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Brian Batko's Steelers chat: 02.24.25
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Brian Batko
12:34
Hadn't heard that, but I don't believe he left here on bad terms or anything.
Cliff
12:34
What to do with 39?  Could a different scheme free him to play his game?  OR. Has game passed him by?
Brian Batko
12:35
I'd say the game has passed him by the way he used to play it. Skeptical that he still has that first step and burst to execute what his instincts tell him. But he can be a sure tackler and utilize his football IQ.
Victor G.
12:36
Good afternoon.  Is the signing of tight end Parham indicate Connor Heyward’s career with the Steelers may be over?  Thank you.
Brian Batko
12:37
No, just an offseason depth move and he'll have a chance to compete for a spot in camp. Now if they add another more similar tight end to Connor Heyward, that could be trouble, but he's a reliable special teamer. Parham's addition is more similar to that of MyCole Pruitt, though granted, Pruitt ended up making the team and playing a lot.
Angela
12:38
Hi Brian, I enjoy your chats.  Can you tell when Omar K. is scheduled to talk to the media this week and if it will be televised ala Coach Tomlin’s press conferences?  Thank you!
Brian Batko
12:39
He talks at the combine tomorrow along with a bunch of other HCs and GMs but I don't believe it'll be streamed like that.
JPinPDX
12:39
Good morning Bats! Combine week is here and draft talk is heating up ... are you more excited to clock 40s or to read the next Mock Draft version 3.2.b?
Brian Batko
12:39
Give me those 40 times, JP. Need some more data points to sift through the numerous names.
Pittfan
12:40
Hi Brian. There are so many opinions on who will be the Steelers starting QB this coming season. Unfortunately, I'm a fan obsessed with knowing. Is there any information out there I can believe?
Brian Batko
12:40
Believe nothing that you hear and half of what you see.
Rodney Ross
12:40
What do you think is the biggest roadblock in getting Tee Higgins to Pittsburgh? Bengals finding a way to keep him, our QB room, another team overpaying in free agency, something else?
Brian Batko
12:40
Bengals finding a way to keep him and if not, trying to win a bidding war against 30-ish other teams.
Earl M.
12:42
Appreciate these chats. Any idea if the Steelers have interest in Jaxson Dart or Wil Howard?
Brian Batko
12:43
Will Howard seems more like a Steelers-type QB to me than Dart. He's got some of that which you cannot measure.
Sonny Sixkiller
12:44
Who is gonna punt?
Brian Batko
12:44
Cam Johnston or Corliss Waitman
Wiley
12:44
Do you think even with Stafford at QB the Steelers would be legitimate contenders for the SB?  Especially with their obsolete offensive schemes?  Thank you.
Brian Batko
12:45
Yes but I'd have some reservations about Stafford holding up in the AFC North, particularly late in the season. Great Super Bowl-winning QB, probably a Hall of Famer, but has played the vast majority of his career indoors. You can't tell me that wouldn't be an adjustment.
Bulldog
12:46
Hi Bats.  Hope your weekend was great.  In what round does MT draft Dino?
Brian Batko
12:47
Now now, are we going to have to hear these Dino Tomlin jokes the entire draft process?
itsallmoot
12:47
What's your sense on how aggressive the Steelers will be in Free Agency? They have cap room but their M/O seems to be use FA to fill depth spots.
Brian Batko
12:49
Well last year they spent up pretty big on Patrick Queen. If they make another splash move like that this year, I'm looking at cornerback, maybe a WR if there's one they can talk themselves into. Certainly they could use a DL but it's a particularly weak FA crop there.
Paul
12:49
A lot of people think the Steelers should bottom out, so they can draft early and get thier future franchise QB. Picking early doesn;t guarantee anything,
Brian Batko
12:49
Correct. And a lot of those same people would be moaning and complaining more than ever about such a season. But hey, maybe they want to spend more Sundays at the pumpkin patch for a year or two.
Tim from Canada
12:49
If the Steelers bring in a vet WR in free agency, and draft a rookie, I can't help but think that keeping Pickens may be the best option. What do you think about waiting to see him in a season with a stronger WR room before we cast him away?
Brian Batko
12:50
It's not about his ability so much as his character at this point, Tim. Only they know how they're feeling about his potential to change on that front.
Super Bowl Kenny Pickett
12:50
Brian, I do not feel at ease with all the veteran QB ideas. If anything, given where this team stands, I feel like letting Fields rip for a year is the only true way to go... and maybe burn a pick on a project. There is simply no guarantee at all that a once-elite qb from somewhere else will have the highest percentage impact. I think knowing who the guy is from start of season to the end, barring injury, is the best road. We are not one or two players away from solving this skid.
Brian Batko
12:51
Yes, to me that's sort of the ultimate pitch for Fields: Pole position.
Steeler Joe
12:51
Have you got any sense of whether George Pickens remains a viable part of this roster? Is the team committed to making him work? Or are they ready to move on and reclaim his value in a draft pick via trade? I know how so many fans feel, but I wonder what you hear around Steelers HQ.
Brian Batko
12:52
I explored that in my position analysis on the receivers that went online Saturday and was in the Sunday paper in case you missed it here
OK everyone, with that plug thrown in there, I'm calling it a chat. Thanks for stopping by and be sure to reconvene with Ray and Gerry from Indy the next two days.
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