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Brian Batko’s Steelers chat: 06.16.25
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Happy Gilmore
11:05
Players, DB coaches, and DCs have come and gone over the past decade yet the communication issues in the secondary persist. What is the problem?
Brian Batko
11:06
On one hand, I understand your frustration and it feels perfectly reasonable to make bigger changes on the coaching staff, or at least the defensive staff, or at least those who coach the secondary. Gerald Alexander is replacing Grady Brown but even Alexander is a former Steelers assistant himself. On the other hand, I also think every NFL secondary has communication issues at times and it's always an easy reason to give the outside world when you get beat.
Obx Jim
11:06
Hey Bats!  Thanks for doing these chats!  First off How was your weekend?  Love hearing the new veteran players (DK and ARod) are actually helping the younger players already.  Have you noticed a change in the team vibe?
Brian Batko
11:08
Fantastic weekend at Bluey's house in King of Prussia, Please Touch Museum in Philly and Sesame Place in Langhorne, PA. I'm not really sure if I noticed much of a difference in vibe. Compared to Russell Wilson, I'd say Aaron Rodgers is more "chill" but who isn't? Russ was wearing football pants and eye black seemingly at all times. Those two have vastly different personalities, that's for sure. But overall, no, I didn't notice a major tonal shift or anything like that.
Andrew, Australia
11:09
Steelers have some cap cash to invest. Aside from the obvious WR, where should it go?
Brian Batko
11:11
G'day, mate. You're up awfully late in Australia, but thanks for joining us. I'll go back again to slot corner. There's not much depth behind Beanie. Brandin Echols has done it in the league, I'm just not sure he's a full-time type of guy there given the physicality required. Donte Kent is an unproven 7th-rounder. And the UDFA safety from Iowa, Sebastian Castro, told me he hasn't been used there so far.
Dee Dub
11:11
How will they mix things up at LB now that we have upgraded the DL, and Watt, assuming he signs, has indicated a willingness to move around in the formation? TO be a sack-monster and a run-stopper, he does surprisingly well in coverage. Could we be getting ready to get really exotic with all of the different play and body-styles they have now?
Brian Batko
11:13
Indeed they do have the flexibility to play some "position-less football," if you will. Payton Wilson, Patrick Queen, TJ Watt, Nick Herbig, Malik Harrison, all those guys have some interesting traits that the defensive staff might want to tinker around with. Even Alex Highsmith is underrated in his ability to do just about anything the coaches teach him or ask him to do.
Tim
11:14
I understand that conceptually the best thing for the Steelers long-term may be to bottom out this season, even if that makes for a grim year-long prognosis. However, the Steelers already have the draft capital to get any QB they want regardless of regular season outcome. Why isn't the best outcome to roll the dice on a competitive season to see what happens, then get our QB anyway?
Brian Batko
11:15
"Any QB they want" is probably a stretch, Tim. But for the most part, you argued for the Rodgers run quite well. At which point I could volley back that Mason Rudolph could give them a competitive season, too, without so much of the baggage that comes with the QB they opted for instead.
Yitzer
11:16
Hey Brian, after watching you and Ray on the mini camp videos, I was wondering.  Is Ray that big or are you that small?
Brian Batko
11:16
Both?
OK friends, on that note, I'm gonna go try to make myself taller. Thanks for discussing the Pittsburgh Steelers with me again today. I'm off next week, so don't wait around for me on Monday. Especially if you're in Australia.
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