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Gerry Dulac's Steelers chat: 01.24.24
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Gerry Dulac
10:55
OK kids, we will start our chat in just a few minutes so get ready....
11:01
OK, lets get started....
Stairway to seventh seed
11:01
Gerry:  Are you as impressed by Khan/Weidl's drafting skills as many in Steeler Nation or do we just tend to over-rate Steeler rookies because it has been so long since we have had solid draft classes?  We got excited about Leal last year just because he played some even though he didn't really produce.  We graded Pickett on the rookie curve and let two good drives convince us he was the man.  Neither of those picks has aged well.  Will we feel similarly in a year about the 2023 class?  Jones struggles in pass pro.  Porter was a pleasant surprise for another bloodlines/legacy pick, but he doesn't tackle well and benefited from our avoiding most of the top AFC QBs on the 2023 schedule.  Benton was taken over a Rams rookie who had 9 sacks.  Washington blocks, but he was a big disappointment as a receiver.
Gerry Dulac
11:03
I think you are over-reacting and are quick to judge. I have no problem with the rookie class, I like it, but I'm not going to anoint anyone for the Hall of fame after one year or even two, either. I always prefer to give it time.
Stairway to seventh seed
11:03
Overthecap.com must have updated their accounting and now have the Steelers at $15.7m over the 2024 cap (25th place).  Tomlin has committed to a QB that by at least one very important measure (TD%) is the worst QB in NFL History.  We pick 20th and likely will get no compensatory picks.  We have major holes at QB, CB, DL, C, ILB, OT, S, and even need a punter.  TJ is turning 30.  Tomlin somehow thinks we are "close" to the teams still playing.  Am I just living in my fears or isn't there less reason for optimism about the long term trajectory of the franchise than in at least 35 years?
Gerry Dulac
11:07
You are not only living in your fears, you have a dark cloud having over you that would get any meteorologist's attention. I'm not saying this team is ready for the Super Bowl, but I would think you would feel better about them than you did a year ago. And you mentioned eight positions at which, according to you, they have major holes. I'd say (and so would everyone else) you are being a bit extreme. So are they "close?" No. But are they closer, yes, though the chasm might still be a bit expansive.
Brian in NC
11:07
Pickett isn’t a finished product, but we do have two years to assess and he’s been average at best so far. Seems like likelihood he becomes elite is small, but what do I know. What’s your guess as to the likelihoods that he becomes an elite QB vs a good one vs one they look to replace?
Gerry Dulac
11:09
I never thought he was an elite QB. Those guys are few and far between. I thought he could be a good QB and, with a 14-10 record, he has been that but nothing more. I get a kick how the people who all over-reacted to Pickett when he was drafted are now over-reacting the other way after two seasons. The same people who pumped the balloon full of air are now letting the air seep out.
Just Run with the Ball
11:09
Najee was a little vocal about the locker room issues and the culture that has been clear to the casual viewer for a decade now. While I respect his honesty, Tomlin has shown over the years he is never wrong and doesn’t like to be questioned. Do you think this will impact his decision to pick up his option?
Gerry Dulac
11:10
I'm confused -- did you say he "has shown" he is never wrong when you meant he has never admitted he is ever wrong??
Mason Fan
11:10
Why would Mason even consider returning here? He has been treated poorly for years. He has been lied to. Even if he is told that he will compete for the starting job, why would he believe it?
Gerry Dulac
11:11
He may not. Stay tuned
The Standard is Substandard
11:11
As long as we win 9 regular season games a year, Tomlin is future Hall of Fame coach and keeps his job forever. Is there another organization in the NFL with expectations this low? Are any other coaches given this low of a standard to uphold?
Gerry Dulac
11:18
There is not another organization in the league that has never had a losing season the past 17 years, either. I wouldn't call that a low standard. Look, I get your point, totally. I get the disappointment. I fully understand the lack of playoff wins. But "low standard" is a bit off.
Free Agency
11:18
Do you think the Steelers will even make an offer to Mason? The fans and teammates know Mason is the best QB on the roster and want him to start, but Tomlin has made it clear that Pickett is his guy. Can’t Tomlin get his way by just saying that he wanted Mason back (which is probably a lie), but then say other teams offered more or a longer contract?
Gerry Dulac
11:19
They will make an offer to him, for sure. The question is, will Mason want to re-sign if he gets a better offer?
Fundamentally Flawed
11:20
The Buffalo loss was another example of how we are so much more fundamentally flawed than the top teams. The fumbles were because of not properly securing the ball at the point of contact. The tackling was even worse than usual. The clock management at the end of the first half was worse than usual. These are basic football fundamentals. If we haven’t fixed them under this regime for the past decade, how are we going to fix them next year?
Gerry Dulac
11:20
That goes with the definition of insanity, eh? Doing the same thing and expecting a different result.
Mike
11:20
Thoughts on Kliff Kingsbury being mentioned as an OC possibility?
Gerry Dulac
11:21
Good person to interview. Good OC, not a good head coach
Coaches Everywhere
11:21
One of the arguments I hear to keep Tomlin is that you don’t know who the next coach will be. That’s absurd. There are up and coming coaches all over the place. Was Kneecap Campbell a well known commodity at the time of his hire? He sure could inject some well needed life into the team.
Gerry Dulac
11:21
Agreed 100 percent
Different Game
11:21
When I watched the games this past weekend, I saw eight coaches that were passionate and involved. I didn’t notice any standing around, looking confused, or looking like a cheerleader. They participated in the game. Is this something that Tomlin can easily change by next season?
Gerry Dulac
11:22
You don't have to be any of those outwardly to be a good head coach.
Tim from Canada
11:22
Cam Heyward is a tremendous athlete and a heck of a locker room presence. However I think his replacement needs to be the first round pick in the draft, and hopefully Cam stays at a discount to mentor. Does that seem like a good first step to get younger and better where we need it now?
Gerry Dulac
11:22
That has been the "good first step" for the past two years, not just this year. To skip on it again is foolhardy.
The Dude
11:23
It doesn’t seem smart to add real competition for Pickett with a guy like Cousins but how about Russell Wilson if he could be had cheap enough? He might be a better option than Rudolph, right?
Gerry Dulac
11:24
If Mason Rudolph comes back, there will be no Russell Wilson. He certainly isn't going anywhere to be a team's No. 3 QB.
More of the Same
11:24
We’re keeping Tomlin. Pickett is being given the starting job. Pickens and Johnson will still be starters and still be problems in the locker room and on the field. We will have a new offensive coordinator, but Tomlin will have a say in it. Austin will stay as a mascot and Tomlin will run the defense. While there will be minor changes, why would we expect anything different next year? Shouldn’t the next season of the Steelers TV series will be practically the same as the past seven seasons?
Gerry Dulac
11:27
You don't build continuity by blowing everything up and disrupting what you have. Then you are the Cleveland Browns. I understand your points -- you can't just think you are on the path to the Super Bowl when you're 10-7 and haven't won a playoff game in seven years. It might be nice to think they are on the right path after the way they finished the season, but they thought the same thing when they finished last season with a 7-2 run. How did that work out??
The Steelers Way
11:27
Hey Gerry. Looking forward to the upcoming draft, do you know if there are any highly talented receivers available that are selfish, immature, lazy, and have terrible attitudes? I’m just trying to get a feel of who we are going to pick.
Gerry Dulac
11:27
Hahaha....pay the man!!
Insanity
11:27
Can you name a long list of coaches that got a contract extension after 7 straight years or either missing the playoffs or getting beat soundly in every postseason game? I can only think of Marvin Lewis and Jim Mora.
Gerry Dulac
11:28
You mean who were outscored 66-0 in the first quarter of the past five playoff appearances? No.
He is a Khan Alright
11:28
The Steelers have a history under Khan of kicking the rock down the road in terms of salary cap. We backload them and then either must overpay aging veterans too much or restructure/release them and carry dead money. This year’s crop includes Cam, Robinson, Chuks, Peterson, etc.. This results in weakening the team by having to replace a Cam Sutton with a Patrick Peterson. It happens every year. Is it think to rethink this strategy?
Gerry Dulac
11:29
Not at all. Their strategy has always been the best in the league. The Pirates should adopt the same.
NoLosingSeasonsParade
11:29
Why is Art rewarding Tomlin with another extension after another year without a playoff win? Make it make sense
Gerry Dulac
11:29
I can't.
Bill
11:29
If Mason Rudolph signs a new contact and then outshines Kenny Pickett in pre-season next year, does Mason become QB1? If not, is Pickett on a short leash?
Gerry Dulac
11:30
The short leash is more likely. But that is no way to enter a season.
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