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Gerry Dulac's Steelers chat: 01.11.23
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Jeff in Ohio
11:29
Hi Gerry.   Thanks again for the chat.   Please tell me Canada is on the outs?   This concept of continuity for KP is overblown as he only is one year in.   He'd be better suited to learn and develop with a more dynamic offensive mind.   Will Tomlin pull the trigger?   Who might be the best replacement?  Thank you.
Gerry Dulac
11:36
Hey Jeff, I can't tell you he's on the outs because I have not heard that internally, at least as of now. But I don't think the Steelers should evaluate Matt Canada based solely on the small steps they made since the bye instead of what they have seen on the whole the past two seasons. When you manage to score three touchdowns in a game just twice, when your longest TD in 17 games is 31 yards, when you throw a league-low 12 touchdowns passes and rank next-to-last in the league in total TDs with 29 (five fewer than 2021), a strong assessment needs to be made about the direction of the offense. Kenny Pickett played an Andy Reid-style offense at Pitt. I don't think he would be averse to something more resembling that, if the possibility arose
Jay Daven
11:36
Gerry, it's hard to believe that D. Johnson did not have a TD reception this year while being targeted over 100 times.  Is his dancing after the catch a cause for concern and can it be corrected?
Gerry Dulac
11:37
I think he should be more concerned about catching it first. And also being able to toe-tap his way into more boundary catches. The funny thing about DJ, no receiver on the team spends more time before practice, after practice and before games working on catching the ball than him. The lack of TDs, really, is astounding.
Bill
11:37
One of the ugly interceptions In Chicago's game last weekend was when Claypool stopped running. What was Chicago's reasoning in wanting to trade for him in the 1st place?
Gerry Dulac
11:40
That's shocking to hear. Never saw that here, huh? I've said from the beginning, Chicago giving up a No. 2 for him, when they were 3-6, made zero sense. Especially because they could find a WR on the second round -- particularly with the 32nd overall pick -- who is better than Claypool. The Bears got duped for the same reason the Steelers did in 2020 -- they got infatuated with his size and potential.
Chris Parker
11:40
Hi Gerry - thanks for the chats. Have you heard any rumors around potential Steeler coaching changes since Tomlin’s press conference?
Gerry Dulac
11:44
None yet. That will be determined in the next couple days or so. But, keep in mind, when they fired their last offensive coordinator (Randy Fichtner), they did so four days after the end of the season.
Salvatore
11:44
Thanks for another great season of coverage, insight and wisdom Gerry! Do you agree that Canada and WR's fall short during the season? Do you see a change on those positions for next year?
Gerry Dulac
11:47
I don't with the WRs. There is much hope that Calvin Austin will be a nice addition after missing all of his rookie season. George Pickens will only get better. And I think you'll see them add a WR in the draft, though not until about the 4th or 5th round. Now, I'm not ready to say the same about the offensive coordinator. It just depends what body of work on which they will judge Matt Canada. And, trust me, Kenny Pickett will have NO SAY in the matter. None
Gm Gerry
11:47
Gerry … what position do you think the Steelers will go out and make a splash.   W pickett on rookie contract.  You gotta get aggressive and make a push. Thought?
Gerry Dulac
11:51
If you mean in free agency, I don't think they will, especially on what you call a "splash" player. We have never seen the Steelers sign a "splash" player in free agency, not to say they haven't signed some good ones. And they were very active last season in free agency. I think their biggest moves, for the most part, will revolve around deciding if they want to bring back Larry Ogunjobi, Terrell Edmunds and/or Damontae Kazee -- three players who are UFAs and performed very well this season after being signed in free agency.
Retire21
11:52
If Canada goes, would QB Coach Mike Sullivan be a candidate? I think he was OC with NYG with early Eli.
Gerry Dulac
11:52
"I'd take a rain check on that one, Art."
ralph
11:52
Although he was not very visible to fans, will the loss of Coach Flores be significant for the Steelers' defense?
Gerry Dulac
11:52
Any time you lose a former NFL head coach from your assistant ranks, it doesn't help.
Bert
11:52
HI Gerry Happy New Year - what do you see as the top weakness on the Steelers - OT, DT, CB, ILB?
Gerry Dulac
11:53
There ya go..!!
Tampa Too
11:53
Gerry   Who do you see as possibilities for the back up QB next year?
Gerry Dulac
11:53
The aerospace engineer
Tampa Too
11:53
Gerry   Would you rather be a Team like the Rams which mortgaged the future to win a Super Bowl but will pay for that with below average teams for a while or be like the Steelers and be playoff contenders every year with an outside shot to get to the Super Bowl?
Gerry Dulac
11:56
Everybody thinks they would like to follow the Rams model, but they are just kidding themselves. Anyone who thinks that would probably come from a city that has never won a Super Bowl or even been to a Super Bowl. If you are a Steelers fan, and you have witnessed or aware of their six Super Bowl victories, you are more than mildly delusional if you think the Rams way is the right way.
STEEL72
11:56
Gerry D, why not promote Flores to DC and move Austin to secondary coach again? Why let a talented coach go to an AFC rival or are we direly wanting the 3rd round compensatory pick?
Gerry Dulac
11:56
Why? You didn't like the way it was working this year??
Guest
11:56
Assuming the team resigns Sutton, Edmunds and Kazee, what position do you seem the team targeting for its highest price free agent? ILB?
Gerry Dulac
11:59
No I don't. And, like I said, I think their biggest decisions about where to spend their money in free agency will be made with players who were already on the team -- 23, 34 and 99.
12:00
I just accidentally deleted a question that asked if I saw the Steelers moving on from special teams coach Danny Smith and/or Chris Boswell and Pressley Harvin. The answer is the same for all -- no!
Jay Daven
12:00
Gerry, will the coach tell Pickett and Pickens to gain some bulk and muscle for their sophomore year?
Gerry Dulac
12:01
No. I think that will happen naturally. All rookies discover they have to get a little bigger and stronger heading into year 2 in the NFL.
Retire21
12:01
Looks like no Lamar this week again. Odds that he's done with the Ravens?
Gerry Dulac
12:02
They'd have to be a little nuts to sign him to one of those ridiculous fully guaranteed contracts, given his injury history.
Ok kids, I know you're getting spoiled with me spending all this extra time with your questions (that's what happens when the season is over). But I gotta run. Let's do it again next week
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