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Brian Batko's Steelers chat: 07.18.22
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Brian Batko
2:45
I've wondered myself why Chase Claypool hasn't been used more out of the slot. Maybe that'll change in Year 3. I think he has the skill set, although his quickness off the line has been a question for him since his college days.
STEEL72
2:46
Hey, Bats. Thanks for keeping the off-season interesting. I am excited to be in uncharted waters for the first time in what seems like forever. Do you think this team, on paper, has what it needs to shock some people? Or, do you feel that we are predictably going to be messy out of the gates?
Brian Batko
2:47
Thanks, I do what I can. It'll probably be a bit messy out of the gates. That's to be expected with such a young squad, especially on offense. I don't have a ton of confidence in that side of the ball, but in the grand scheme, if they show improvement later in the season - especially if it's with No. 8 at QB - that'd be an encouraging sign for the near-future.
Stone
2:49
Enough ketchup talk.   Lets get down to business.   Does the coaching staff really think Snell and McFarland are the best backup RBs they can get?   Does Durant have a legit shot?   Why not kick the tires on Tarik Cohen for a 3rd down back?   Or any other free agent/camp casualty?
Brian Batko
2:50
I think both UDFAs in that room, Mataeo Durant and Jaylen Warren, have a legit shot. Why not? Cohen has dealt with so many injuries that I don't know if he's the same guy as he was early in his career making people miss at 5-6. Every preseason there's a RB who shows some flashes but gets squeezed off another team's 53. Steelers might be able to pounce on that this year.
John
2:52
What is the purpose of tickets for Latrobe this year?
Brian Batko
2:52
To regulate crowd size during the pandemic, I assume.
Marc from Germany
2:52
Hi BB, I'd like to revisit a fun thoughtgame: if after signing Ogunjobi, the steelers traded Rudolf to the browns on the eve of Camp...Do you think, Mason would ever stop chugging maalox straight from the bottle...what did that poor guy ever do...
Brian Batko
2:53
I saw somewhere that Larry Ogunjobi did a radio interview and mentioned Rudolph as one of the Steelers who reached out to him when he signed. Sometimes I think those story lines get overblown and that players themselves view it differently than those of us on the outside. Ogunjobi is friends with Zach Banner and did a youth camp with him the offseason after that melee. Stuff gets heated in certain moments and I'm not sure a whole lot of grudges get held these days.
Guest
2:55
How could the naming rights money allow them to spend “over” the cap?   It’s a hard cap.
Brian Batko
2:56
All the intricate machinations of the NFL salary cap are above my pay grade, but there are plenty of gymnastics you can do to manipulate the "hard" cap. The Rams' cash flow has allowed them to push all their chips into the middle right now on huge bonuses for guys like Matt Stafford and Aaron Donald. Here's a good explainer if you're curious: https://www.si.com/nfl/2021/03/02/business-of-football-understanding-t...
Ht
2:58
Brian do you think that Haskins tragic death changed the Steelers draft strategy. Would they have taken Pickett even with Dwayne on the roster?
Brian Batko
2:59
We'll never know, but I think they still make that move for Pickett. Not sure they would've felt compelled to go for QB depth in Round 7 with Oladokun, though.
GM
2:59
Every year we get a FA, who seems like a good signing but never reaches the field.  Are they really just backups when we get them?  Case in point Karl Joseph should be better than Edmunds
Brian Batko
3:00
Yes, Mike Tomlin always answers questions about those types of players by saying they're just trying to provide as much competition as possible. There's oftentimes a reason why those players are still available to sign when they are, because the other 31 teams aren't seeing a no-doubt starter or even contributor. Case in point Joseph barely saw the field last year.
3:01
OK friends, that's all the time we have for today. I'll be back for our last pre-camp chat next Monday, so see you then.
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