You are viewing the chat in desktop mode. Click here to switch to mobile view.
X
Brian Batko's Steelers chat: 03.28.22
powered byJotCast
Brian Batko
2:00
Hi everybody, what's on your mind today?
Retire21
2:01
Schedule do out very soon. With Pirates home the first weekend, Steelers will be on the road. I’m guessing at Cincinnati?
Brian Batko
2:02
They always seem to be on the road that opening weekend. How about what would be the most fun game to start the season? Yeah, probably still at Bengals just to set the tone for how much there's really been a changing of the guard in the AFC North.
Jason
2:03
Hey Brian! With the Steelers history of picking bad corners in the 1st round do you see them not picking one in the first round or is it such a need they just might have to?
Brian Batko
2:04
I don't think it's such a need that they have to do it, Jason. Cam Sutton, Levi Wallace and Ahkello Witherspoon strikes me as a solid trio, even if it's not all that sexy. But I think the Steelers like all three. Now, if they have someone fall to them at 20 whom they're really high on, I don't think they let past failures at corner deter them. That's simply no way to approach the draft part of team-building.
Steeltown
2:04
So Brian, is the door now shut on the Honey Badger?
Brian Batko
2:06
No, the door isn't shut until he signs somewhere. Especially if each day that passes makes it more likely he'll have to settle for less than he hoped for on the open market.
2:07
Hey, breaking news in the chat. According to a report from Adam Caplan, the Steelers are bringing in edge-rusher Genard Avery on a one-year deal. Makes sense given that they need depth there and he has played some stand-up OLB.
Joe
2:08
Based on what the Steelers did in FA it looks like it sets up that DL, Safety and receiver are the priorities. I would think they would like to sign a safety before the draft. Would you agree and who would you say is most likely?
Brian Batko
2:08
Yes, I would agree, and I still see Terrell Edmunds as most likely. The longer this goes on, with the Steelers needing a SS and him not signing anywhere, makes the me think the somewhat awkward reunion is going to happen.
Marc from Germany
2:09
Hi BB, why does nobody seem to be willing to give Trubisky an honest shot at proving, he's the Man? I don't know, if he is, but he might be. So why not see, if this turns into some matt stafford Situation? (Yeah yeah, I know :D)
Brian Batko
2:11
Plenty are willing. But those who are lukewarm on him, like me, are simply pointing out facts that indicate he might have hit his ceiling already. And no, comparing him to Stafford doesn't make a ton of sense. Stafford was much more accomplished individually/statistically when he went over to the Rams.
Jud
2:12
What round (if any) would you peg a QB for us in the draft?
Brian Batko
2:14
Well, the events of the past week sure make me think Round 1 is very much in play. Obviously, there are a lot of moving parts, but I just don't think the Tomlin-Colbert-Hunt triumvirate skips out on places like A&M, Ohio State and Penn State to go see Malik Willis, Matt Corral and Desmond Ridder if they weren't serious about picking one of those guys (plus Kenny Pickett).
Hammering Hank
2:15
The Steelers need to sign Edmunds, I know he was a 1st rounder and everyone expected more. But how many 1st rounders give you 4 years of starting and last year he showed a lot of growth. Sign the man!
Brian Batko
2:17
Teams declining a player's fifth-year option, then bringing him back isn't particularly common, but it has happened. One instance I know of for sure is Kyle Fuller, a cornerback who had his declined after a season he missed with injury, then turned in a career year after that. Bears tried to transition tag him, then matched a long-term deal from Green Bay, so there were some extenuating circumstances that made it different than the Steelers/Edmunds situation.
Will
2:18
What 2021 movie title sounds most like a Tomlinism? Power of the Dog? Nightmare Alley? Tick Tick Boom?
Brian Batko
2:18
"Don't Look Up" (Or I'll Cut Your Eyelids Off)
Peter
2:18
Brian, in your opinion who would have been a better QB acquisition for the Steelers, Matt Ryan, Wentz or Trubisky?
Brian Batko
2:19
Out of those options, especially with the context of what it took to acquire them and what they'll cost in 2022, Trubisky.
Buster
2:20
What do you think the odds are at this point that the Steelers draft a QB in the first round?
Brian Batko
2:21
Let's go with 45%, Buster.
Jay
2:22
Hello Brian.  Is Tomlin slowly become Jamie Dixon?  He has probably a bottom five offense, yet seem much more concerned with his defense.  Early success set us up to disappoint with his recent mediocrity.
Brian Batko
2:24
Wow, now there's a comparison. The big difference to me is Dixon never got over the hump, whereas Tomlin did it in his second season. Now, I understand that winning the big one doesn't buy you a lifetime contract, but still, he did get it done. Overall, though, I do see some parallels there.
Franco in L.A.
2:25
Why are the Steelers wasting cap space on Tuitt for a second year in a row? Any free agent WRs on the horizon, or do Steelers plan on drafting two wideouts?
Brian Batko
2:27
There's no guarantee that Stephon Tuitt will be on the roster this year. Steelers continue to take that day by day. As for WRs, I think the Steelers still sign a vet - Genard Avery move today an indication that they're not necessarily done with outside FAs - and also draft one, maybe even as high as the first round but probably more likely on Day 2.
Michael
2:27
Rank in order of likelihood: Steelers trade up for QB in 1st, take QB at 20, take QB in round other than 1st, draft no QB at all.
Brian Batko
2:28
Hmmm. Good question. After some serious contemplation, I'll rank them D, B, C, A.
Bru HaHA
2:29
Hi Bats, what's your take on Mark Madden? Is he as much of a troll in real life as he seems on Twitter?
Brian Batko
2:30
I've done plenty of radio interviews with Mark talking Steelers and they've always been perfectly pleasant. Does that count as real life?
Andrew Ross #auntPENNY
2:31
What’s up with it Brian Batko? We got 23 start capable dudes on the team. Do you think the Steelers are going to sign the strong safety, T Edmonds to get to 24? They need to get him back, but only on a team friendly deal, laced with big time performance incentive upside. That’s how we do it on Wall Street where I made my fortune. You gotta bet on yourself. Show that kinda confidence and swag. That dude needs to stay focused and a contract with a pay for performance structure — like what KC kingdom gave to team JuJu — is the way to go. It’s not that guy’s fault that we drafted him a round early. Ammaright?
Brian Batko
2:32
Um...yes, you nailed it.
Phil
2:33
Looking at contracts that can be restructured and Ben coming off the books after this year, do the Steelers have the cap room to make one more upgrade on free agent market? Peppers would be the guy I would want or someone to replace Tuitt if that’s the direction we go.
Brian Batko
2:34
Sure, there always are ways around the cap, though sometimes those machinations include kicking the can down the road a little more. But Jabrill Peppers would make me nervous a bit coming off an ACL injury. And I tend to think the next addition to the DL, if there is another this offseason, should be a rookie who can be in that next wave after Heyward/Tuitt/Alualu rather than another vet.
not convinced yet
2:35
if the Steelers were seriously planning to spend draft capital trading up for a top QB in round 1 don’t you think they would have done as much as they possibly could have in free agency to fill any gaps in their projected starting lineups?
Brian Batko
2:35
I, too, am not convinced that they will trade up in Round 1. If anything, I think they're doing all this homework because they believe one or more of the QBs could fall to them at 20.
Derrick Plapton
2:36
The day's most important question: Team Will Smith or Team Chris Rock?
Brian Batko
2:38
Chris Rock is probably my favorite stand-up of all time, but I think I'm Team Will on this one.
Tom
2:39
Has Rudolph made any comments after the Trubisky signing?
Brian Batko
2:39
Yeah, he went on the Rich Eisen show the other day and it was a pretty awkward conversation all around. He said what you would expect, that he looks forward to competing, but feel free to check it out for yourself:
Load More Messages
Connecting…