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Brian Batko's Steelers chat: 04.22.24
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Brian Batko
2:38
Let's not ignore some of the ones that worked out, to a degree. Tyson Alualu, for one. Melvin Ingram still had some juice but wanted out. Minkah Fitzpatrick ring a bell? But I hear you. Just not sure how much that's a "Steeler" thing. Probably a global NFL trend, more often than not.
Jason
2:38
Hi Brian,Still no proven WR2 or starting center on the roster. Will both be filled by end of day Friday?
Brian Batko
2:38
My guess is yes
pick a line
2:38
Which is better? Option A) Moore-Seumalo-Top Rookie-Daniels-Jones  or Option B) Jones-Seumalo-???-Daniels-Rookie.
Brian Batko
2:39
Whose line is it anyway? Option A has one less question mark, quite literally.
the real guest
2:39
Brian, Really really hope your worst-case draft doesn't come to pass. Not quite a nightmare but certainly a bad dream.
Brian Batko
2:40
Here's that mock in case anyone missed it over the weekend: https://www.post-gazette.com/sports/steelers/2024/04/20/steelers-2024-...

I doubt it'll play out that way, but this draft does seem to be trending as offense-heavy in the first round as any in recent memory, especially the first half of the first round.
Arthur not Art
2:41
Hi Brian, thank you for the time and the chat. Are any of these QBs worth moving up to get if they fall in range. I know they're in win now mode and won't do it but they are also in QB purgatory with nothing reliable after this season. It cost KC 2 first round picks to move up 17 spots and get Mahomes. Had the Steelers done that, those picks ended up being Watt and T. Edmunds. Can't imaging not having Watt but a Mahomes type makes up for a lot of shortcomings elsewhere. Are any of QBs with Rnd 1 grades worth that risk here?
Brian Batko
2:42
One of the very few moments of transparency today was Omar Khan saying they aren't going to take a QB in the first round. Unless it's the lie of all lies, we can dismiss that.
Scrappy McGowan
2:43
Is Tomlin being honest when he says “to be completely honest with you”?
Brian Batko
2:43
Great question. Might have to ask him sometime.
SteelFanInJax
2:43
If a secondarily needed position player that they have ranked on their big board 5 shots higher than a position of need player is sitting there at 20 who do they choose?
Brian Batko
2:43
That's all baked into the board itself, so they'd follow their nose, so to speak.
Matt
2:44
I’m starting to think Barton in round 1 is a great idea… he’s your center but in the event other centers drop then we draft a Center in round 2 and move Barton to RT.  Thoughts?
Brian Batko
2:46
Positional flexibility is definitely a plus, but my sense is the Steelers (maybe every team) view him as a center. You kind of have to make that determination early on to make sure you don't waste a pick that high.
62 Stack Monster
2:46
If Center is their true desire, perhaps trading down is the best course of action?
Brian Batko
2:47
Perhaps. But Omar Khan today said a general rule of thumb for him is never trade down when a good player is there. Maybe I'm just doing too much psychoanalysis of someone who was simply trying to make it through a 30-minute press conference without revealing anything of substance, but I don't know that he says that if trading back is truly in their plans this year.
CJ
2:48
Brian, hi my biggest pet peeve when watching football is watching how defensive backs don’t look back for the football on deep sideline and goal line fade routes specifically, they end up getting called for pass interference or the receiver makes the catch , why aren’t they taught to turn heads like a receiver
Brian Batko
2:49
They are, but the tough thing about being a corner is that you're also taught to stay "in phase," which effectively means as close as possible to the receiver. One split second to turn your head and you can lose phase. I'm no football guru but I've spent a lot of time around Pat Narduzzi-coached Pitt teams that put their defensive backs on an island with regularity.
Dean from Charlotte
2:49
Hey Brian - thank you for the chats! I can’t imagine the Steelers are comfortable with Herbig at Center, nor do I believe they go Center in round 1. What do you think about moving Daniel’s to Center, and drafting a stud guard (as an alternative if they don’t see value in one of the top 3 centers in the draft)?
Brian Batko
2:51
Hey Dean. "The more you can do" is always a good way to stay relevant and keep a roster spot in the NFL (or MLB, for that matter). But if you spend any amount of time around professional O-linemen, a lot of them relish that step up to being a full-time starter, locked in at one position rather than needing to be the utilityman type. It's sort of a rite of passage, a "made man" kind of thing. Not that I want to speak for James Daniels, but he's probably in the mindset of trying to hone his craft and justify his hefty contract as a pure right guard more than anything else at this juncture of his career.
Lefty
2:52
Brian, in Mike Tomlin's 16 years on the job he has managed to win a playoff game in only 4 of them. He has not won one in 7 years. Does he really deserve an extension?
Brian Batko
2:54
I was beginning to worry we wouldn't get a Mike Tomlin extension/job security comment this week. But your point is noted, Lefty. Whether he deserves another year (or two) is based less on what he's done lately and more on whether ownership believes he's still the best man for the job. That's sort of how any business operates, no? You don't pay entirely for past performance, but try to project out what someone will produce for you.
Bill OMeah
2:55
Did the Pirates hired Matt Canada to be their offensive coordinator, as I saw Cutch and Wilson running some Jet-sweeps before the game the other evening.
Brian Batko
2:56
Could you imagine Bob Nutting hiring Matt Canada for any coaching role? Maybe they could get Ron Hextall to be their GM.
2:57
OK friends, we'll close on that most dour note. But hope springs eternal going into another draft. Thanks for following along so closely and guess what? Next Monday we'll have actual new Steelers players to discuss in this here chat. See you then.
2:58
Oh, and one other thing before I go. For those of you who are local, we're having a live draft discussion Thursday night at Mike's Beer Bar on the North Shore. Come one, come all. Should be fun.
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