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Brian Batko's Steelers chat: 04.08.24
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Brian Batko
12:00
Hi everyone, welcome back to the chat. Hope you had a nice weekend and I hope we’ve turned a corner with Pittsburgh weather
Tom in Dallas
12:01
Are you and the family doing anything special for the eclipse?
Brian Batko
12:02
No, but I did move up the chat time to make sure we’re all together by 3-ish. My son is 4 so I’ll be curious to see if he thinks it’s really cool, really pointless or somewhere in between.
NY Steel
12:02
Aren’t the Steelers taking a huge risk at WR? Pickens is very talented but immature and there is reallly no one behind him of significance.
Brian Batko
12:04
Yeah, I’d say there’s risk there, mainly for this season. If things go sideways, WR has become a position where it’s fairly easy to rebuild on the fly via free agency/draft/trade. They’ll also take a new one in the second or third round, is my guess, which will help replenish the pipeline behind George Pickens.
Steel curtain
12:05
Doesn't it make sense to trade back and accumulate an additional 2nd or 3rd?  We have many needs, and this may allow us to move up in the 2nd to nab either C, OT or WR.
Brian Batko
12:07
These questions are always popular but really it's the same answer most of the time. Yes, it could make sense, but we won't truly know until the draft starts to unfold and the Steelers see how their board is falling based on the teams in front of them. It's pretty rare to see trades like the Vikings/Texans one where Minnesota moved way up that far ahead of the draft.
Stash
12:07
BB, do you think Coach T is aware that his clock management aptitude has not improved one iota in 17 years? Or does his high opinion of himself preclude such thoughts from entering his cranium?
Brian Batko
12:09
Not to say he's great at it, but I think a lot of fans complain about their NFL head coach's clock management. It's one of those things that's a lot easier to do from the couch. That being said, I feel like having more front office/coaching/analytics/football ops staffers can help with that process.
Bulldog
12:10
Are the Steelers still obligated to take  Maryland player in the draft this year?  We've seen what happened to the others ans it has not been good.
Brian Batko
12:11
That's a fair point, they've missed more than they've hit on Maryland guys, going back to second-round DB Sean Davis (before my time on the beat). If they're looking at one this year, it might be another big-body safety, Beau Brade.
Middle of the Pack
12:12
Hey Brian.  Lots of talk about Fields and his shortcomings.  He sure looks like a good college quarterback that can't cut it in the NFL.  We chose him over Mason, Pickett, Huntley, and possibly others.  Why?  Is it just because he can run fast?  It seems like Tomlin often goes after players that can run fast (Shazier, Bush, Jarvis Jones, Burns).  Doesn't he realize it takes a lot more than speed to be an NFL player?
Brian Batko
12:14
Let's break down each one of those. They chose Russell Wilson (at his price) over Mason Rudolph (at his price), not necessarily Justin Fields over Rudolph. They effectively chose Wilson over Kenny Pickett, too, so then Pickett wanted out. Only then did they make the move for Fields. They did choose trading for Fields over signing Tyler Huntley, but what's wrong with that? I think Mike Tomlin and Omar Khan would take someone with the pedigree of Fields over Huntley every time and I wouldn't disagree on this one.
Tom in Dallas
12:15
On the recent FA adds in the last week or two, I don't recall selling any contract info.  Is it safe to assume that most or all of the role players are signing for the vet min?
Brian Batko
12:18
Yes, guys like Dean Lowry, Kyle Allen, MyCole Pruitt, they aren't here on major deals at all. Bargain finds to fill out the depth and compete for more.
Mike P.
12:19
Is an offensive line made up of Broderick Jones, Isaac Seumalo, Zach Fraiser, James Daniels and Amarius Mims worth using your first, second and a third (to trade up) in your opinion?
Brian Batko
12:20
That looks like a solid unit. Not sure you'd need to trade up to get Zach Frazier, but we'll see. Amarius Mims, maybe. But to answer your question, no, I wouldn't use my first three draft picks to acquire those two guys specifically.
Scott
12:20
Hey Bats thanks for the insight. Aren't the Steelers potentially leaving themselves susceptible to another Kendrick Green at center situation?  Not sure the QB matters if you reach or go bargain shopping on a center again.
Brian Batko
12:22
Yes, which is why I still think they might make a move to sign a starter-capable center, if not someone who'd be a very exciting name to add to the mix. There's very little left on the open market but they could be waiting out a guy (or guys) to try to get another cheap signing there.
Dlongley44
12:23
Thank you for the Q & A, my question is the draft:  IF Dejan Cooper CB, or JPJ C, are available, which one would you pick?  Also, any dark horse in the draft you like?  (Hayden Hatten) WR from Idaho?  6th round possibility?
Brian Batko
12:24
Jackson Powers-Johnson, not close.As for Hayden Hatten, I'd say no because I think they'll address WR far earlier, and rightfully so.
574 Fan
12:25
Brian - thanks again for chatting. Any thoughts on how Weidl’s board will look if JPJ, Barton, and Mims are all still available at 20? C is clearly the bigger need and the team seems to be in win now mode, but 2 stud bookend T’s could be the engine for this offense for the next decade. Also, C is generally not considered a “premium” position like T
Brian Batko
12:26
If I knew, I'd feel a lot better about my draft projections. It's a good problem to have if you feel confident in all three of those guys to a degree. Graham Barton needing to make a transition to play center might put him third among that trio for me. I could go either way on Mims/JPJ but man, they just don't make many humans like Mims. Seems like a classic case of floor vs. ceiling prospects.
Paul from Beaver Falls
12:27
Are the Steelers going to sign Cam Sutton to a cheap 1 year deal?  Seems like a no risk issue.
Brian Batko
12:29
No risk signing someone who was just charged with domestic battery? Yeah, I'll be the first to tell you I always enjoyed my interactions with Cam Sutton while he was here and would not have expected this kind of thing to involve him, but I would not go there. At least not right now while information is scarce, other than he had a warrant out for weeks and then had the felony reduced to a misdemeanor upon turning himself in.
George Thorogood
12:30
So, I don’t think the Steelers will be “Bad To the Bone” this year, but I do see them as having too many holes to fill, preventing them from being a legitimate contender. Potential contender to win the division or a playoff game, yes, but championship contender, no. They need OT, C, 2WRs, DE, outside CB.
Russell Wilson is almost certainly an improvement over Pickett, but is probably a 1-year stopgap, or two at most, and I’m not a believer in Fields. What do you think?
Brian Batko
12:32
One tackle, one center and one receiver. It's all about who do you love in the draft? I still think there are too many destroyers in the AFC for the me to put the Steelers in that championship contender category.
LYM
12:32
Brian, thanks for the time and chat. With FA in a lull, looking at what they’ve done so far, as a group would you say the QB group has improved, stayed the same or are a little worse right now.
Brian Batko
12:35
As a group I'd say it's improved, but not as drastically as it's being framed by national media, if that makes sense. Russell Wilson and Justin Fields are far bigger names around the league than Kenny Pickett and Mason Rudolph, and you could debate that they should be. But I thought Rudolph provided quality play at the end of last season, arguably better than Wilson looked in 2023. And while the traits of Fields exceed those of Pickett, their actual NFL track records to this point aren't that different.
GPT
12:36
If JPJ and/or Frazier last into the 2nd round, at what point do the Steelers think about trading up to get one of them? I don't think either will make it to 51, at which point you're probably looking at Van Pran in the 3rd round.
Brian Batko
12:37
Probably depends on whether the Steelers have more faith in this center class than is projected from those of us on the outside. Graham Barton is a wild card. There's a second tier of prospects in line with/just behind Sedrick Van Pran, such as Hunter Nourzad, Dom Puni, Mason McCormick and Beaux Limmer.
NY Steel
12:37
Colbert’s last decade seems quite mediocre.  Just one first round pick got a 2nd contract after Decastro and that was TJ Watt.  Is draft weakness as big a problem as weak coaching staff (beneath Tomlin) in explaining no playoff wins in 7 years?
Brian Batko
12:38
The draft is an inexact science. We know that. There's no doubt that the Steelers missed too often and too high in the final years of Kevin Colbert's tenure. So of course that contributes to it. But evaluation is only one part of team-building. Development is also a large part.
Yuri
12:39
Hello Brian, have you heard who may be on the list to take over the broadcasting duties of Mr. Hillgrove?  Thank you Brian.
Brian Batko
12:40
No, I have not. But congrats to Bill Hillgrove on the news this weekend that he'll be inducted into the Pitt Athletics Hall of Fame later this year. Hopefully he doesn't have to wait too long to go into the Steelers' Hall of Honor, as well.
Stairway to seventh seed
12:40
Brian: I realize that Dan Moore leaves a lot to be desired and there is a lot of first round talent at tackle in this draft.  However, given major needs at WR2, C, and CB2/3, wouldn't taking an offensive tackle be more of a luxury pick or at a minimum be inconsistent with the all-in on 2024 approach (two QBs on one year deals, keeping Heyward at $16m, etc.) that they seem to be pursuing?
Brian Batko
12:42
That's the beauty of Dan Moore. He's OK. He's solid. He's good enough to protect you if you don't get an instant-starter at tackle. But he's still someone you'd prefer to improve upon (or at least he is for me). The one area I think you're overrating the Steelers' needs are CB2/3.
Steve
12:44
Hey Brian, Even before the draft I'm very bullish on the Steelers chances of improving on 10 wins and even winning a  playoff game.  Personnel is objectively better having added PQ and Elliot to the defense.  Getting 8 and 18 gone was addition by subtraction.  I'm most excited about having a competent OC and offensive system!  I don't think it can be understated how bad of an offense Canada ran for three years.  AFC West and NFC East will be a challenging schedule but I foresee a significantly better and more watchable team this season.  You?
Brian Batko
12:46
To me, the biggest factor you hit on is Arthur Smith replacing Matt Canada. That could go a long way. I'm not as over the moon as you when it comes to the personnel acquisitions, other than Patrick Queen. DeShon Elliott should be reliable, but would't call him a game-changer. Donte Jackson doesn't move the needle much for me. And, of course, the million dollar question is Russell Wilson. I'm not sold.
IL Steel
12:47
What position do you believe the Steelers will take #1 -- C, T, WR or something else?
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