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Ray Fittipaldo's Steelers chat: 02.17.26
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Ray Fittipaldo
11:58
Good afternoon. Let's get started.
Stairway to seventh seed
11:59
Ray: there is a lot of fretting over losing Weidl.  The drafts have been better since he arrived, not great, but better.  However, pro personnel decisions have been a disaster.  Watt, Ramsey, Metcalf and Jonnu Smith were all signed or acquired for massively overpriced contracts.  Thornhill and Slay were disasters.  Queen has been mediocre.  They did hit on Gainwell and I guess Rodgers to some extent on the cheap, but otherwise they aren't exactly killing it in evaluating former stars.  Is this on Khan, Weidl, Tomlin or some combination of them?
Ray Fittipaldo
12:05
I think the question you have to ask is how involved was Mike Tomlin in those free agent decisions? The job of a GM and assistant GM is to acquire players the coaches believes can help the team, to fit his system. Yes, as personnel people they have to think long and hard about each signing, but in the end it's the coach who wanted many of those players. I think Ramsey and Slay were Tomlin wants. I think Jonnu Smith was an Arthur Smith want. Metcalf was probably everyone. They knew they needed to acquire a WR. So my point is, let's see how Khan and Weidl proceed this offseason. If they move on from Jonnu Smith and Ramsey then I think that will be a strong clue Tomlin wanted them more than they did. If they stick around then maybe Khan and Weidl believed in those players all along. With McCarthy on board now, the operation will be similar. McCarthy will tell Khan and Weidl what he wants and they'll try to go out and get players to fill those needs. Maybe they need to have a more discerning eye this time around.
epiballo
12:06
Hi Ray! Thanks for the chats! The idea of bringing in Tyreek Hill is a non-starter in my view, but what do you think of Brandon Aiyuk? The Steelers showed interest in him under Tomlin. Is this a possibility?
Ray Fittipaldo
12:07
With Aiyuk there is now an injury history that wasn't there the first time they tried to acquire him. Also, in that time, we got to see Aiyuk can be a handful for a coach. Seems to my Kyle Shanahan has had enough of Aiyuk. I'd proceed with caution. Honestly, this is a great draft for receivers. Draft and develop. That's the way to go.
Stairway to seventh seed
12:08
Ray: I am against the idea of bringing Rodgers back, but if Rodgers, Watt, and Heyward stave off further decline for one more year (unlikely, but possible) and the young OL continues to improve, what would the ceiling be on this team if they can sign Gainwell, Pierre or Samuel, and hit on all 5 top 100 picks for immediate contributors including at WR2 and WR3?  Basically, in the best case scenario what do you see as the ceiling?
Ray Fittipaldo
12:08
With everything you lay out, I'll say 10-7. I know. Another season like countless others.
Costner
12:08
Realistically, how far up can the Steelers get in the 1st round trading just draft picks?
Ray Fittipaldo
12:09
They can get into the top 10. Maybe even the top 5 if they wanted to make a big splash and trade four or five picks.
J D
12:09
Ray, should the Steelers draft a QB at all in this year's draft and concentrate on other needs?  Will that be determined regardless if Rodger's decides to return or not?
Ray Fittipaldo
12:10
With 12 picks they certainly can take a QB if they want to. The question is whether there will be value when they decide to do it. You don't want to just take one for the sake of taking one. There has to be a plan behind it.
demosthenes98
12:10
Enjoyed your article from the other day about the Steelers' offensive line. Do you think the Steelers should consider having Broderick Jones and Dylan Cook compete for the starting LT spot, with the loser being the swing tackle instead?
Ray Fittipaldo
12:11
I think that would be a fair way to go about it. I'm not sure that will happen, but I think Cook deserves a shot. He played extremely well after Jones went on IR.
Bill Cowher
12:11
Ray, thanks  for the chats, is wide receiver a first rounder or do we wait till the second? So called experts say the draft is heavy with prospects.
Ray Fittipaldo
12:13
They'll have options. There might be a CB available if they sight tight at 21. There might be a safety. There are three really good safeties in this draft. Could they try to trade up in the second round to get one of them? Tons of possibilities especially when you have the draft capital to maneuver.
Kent Nix
12:13
Thanks for the chat Ray. There's a lot written about how 6th round QB draft choices don't work out except for Tom Brady, but what was the knock on Brady that caused every NFL team to pass on him at least 5 times?
Ray Fittipaldo
12:15
I think everyone has seen the combine photo, right. Let's just say he wasn't a physical specimen. He wasn't terribly fast or athletic either. Just goes to show you if you have an elite compete level and a desire to be great, to consume the game 24/7, anything is possible. Tom Brady outworked people. That's how he became a seven-time Super Bowl champion. Plain and simple.
Helen, Shadyside
12:16
Please help me to understand the Steelers’ apparent fascination with Roman Wilson.  Do they believe he has that much talent that he continues to be on the roster?  It seems he is being given more chances than anyone else in recent history.  Thank you Ray.
Ray Fittipaldo
12:17
I wouldn't say that, but I did notice the QB and the OC were not happy with his professionalism. The OC is gone, but the QB probably is back. It's up to Wilson to become more of a pro. I think he's trying, but he has to produce at some point. I don't think he's a bad apple or anything like that. I just think he's one of those guys where it comes slow for him.
Ed from Chi-town
12:18
Keep up the good work! For fans like myself, now is a rather slow time for Steelers news. The draft is way out there it seems. Mock drafts are interesting but speculative. What are main areas the team hierarchy will be focused on now and you will be reporting on to keep our interests peaked until draft time?
Ray Fittipaldo
12:19
Well, you're in luck, Ed. A week from now I'll be in Indy covering the combine and we'll have plenty of news from out there. Omar Khan will give his first interview of the offseason and we'll get a better idea of his offseason plans for the team then. Hang in there until then. February can be brutal until the combine comes.
Dave Moody
12:19
Thanks for the chats, Ray! What are the chances the Steelers take Ty Simpson in the first round?
Ray Fittipaldo
12:20
I could be dead wrong, but I'll say 1%. I just don't see the taking another chance on a QB with questionable first-round talent. They cannot afford to make that mistake again especially with the 2027 class looking much more promising.
Aiden
12:20
Since James Daniels was just released by Miami, might the Steelers consider bringing him back to play left guard if Isaac S. leaves before next season?
Ray Fittipaldo
12:21
He's barely set foot on an NFL field the past two seasons due to serious injuries. Why would you want to bring him back?
J D
12:21
Ray, any word on how serious Broderick Jone's neck injury is since there hasn't been much explained since it happened or this what the team wants to do in case they trade him ?
Ray Fittipaldo
12:22
This will be one of the first questions for Khan next week at the combine. It's an important one. They have to decide by May whether to pick up his rookie option. If he doesn't receive a clean bill of health then what is their plan at left tackle?
Chill Dave
12:22
Hi Ray, do you think the opinions of the new OL coaches carry much weight in the decision on whether to sign B. Jones option?  Or do you think Khan/Weidl already know enough to make that decision?  I don't see how the Steelers can pay him $20M but it doesn't seem like they should give up on him either.
Ray Fittipaldo
12:23
Right, which is why they should just let him play out the final year of his rookie deal and see where the chips fall. If he's good then they'll have a chance to re-sign him after the season before free agency. If he struggles again then Cook wins the job and this all ends rather quietly.
George T
12:24
Hi Ray,  l surely hope we don’t draft a QB in the first two days of the draft.  In the first two I would like to see 2WR, CB, S, and help on the OL and DL taken.  Do you us taking a QB in the first round because the draft in here this year.
Ray Fittipaldo
12:24
I do not. There might be some in the organization who want to see the Steelers draft a QB in Round 1, but Khan and Weidl have to do what's best for the roster.
Bubby Brisket
12:25
What would you is an underrated, or not talked about enough, need for the Steelers to address this off-season?
Ray Fittipaldo
12:25
Guard although I think some are picking up on that.
Chill Dave
12:25
Hi Ray, is there room in a McCarthy offense for a Connor Heyward or do you think he will look for a more traditional FB?  And do teams even draft FBs anymore; or are they usually undrafted FAs?
Ray Fittipaldo
12:28
I don't know where NFL teams go to find fullbacks because colleges sure aren't producing them anymore. You see any John Kunhs or Dan Kreiders coming into the league anymore. Even the well-known fullbacks of today such as Kyle Juszczyk are more athletic and versatile. I think that's why you see defensive linemen lining up and doing the job sometimes. It's not really worth a roster spot to carry one. But when you need one you can use an athletic big man.
JimmyB
12:28
Thanks for the chat..Based on what you know about Coach McCarthy's previous offensive systems, what do you believe/project to be the top two abilities a QB in his system must posses?
Ray Fittipaldo
12:28
The ability to process and the ability to move around or escape the pocket.
Jim Bow Dean
12:29
When MM was asked a question about the size of his coaching staff he said he was given a number to work with. I assumed that meant the number of coaches and his staff size wouldn’t be much different than Tomlin’s. However, given it is larger I’m thinking the number meant a budget of coaching salaries including the HC. If that’s the case, was Tomlin hoarding all the money for himself and skimping on the size of his staff?
Ray Fittipaldo
12:30
Tomlin certainly was one of the NFL's highest-paid coaches. But I don't think the assistant coach pool would be included in the head coach pool.
Michael
12:30
Ray, how do you foresee Herbig’s contract situation playing out?  Assuming they’re not trading Highsmith, he’s a part time player for two more yrs, correct?
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