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Ray Fittipaldo's Steelers chat: 01.28.19
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Ray Fittipaldo
11:36
Welcome to my Steelers chat. I'll be back at noon to get the chat started. In the meantime, post your questions.
BB
11:51
Ray - Understand the importance to the players for All-Pro and Pro Bowl recognition for a lot of reasons....contracts, goals, achievements, etc.  But couldn't we still recognize players as such without having to play that awful game??
Ray Fittipaldo
11:53
I agree with you. This is topical because JuJu Smith-Schuster suffered a knee injury yesterday. Apparently it's a contusion and not considered serious. That's according to an Associated Press story. But could you imagine if it was serious? The NFL does a great job with the event throughout the week. They let fans in for free to practices so they can interact with the players. They should just make it a goodwill event for the fans and forget about the game itself. Let the players get their recognition and free trip to Orlando and let the fans have their fun. They can do all that without an actual game that borders on the ridiculous anyway.
SteelBone925
11:53
Does Juju's injury in the Pro Bowl change the front office feelings about AB?
Ray Fittipaldo
11:53
Everything I've read said it's not a serious injury, so no.
Jeff M
11:54
Hi Ray, Good article on Steelers ability to pursue free agents. If they add an upper tier FA or 2 (like they should) would that likely cost them the comp pick for Bell in 2020. If so would that make them more likely to transition tag him and see if they can get value that way?
Ray Fittipaldo
11:56
You make a good point and that could factor into their decision on whether to place the transition tag on him. If you do that you have to be confident you can strike a deal with a team before you place the tag on him. It can't be a situation where you tag him and hope to make a deal. You have to have  a deal in place. The compensatory formula is complicated and even GM Kevin Colbert admits he doesn't completely understand it. So I don't know exactly how it will affect the pick in 2020, but it most certainly would.
Retire21
11:56
You can do one.  Resign Ramone or cut Gilbert?
Ray Fittipaldo
11:58
That's an odd way to phrase the question. I guess I'd cut Gilbert but only because I don't want to re-sign Foster. But please understand the only reason I would cut Gilbert is his inability to stay healthy. He's a good player when available. He just hasn't been available enough. As for Foster, it's time for him to get on with his life's work.
Epiballo
11:58
With reports of some Steelers wanting Antonio Brown back and others of AB photo-shopping a picture of him in a 49ers uniform ... what do you think is going to happen?
Ray Fittipaldo
12:01
I agree with Ron Cook's column from this morning. What are the leaders of this team doing? I understand most if not all of those comments were made before the photoshopped photo hit Brown's IG. But still, this is the guy who quit on the team when a playoff berth was on the line. I hope guys like Cam Heyward and Maurkice Pouncey are just being politically correct or acting on the advice of the front office in hopes of getting fair trade value in return. But if that's not the case -- if they truly want him back -- then I have some issues with their leadership.
Jeff M
12:01
I see 3 plug and play ILBs in this years draft. Do you think they would be satisfied with any of the 3, Devin White, Devin Bush or Mack Wilson? White may be the most unlikely to fall. This would allow them to focus on CB and OLB in FAs.
Ray Fittipaldo
12:02
I don't know exactly how they feel about the trio of ILBs you mentioned, but I can tell you how I feel. White and Bush would be slam dunks if they got either at No. 20. I'm not as big a fan of Wilson. I would not draft him at No. 20. He's not as fast or explosive as White or Bush.
Utah Jim
12:02
SF is never going to trade the 2nd pick for AB. They may part with their second round  pick which is #36. Should the Steelers take it? I say yes if SF adds a few more picks.
Ray Fittipaldo
12:04
No. 36 is close to being a first-round pick, but I would still need the pot to be sweetened. Maybe if they added a third this year and a conditional pick in 2020. Let's say if Brown gets 1,000 yards it's a fourth-rounder. If he gets 1,100 it's a third-rounder, 1,200 a second-rounder. Something like that.
Scott in Dallas
12:04
Good Morning Sir. Certainly the Steelers will not pay Boswell the $2 mil option after the way he played last year... right?
Ray Fittipaldo
12:05
Well, they haven't cut him yet and he won't be under their supervision again until after the bonus kicks in, so it seems like they will. I think they'll allow Boswell the chance to compete with Matt McGrane at OTAs and training camp and then they'll make a decision in September.
Retire21
12:06
Could the addition of Austin salvage   Burns?
Ray Fittipaldo
12:07
We'll see if a different coach can make a difference. Sometimes a different voice can help. But he's had Carnell Lake and Tom Bradley as coaches. Now Austin will try to help. It won't cost much to keep him around. It's the final year of his rookie deal so they can do it with little cost.
Utah Jim
12:07
If Brown is gone is WR a high priority in the draft or free agency?  I say no since this defense has a bigger need for talent.  If they can’t get in the playoffs with this defense and Brown they won’t with a WR drafted high or a high priced free agent.  Defense needs fixed first.
Ray Fittipaldo
12:09
I agree with you that ILB and/or CB should be addressed before WR. However, if they do get a first-round pick in return I wouldn't be against using that pick on a WR. In other words, if they get a first-round pick for Brown, I'd be fine with them taking a WR with one of their top three draft choices (1,1a or 2). They definitely would need a WR because James Washington did not do enough to convince me he's ready to be a starter.
Scott in Dallas
12:09
It is really nice to see a lot of the players coming out saying they want to have AB back and they don't care about his Diva act. Might it be that they know how to pump his trade value back up?
Ray Fittipaldo
12:09
I hope that's what they're doing. Or, as I noted earlier, it doesn't make me feel great about the leadership inside the locker room.
Retire21
12:10
Ben’s had some horrid first quarter of the season games. Do they need to play him more in preseason?
Ray Fittipaldo
12:11
I haven't looked at the stats from this year's early games, but I do know the Browns game was bad. They scored 37 against the Chiefs, but they got off to a bad start that certainly influenced the outcome of that game. I thought Ben was really good in the first half against the Bucs... Sure, if they can play him more without exposing him to injury I'm all for it. But if you do that you'd be asking your linemen to play more, and they'd be more at risk for injury.
Scott in Dallas
12:12
What under the radar move can the Steelers make that will make a big impact on the field next season?
Ray Fittipaldo
12:12
Add a top free agent at ILB, CB or OLB to help take the pressure off in the draft. That might not be low-profile, but it might be needed.
Scott in Dallas
12:13
Have the Steelers learned their lesson about reaching for need in the 1st round of the draft after the Dupree/Burns boondogles?
Ray Fittipaldo
12:14
I remember Burns had some differing grades. I recall one draft analyst believing he was a third-round type of guy. I don't recall that of Dupree. I think there was more of a consensus for him being taken in the first round. He had the size and the great combine performance. Unfortunately for the Steelers, his skills haven't yet translated to on-field play.
Alan
12:14
What's your take on the Brown situation? At this point, do you think he'll remain a Steeler or do they trade him?
Ray Fittipaldo
12:14
Despite the talk of his teammates at the Pro Bowl I still think they trade him.
Guest
12:14
Who are some free agent names that you think the steelers could possibly be interested in?  Whether LB, CB, WR...etc
Ray Fittipaldo
12:15
Honestly, it's a little early for that. A lot of the top free agents will be franchise tagged.
Bruce
12:15
Ray..any chance the Steelers move up in 1st round to draft a CB?
Ray Fittipaldo
12:15
They could, but remember it costs a lot in draft capital to make such moves.
dennis dixon
12:16
Do you think AB is capable of the level of humility necessary to make a heartfelt apology to his teammates and the Steeler Nation?
Ray Fittipaldo
12:16
He's done it before, but it doesn't seem like he means it because he keeps going off the rails again.
Taz
12:17
If the Steelers are going to flex their FA$ this offseason, doesn't that make a transition tag on Bell more likely, as it could impact a prospective 2020 compensatory pick?
Ray Fittipaldo
12:17
Yes I answered that question earlier. It makes the transition tag more likely, but only if they know they can get a deal done with a team beforehand.
Bruce
12:17
Ray..is the culture in that lockerroom unfixable because Tomlin was the enabler?
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