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Gerry Dulac's Steelers chat: 05.12.21
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kevin in Punxsy
11:11
Mornin' Gerry.  Will most, or all, Steelers sports journalists have access to the the team, the players, and the coaches this upcoming season?
Gerry Dulac
11:12
That still hasn't been determined. I think it will be more open than last year, of course, but I still don't think they are ready to go back to what it was pre-pandemic. Not yet anyway.
Jacob
11:12
Is it just me or have the Steelers signed an inordinate number of one year contracts? Is that strictly due to 2020 & the salary cap adjustments or is the FO trying to prepare for Minkah/TJ/etc?
Gerry Dulac
11:13
That is true all around the league, not just with the Steelers. And it's for one reason only -- the flattened salary cap.
Idggy DeBeau
11:13
Even though he just signed an extension, does a 7-10 season keep Tomlin off the hot seat again?
Gerry Dulac
11:14
No. Maybe in the eyes of the public, but not among the organization. But, need I remind you he has never had a losing season in 14 years here. Not sure it's going to start now.
Joe
11:14
On your list - Cypress is the hardest to get on.  Any Steelers owner with finance/banking experience can get you on the other two.
Gerry Dulac
11:14
I have connections everywhere
Jacob
11:24
You often talk about how Pittsburgh journalists know the team better and are better experts on the Steelers than national journalists. What are some "tangible" examples of how you better know the team that a national journalist wouldn't have access to?
Gerry Dulac
11:29
It's easy -- aside from a pandemic year, we are around the players, coaches and team personnel on a daily basis. That includes being at the combine, owners meetings and offseason programs with them.  Some credible members of the national media might obtain some nugget of information, but those are isolated moments. I will also point up that not all Pittsburgh journalists, as you call them, are better "experts."
Scott
11:29
Tomlin has been quoted a couple times saying the schemes and blocking techniques used in the running game need to be improved. Where has he been the past 3 years? They have finished near the bottom and have been in need of an overhaul since Randy took over. Why did it take him so long to address this?
Gerry Dulac
11:30
Because they finished at or near the bottom the past two years. Time to blow up everything and start again, and that's what they are doing
kevin in Punxsy
11:30
Has anyone in media ever discovered the reason that the Steelers signed D Watt to a 3-year $7-$9 million contract??
Gerry Dulac
11:30
Yeah, they overpaid for him
TC
11:30
Hi Gerry, did you have Rashad Mendenhall and Najee rated equally whn they came out of college?
Gerry Dulac
11:34
Not even close. Mendenhall was a nice back at Illinois, 1,684 rushing yards as a senior. But he was only the fourth or fifth best back in the draft that year. Harris was the best back in the draft. Maybe not as fast as Mendenhall, but explosive and more powerful
GM
11:34
Did Juju's original contract include a 5th year option or is that only reserved for 1st rounders?
Gerry Dulac
11:34
yes, just first-rounders
jmr
11:34
  1. Are you a Beatles fan? Why are they the best band ever?
  2. Are there any picks the Steelers made in later rounds that you can think of that seemed like reaches who ended up far exceeding expectations? Was Antonio (last name redacted due to author's continued anger issues) such a pick?
Gerry Dulac
11:35
Antonio (excuse me, Brown) is classic example. Brett Keisel was a seventh-round pick. So was Kelvin Beachum.
Joe
11:35
Can you use your contacts to make JuJu stop acting like a moron?  He is aware they have not won anything during his career, yes?
Gerry Dulac
11:36
Not sure if that matters more to him that his social media content.
Jeff
11:36
Thanks for the chats Gerry.  What is the biggest disadvantage of play action?  Not seeing the field and coverage right away since back is turned?  Seems like people think we need more of this whereas I see plenty of teams run the ball well out of shotgun
Gerry Dulac
11:39
I wouldn't call it a disadvantage, but the quarterback can see what the defense is doing and how it is adjusting post-snap better from the shotgun. I have been told by other coordinators you can run out of the shotgun. To me, it depends more on the running back -- does he like to get a running start with the QB behind center or can he get up to speed quickly taking handoffs from the shotgun? A RB has a chance to read the hole(s) better from the shotgun, but nobody ever mentions that.
Theo6
11:39
Hi Gerry, this o-line, on paper...yikes. Clearly they don't care if Ben gets his head taken off since it's his last year and all
Gerry Dulac
11:41
OK, so when the Steelers build an offensive line that for the past 5 years was the best in the league at protecting their QB, people complain the line doesn't run block. So, now that the focus will be fixing and improving the run blocking, someone is going to be concerned that Ben will have his head taken off??? I think they know what they are doing,
Jeff
11:41
I can answer that.  Idiots saying we were going to draft a QB!
Gerry Dulac
11:42
Pay the man!
OrangeFlameBulbs
11:42
Gerry, did Al V actually do the Steelers a favor by calling out JJ and his Tik Tok dancing?  A current Steeler couldn't really call him out publicly without risking it becoming a locker room issue.
Gerry Dulac
11:42
I don't know if he did them a favor, but I applaud him whole-heartedly
rman
11:42
Hi Gerry.  There always seems to be a question as to whether Ben will buy into changes in the offense.  Is there any proof he has ever done or said anything that proofs this?
Gerry Dulac
11:43
Here's the proof of what Ben buys into -- three Super Bowl appearances, two Lombardi trophies, 156 career victories
NC Steel
11:44
Jerry, Do you think the NFL will have a franchise in Europe in the next 5 years? Apparently the prospect of a global pandemic now and in the future has not dimmed the owners' desire for such expansion...thanks
Gerry Dulac
11:44
Nope.
Jay Dav
11:44
Gerry, some pre-season rankings have the Steelers in the 20's.   I see them in the top 10 at least.  What say you?
Gerry Dulac
11:44
20-what?
Buster
11:44
I thought Steve Nelson was released because of his big contract. Was his play all that bad?
Gerry Dulac
11:46
It was because of his contract, but I will tell you the coaches were disappointed with the way he played late in the season. I suggest people go watch the Buffalo tape for proof. Stephon Diggs was so wide open they could have fit a CVS between him and the defender
John
11:46
FYI- Big Ben is 106-20-1 when the y rush for 100 yards, when they don’t he is 50-54. Explains the draft picks!
Gerry Dulac
11:48
Did you ever think the 100 yards rushing came about because of the success they had throwing the ball? Or that most of the yards came in the second half after the Steelers built a lead because they threw the ball? Do you recall Bill Cowher's mantra of "throw early to run late?" Of course, you don't. Neither does anyone else who wants to pull up that lame stat.
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