced by the players first and foremost. There's only so much assistant coaches can do. But I can tell you, I wouldn't be against it.
Guest
11:40
did you agree with the refs on JPJ's interference penalty before halftime? thanks
Ray Fittipaldo
11:40
I didn't have a big problem with the call.
Joe
11:41
Let's say that the Steelers don't want to throw in the towel for the season. What steps can they realistically take at this point to at least possibly salvage their pride?
Ray Fittipaldo
11:41
Changing the QB is the only move that might make an impact. And that's why Tomlin is making the move. Everything else is merely rearranging the deck furniture on the Titanic.
zeisechris@yahoo.com
11:42
Ray, Miles Boykin plays well on ST and seems willing to do whatever it takes to succeed. Why not start him over Pickens, (for a quarter or even a half), tell Boykin to play receiver like he plays ST and make GP stand next to HCMT and watch how a PROFESSIONAL football player conducts himself.
Ray Fittipaldo
11:43
That's all well and good but Boykin wouldn't even line up correctly a couple of games ago. He was responsible for one of those illegal formation penalties. I'm not against sitting Pickens for a quarter. I think a lot of former players would applaud the move. Maybe even some in that locker room. But how about just playing Calvin Austin more? Or bring someone up from the practice squad? Reward someone who is working hard who wants to play in the NFL. That energy might be good for the team too.
Billiken Bill
11:44
Ray - Thanks for the chats. Unlikely to happen, but if MT is traded or goes by agreement or choice, wouldn't you as the owner or GM of a team interested in him be skeptical given his inability to assemble a NFL caliber staff? And his unwillingness to make adjustments to game plans in real time, his trending record of poor draft choices and his record of enabling?
Ray Fittipaldo
11:44
No they wouldn't be deterred by that. He has a good track record overall. Some of these teams that will be searching for head coaches would kill for a 9-8 season.
Youth Over Experience?
11:45
Has another head coach ever lost to three first year coaches in the same season? I can’t imagine that has happened before. That seems hard to do.
Ray Fittipaldo
11:45
Let me call the Elias Sports Bureau on that. And I bet it has happened before.
Yates
11:46
Hi Ray-  If 8 is unable to go on Saturday does he play in remaining games if healthy but Steelers out of contention?
Ray Fittipaldo
11:46
If Pickett is cleared by doctors he'll play in Seattle and/or Baltimore.
Team Divided
11:46
Tomlin said he had a good meeting with Pickens last week. Then he stood and didn’t block on one play, and he ran away from the defender and straight to the sideline after the interception. That’s two more strikes against a guy that already had 5-6 strikes. There has been no significant punishment yet. Don’t consequences usually follow actions? Why has Tomlin always let his skill players skate on infractions such as these?
Ray Fittipaldo
11:47
Likely because there is a big drop-off in talent from Pickens to whoever they'd decide to replace him with.
Hall of Shame?
11:48
Tomlin gets lauded as a future Hall of Fame coach mostly because of his regular season winning percentage and the fact he won a Super Bowl. He has many obvious flaws (clock management, team discipline, fundamentals, postseason droughts, slow starts, poor game planning, weak coaching staffs, etc.), but the Super Bowl and never having a losing season seem to trump those. Tomlin’s career winning percentage is right around 0.63. You know who else has a career winning percentage around that? Barry Switzer and George Seifert. Both won Super Bowls and took over for Hall of Fame coaches. Tomlin is very comparable to both, but they are never talked about as future Hall of Famers. Why the big difference?
Ray Fittipaldo
11:51
Probably because Tomlin coached for much longer as an HC in one city than the other of those guys you mentioned. Switzer was an NFL coach for only four seasons. Seifert was the 49ers' HC for eight years and then four more in Carolina. That's the difference. Longevity.
Ron
11:51
Hey Ray...who has the best and worst chances of 'under contract individuals' on the offense being gone next year of: WR Johnson, WR Pickens, HC Tomlin, OC Cole, RT Chuks, RB Harris, QB Trubiski?
Ray Fittipaldo
11:53
Chucks is gone. Could definitely see them moving on from Trubisky too and probably Cole. Harris likely finishes out his Steelers career in 2024. You never know how a player will handle not being given the option, but I think he's back.
Colonel
11:54
I've always assumed that ARII isn't nearly as involved in the "nuts and bolts' of running the team as his father was. What is the likelihood of him actually stepping in and forcing drastic changes in the upcoming off season? I don't believe that Mike Tomlin would ever be fired but how extreme could the off-season changes be?  Thanks for the chats.
Ray Fittipaldo
11:54
I think you're going to see a lot of changes this offseason. They won't stand pat after another poor finish to the season.
Joe
11:55
Lost among all the terrible news (and there's plenty), I'd like to point out Elandon Roberts has been a man despite being beat up.
Ray Fittipaldo
11:55
Wholeheartedly agree. He's a keeper.
Joe
11:56
Pat P. and Allen Robinson would be almost $17m in cap savings against $4.8 in dead money. I can't see them back. But Cole would be a substantial cap savings, as would Diontae, Chucks and even James Daniels. Of those I mentioned ... any you would guess are no longer in the black and gold?
Ray Fittipaldo
11:57
Chuks won't be back and probably not Cole either.
Steeltown
11:57
Hi Ray, we certainly may be having a different conversation if Alexander, Holcomb, Minkha, and Kenny not been  injured. I suspect we would have won 1-2 of these recent losses. It is what it is, so what now. I do think wr, qb and ol should be the priorities in this upcoming draft, but feel for the most part that the other positions are in decent shape. Your thoughts?
Ray Fittipaldo
11:58
They need to draft a WR high and an OL in the first few rounds for sure. They also need to use a high pick on a DL. It doesn't look like Leal is a future starter. They might have to draft two DL.
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