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Brian Batko's Steelers chat: 05.12.25
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Brian Batko
12:00
Hi everyone, hope you had a great weekend. In one last tribute to George Pickens I thought about showing up late for the chat but here I am, so let's go.
Jeff M
12:00
Hi Bats, Who do you think will be the Steelers most impactful rookie? I am guessing Johnson as DL can take a little longer to adapt to the NFL.
Brian Batko
12:01
Yeah, Kaleb Johnson is a great guess for this season for that very reason. You'd hope by Year 2 or Year 3 it's Derrick Harmon.
Steel City Kid in Alabama
12:02
Morning! Question about the future. As a beat reporter, does the young Danny Rooney have a strong presence at the facility, games, road games, meetings, etc.! Does he interact w players and coaches? It’s always been surprising that he’s not featured a little more considering he’s considered the next in line. Thanks!
Brian Batko
12:05
Not sure I'd call it a strong presence, because my sense is he respects that his title in the organization is officially Director of Business Development & Strategy, and that's not typically a very forward-facing role. But yes, he's around a lot at games and I'm sure he's taking it all in as he prepares to succeed his father someday. It's not like he's a fly on the wall at practices and whatnot, though.
JP
12:05
Hi Brian, will any of you guys go to the game in Ireland for coverage?
Brian Batko
12:06
Yes, we're planning for a big P-G shindig over there, JP. Should be a lot of fun.
Ralph
12:06
Do you think they will trade for a number 2 receiver.
Brian Batko
12:06
Maybe but I wouldn't bet on it
APK
12:08
I’ve been reading a lot of ridiculous comments on the Pickens trade from fans who don’t like the trade. 1.) They should have been able to get a 2nd round pick. Fans seem to think that because the Bears traded a 2nd for Claypool, that the Steelers should get at least that much for Pickens. It’s not like it’s a legal precedent and it’s not the trade deadline: teams aren’t as desperate in the offseason.
Brian Batko
12:09
Plus Chase Claypool had a year and a half left on his deal at that point, not to mention was a lot less of a headache than George Pickens.
HeHateMe
12:09
Why do Tomlin continue to let receivers do what they want to do? We won't win anything until he's gone
Brian Batko
12:12
I should preface this by saying we aren't necessarily privy to every conversation Mike Tomlin has behind closed doors or discipline he might hand down. But I do think it's an entirely fair criticism that he gave Pickens a lot of leeway and Pickens ultimately took advantage of that, all the way until the end. We can all think of at least a few public moments for Pickens that arguably were worthy of a playing time punishment. Who knows how many private instances were too? Other than that Cowboys game when his snaps were cut way down, which everyone involved insisted was a part of the plan and even an analytical decision, Pickens never was held accountable in that way.
Adam
12:13
The ownership would never admit this, but are they looking to tank this year and take a QB early with a bad record and increased draft capital?
Brian Batko
12:14
No, they aren't looking to tank. But I do believe they're thinking about the future more than they have in recent years and certainly more than when prime Ben Roethlisberger's presence made them a contender annually.
Yates
12:15
Brian-  performance of OL in 2025 will more heavily influence win total as opposed to Rudolph vs AR?  Do you agree?
Brian Batko
12:16
Yeah I can probably agree with that. I don't see a ton of upside with either guy. But both of them could have a pretty low floor if the O-line doesn't fulfill its potential.
Jake
12:16
Did anyone stick out to you over the weekend ?
Brian Batko
12:18
It's almost cliche to say at this point, but Will Howard really does carry himself with more gravitas than your typical sixth-round pick. Perhaps that's to be expected from a QB. Still, I was impressed and it's easy to see why coaches and players seem to really like the guy.
Commissioner
12:19
Do you think the Steelers schedule will be affected at all by the possibility of Aaron Rodgers signing? Maybe vs Jets and vs Packers will be later in season so those games could be flexed? Thank you
Brian Batko
12:20
Or maybe they'd want them early in prime time for sure. I think that's really the only impact. It's not like the Steelers aren't a huge brand with or without Aaron Rodgers at QB.
artiebridge
12:20
Brian, If the Steelers anticipated trading Pickens, would they have handled the draft differently?  My thought would be to keep Najee, use the third round pick on a wr, aim for a rb on the 5th or 6th.
Brian Batko
12:21
No, because I think they did anticipate trading Pickens. I've had a lot of people ask me why they didn't draft a WR. First of all, they had other needs, too. Second, they weren't gonna reach on one a year after taking Roman Wilson in the 3rd (and jury is still out there). And lastly, that would've hurt their leverage in a Pickens trade even more if another team sees them invest a high pick in the position. It'd be an obvious tell that they're desperate to move on from a malcontent.
FirstTimeLongTime
12:23
Yo BB - Do you think we make a trade for a WR. Possibly someone who would be under contract for 2026.  I say this thinking about 2026 draft and what we assume will be a QB.  Don't they want to make the offense as steady as possible for the new arrival?
Brian Batko
12:24
They do for sure, but they don't necessarily have to add that piece now if the value isn't right. Might also be something to be said for drafting a QB and WR back-to-back and creating that chemistry from the jump.
Pittfan
12:24
Hi Brian. I fat fingered my last question. What do you know of the Justin Fields situation? Did the Steelers really want him and totally misjudged/mishandled the negotiations or were the Steelers ready to move on? Do you think they preferred Rodger’s all along?
Brian Batko
12:26
I'm really not sure. Just based on the way Arthur Smith seemed to feel about him and their interest in him in the 2021 draft, my best guess is that they would've liked to have continued the relationship with Justin Fields but just thought the Jets overpaid and weren't comfortable matching that. So then maybe the calculus became "let's just get the best QB we can under a certain price tag" and Aaron Rodgers is now the target, more or less.
J D
12:26
Brian, Jon Gruden speaks highly of Will Howard even comparing him to Josh Allen.  That may be a stretch at this point but are you as optimistic?
Brian Batko
12:28
Well, I'm not that optimistic. Look, betting on any sixth-rounder to have a great career is just not a wise investment. You're gonna lose a lot more than you win. But I do like Will Howard and, more important, I'm pretty comfortable saying there are people in the organization who really like Will Howard and thought he was a much better prospect than where they landed him. Does that mean he'll pan out? Not at all. But it's his first month as a pro. We don't have to call him Josh Allen Jr. or Big Ben 2.0 we really don't.
brian
12:30
Hi Brian,  I am wondering, upon reading the PG's story of George Pickens and his being traded and why, why MT is reticent to call out players.  There is such a clear pattern with past receivers, even running backs, that should've been addressed but it looks like he is enabling them.  Why do you think this is?
Brian Batko
12:32
No. 1 is that I imagine Tomlin feels much more loyalty to one of his players than anyone on the outside, which is understandable and probably how it should be. It does him no good to take in-house stuff and put it on front street. But I think he also trusts himself to steer those trains back on the track in his own way, and maybe trusts himself too much to do that. Or it's as simple as he just wants to squeeze as much out of a problematic player as he can until the time is right to unload them, so it's more about managing than developing or, to use your word, enabling.
Bob
12:32
What do you think the odds are that we trade Watt for a load of picks instead of extending him for the $40M he wants?
Brian Batko
12:33
Not good, but the Steelers also aren't in the business of overpaying someone because of sentimentality. So I'm sure they're looking for a compromise that makes everyone happy but also makes everyone a little unhappy, because it's business.
Matty the Delt
12:34
Happy with the Pickens trade and it seems character in addition to talent is part of the post-Colbert directional shift. Are we really set at WR or is this more GM speak so Omar doesn't tip his hand? If this is the group of WR to start the season, what does it say about their faith in Roman Wilson?
Brian Batko
12:36
Omar Khan is never "set," Matty. But I believe him that he isn't going to make any rash moves to fill what we on the outside might perceive to be a roster hole, because last year in a very similar situation, he did not make any rash moves to fill what we on the outside perceived to be a roster hole. And you can make a compelling case that he should have, for sure. But while I don't fault him for passing up on a Brandon Aiyuk, I am of the mind that the Van Jeffersons and Robert Woodses of the world aren't the answer either. Where's the middle ground?
beanzostill
12:37
Thanks for the chats BB... sent over question about Roman Wilson, but forgot to put my name on it (Monday, go figure). Do you have any info on R.Wilson progress, and do you think we blew the pick that year on him? I just don't get that dawg vibe from him... not sure what to think, what say you??
Brian Batko
12:39
Thanks, always nice to get a real username instead of the cold, aloof "Guest" who appears far too often.  I'm here to connect. But on Roman Wilson, I really don't want to judge the guy one way or the other yet. Just reset your expectations and treat him like a rookie this year. He got hurt the first day in pads and it was all downhill from there. Would it have been impressive if he could get up to speed by midseason or later? Absolutely. But he didn't, so let's hold off on calling him a bust.
LivingInMyFears
12:39
Thanks for the chat, Brian! Omar seemed adamant that the current WR situation and depth is completely different than this last year's room ... and I know that he has more intimate knowledge, but really? Do they really believe that Austin, Roman and whoever else they might have behind DK has matured/improved THAT much? Or is it a matter of being TOO close to the situation and sort of being jaded by the WANT for the situation to be better than last year?
Brian Batko
12:41
Well, you forget that it starts at the top. DK Metcalf is probably a better player than George Pickens and he's certainly a more reliable person to be the No. 1 guy. But I hear you on the rest. Heck, Jefferson is better than Woods at this stage of their careers, in my humble opinion. I suppose they're banking on the whole being better than the sum of its parts, or at least the ancillary pieces like Austin and Wilson to be more impactful than a year ago.
Lou
12:42
Hi Brian. I suppose the majority of teams don’t really expect to win a Super Bowl often but with the Steelers always selling a message of The Standard is the Standard which means LOMBARIS then how can the guys like TJ and Cam buy into this situation of not having a QB or a WR2 to really compete?
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