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Gerry Dulac's Steelers chat: 01.11.23
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Gerry Dulac
10:43
OK kids, we're going to start our chat in just a few minutes. Going forward, keep in mind our weekly chat might be fluid, with time changes and weeks off.
10:49
I've been sneaking a peek at some of the questions already waiting for me and there are some good ones. So let's get to it....
Gregg from Shaler
10:50
Hi Gerry - what do you think will happen with Mitch and Mason? Expect to sign a veteran backup and draft a late round or UDFA developmental for #3?
Gerry Dulac
10:54
I expect Mason Rudolph for sure to be gone. He's an UFA and, after being demoted and dressing for only one game, has no desire to come back. Mitch Trubisky has a year remaining on his deal and, like Rudolph, doesn't have a great desire to return after the way he feels he was mistreated. Also, Trubisky is due an $8 million salary and will count $10.6 million against the 2023 cap, which I'm sure the Steelers are not willing to accept for a backup. So they will likely ask him to take a pay cut, he will say no in attempt to have them cut him, and he will be released. And they will save $8 million, both in real money and against the cap. And then they will attempt to bring back a QB who was here once before, among other moves.
62 Stack Monster
10:57
Hi Gerry, Diontae Johnson had 147 (or so) catches without a TD this past year.  Is it more indicative of the player or the offensive scheme?
Gerry Dulac
11:00
It is amazing to me that, despite having 86 catches this season and 17 touchdown receptions the previous two seasons combined, that Johnson did not have a TD catch. He is the only WR or TE with 48 or more catches who did not have a TD catch. I'm sure there are a lot of reasons, and some of those are because of him.
SS
11:00
Would you trade two of our top 3 picks to move up
Gerry Dulac
11:00
No. But I might trade the second of the No. 2 picks to do so.
Andrew from John
11:00
Good morning Gerry! A lot of people are connecting Tremaine Edmunds to the Steelers as a free agents signing. Any chance that's a realistic option? Thanks!
Gerry Dulac
11:03
It would be a good addition, for sure, and it doesn't seem like a stretch for the Steelers because of their penchant for having brothers tandems (Watts, Heywards, Davises, Edmunds previously). But, they already have plenty of high-priced defensive players with Watt, Cam and Minkah and are not in position to add another. And Tremaine Edmunds won't come cheap.
ScoopGillespie
11:03
Do you have a sense of how their draft selection process will work? Khan has no football background so will it be Tomlin/Weidl with Tomlin getting the final say?
Gerry Dulac
11:07
It will be all three of them with Art Rooney II being involved. Weidl was hired to put together the draft board, which he did in Philly, and from that board selections will be made. So he will have plenty to say which players are drafted. And, in all these years, I have never been told of an instance where Tomlin over-ruled Kevin Colbert or anyone else. For the most part, they come to a mutual consent. If one of the group strongly disagrees with a player, they stay away from him.
Guest
11:07
Chuck Noll went 4 straight seasons without a postseason win. He was “stale” and asked to leave. Bill Cowher went 3 straight seasons without a postseason win and there were calls to fire him. Mike Tomlin has doubled that by going 6 straight seasons without a postseason win and he is being praised annually. Why the difference in perceptions?
Gerry Dulac
11:11
The only calls to fire Cowher came from the fans, not the Steelers, who don't operate that way, which is what you are seeing happening with Tomlin. But I get your point. I always direct people to Google "Tony Dungy/Tampa Bay/2001" and discover why the Bucs parted ways with a future HOF coach when he had three early exits in four trips to the playoffs.
Guest
11:11
The Steelers have been starting slow each season recently. I feel this is partially due to starters not getting reps in the preseason. It’s like the coaching staff treats the first 4 games of the regular season as the preseason. That can lead to missing the playoffs. Do you expect the coaching staff to learn from this and let the starters play in the preseason games?
Gerry Dulac
11:12
My only counter to that is every team does that nowadays in the NFL. Nobody wants to risk injuries to their top players in meaningless games, not with the money they are paying some of them.
Guest
11:12
If Canada does not return, could this be the year Tomlin goes outside of his comfort zone and hires and outsider with a great offensive mind? Or should we expect more of the same with a safe internal promotion of someone who will fall in line with the coach’s thoughts?
Gerry Dulac
11:12
He should, but I wouldn't hold your breath on that one
Guest
11:13
Mike Tomlin has not had a playoff win in 12 of his 16 years. That’s a 75% futility rate. How is that “a future Hall of Famer” and all time great? That is a low percentage of success.
Gerry Dulac
11:13
Well, when you put it that way....
Guest
11:13
Our inside linebacker stats are possibly the worst ever for starters. Will we get lucky and have some team take Flores off our hands and we can hire a qualified coach? The Flores experiment was clearly a bust.
Gerry Dulac
11:13
I'll make sure I tell them.
Jeff Lebowski
11:13
When will you start diving into the draft and free agency and what would you like to see them do with both?
Gerry Dulac
11:15
I don't start that until I go to the combine. I'm not a big fan of guessing and projecting draft choices, mainly because most mock drafts are based on what players the person doing the mock draft would like to see, not necessarily what the team might like.
Guest
11:15
Will Tomlin finally give up some of his power in the draft room and let Khan and Weidl do their jobs? I don’t want to see more first round picks like Bush, Jones, Burns, Ziggy….
Gerry Dulac
11:16
Those are no more on Tomlin than Antonio Brown, Heyward, Tuitt, Watt, Najee, Pickett or Pickens. It is a collaborative effort, whether good picks or not-so-good picks.
Tony
11:16
Do you think the Steelers extend Highsmith this off-season?
Gerry Dulac
11:18
They want to and will try. It depends if he wants to wait and gamble and test the free agent market in 2024 and see if he can get a multi-year deal that will be greater than what the Steelers will offer after paying Watt all that money. Remember, they went through the exact same scenario with Bud Dupree. They weren't going to commit a multi-year deal with Bud because that money was ear-marked for Watt.
Eddie
11:18
Do you think Cam Sutton will be resigned?
Gerry Dulac
11:18
Yes. And he should.
Rich
11:19
ha New Year Gerry. Was Claypool addition by subtraction? Coincidentally the team seemed to gel better when he was moved. The only thing worse that a bad football player is one who is bad but thinks he’s great!
Gerry Dulac
11:20
He's not a bad player, just not a good one for all his perceived potential. I don't think his absence had anything to do with them getting better this season. But it will have something to do with them getting better in 2023 because they get the 32nd overall pick in the draft because of that trade.
Bill
11:20
What were Mason Rudolph's specific deficiencies that led to his becoming a 3rd Stringer this year?
Gerry Dulac
11:23
I get your question, and my simple answer is the Steelers believed they need someone better (and more athletic) than Mason. And, after they drafted Pickett, there was no way they were going to deactivate him every game and have him watch in street clothes. That became even more apparent in training camp when there was no question who was the better QB.
clarence
11:23
Do you agree with Tomlin that young late round draft picks (or free agents) like Spillane and Robinson are on the rise deveopmentally and can become full time starters?
Gerry Dulac
11:25
I believe that with Mark Robinson. His explosiveness makes him the type of player you can develop into an impactful player. Spillane is a solid player, especially against the run, and I wouldn't want to dismiss what he is able to do for them. But he has some limitations in the pass game.
Lamar
11:25
What do you think about the Steelers trading the 32 pick pick of the draft for Jeffrey Simmons ? From the titans he would be a good fit next to cam heyward. You think the Steelers would be interested? Also what do you think George Pickens break out next year and be a top 5 reciever
Gerry Dulac
11:26
The Steelers have enough veterans on their defensive line. While I really like Simmons, it's time to go find he next Cam Heyward in the draft, not in free agency. They need to rebuild the defensive line with young studs, like they had with Heyward and Tuitt.
Rich
11:26
Gerry many teams have “run game and passing game” coordinators. The Steelers do not. Is this a Tomlin decision or a management budget consideration? I have been surprised to see reports of the overall deficiencies in assistant coaches as compared to other teams. I didn’t think that the Rooney would pinch Pennie’s like that!
Gerry Dulac
11:29
I hate to tell you this, they have had those guys, especially in the run game. They just don't make a point to announce such titles.
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