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Ray Fittipaldo's Steelers chat: 03.03.26
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Ray Fittipaldo
1:35
Maybe before. He ran very well at the combine.
Takoma Tom
1:35
Why not trade Herbig and a #5 pick for Mac Jones and try him out for 2 years?  Can’t even win a playoff game with defense so why not try to get the QB position stable?
Ray Fittipaldo
1:36
Eh, is he better than Will Howard? Not extremely mobile. Kind of average or below average in New England. I know the team wasn't great around him, but I'm just not sure if he's a future franchise QB.
574 Fan
1:36
Thank you for the chats, Ray.  As a Steeler fan 2 states away, my subscription to the PG is the best way to feel "local".  Appreciate you, Gerry, Ray, and previously Ed, for all your work.  There's no replacing your coverage.
Ray Fittipaldo
1:36
Thanks 574. Here's hoping we can continue to do this after May 3.
Rooney
1:37
Is there a feeling the Steelers are going to draft Simpson and waste another first round  pick? Cole Payton is my choice late rounds and draft 2 WR, S, C and OT/OG and DT. Agree?
Ray Fittipaldo
1:37
No. I don't get that sense at all. Maybe in Round 2 if he falls that far, but not the first round.
574 Fan
1:37
I think I might have left out Brian in my thank you's - no respect for the newbie.
Ray/OC
1:37
Hi Ray:  Do you see the Steelers really considering a deal with AZ QB Kyler Murray, whether its a trade or a signing if he is cut??  What would the contract situation be??  Doesn't make sense to me.  Thank you
Ray Fittipaldo
1:38
God I hope not. Murray strikes me as a CFL QB. No offense to the CFL.
George T
1:38
Ray, I know Cam Hayward had a good season last year but he is getting old. Could you see them tell him he has three options. 1) Play under your current contract 2) Retire 3) Let him look for a trade where we can get some draft picks for 2027
Ray Fittipaldo
1:41
They did not budge very much last year when Heyward wanted a new contract. And that was coming off a season in which Heyward was named first-team All-Pro. Now he's coming off a second-team All-Pro honor. He's still playing at a high level. I know the Steelers don't want to keep ripping up contracts when a player outperforms them, but Heyward might be a special situation. We'll see what happens. Maybe they do the same thing this year and risk Heyward being ticked off even more. I'd throw him a few extra bucks, but I wouldn't go crazy and give him a new contract with more years or anything like that. He is turning 37 after all. All good things eventually must come to an end.
Jeff M
1:41
Hi Ray, is it a cop out that the Steelers field conditions are being blamed on sharing a stadium with Pitt? Both Miami & Philadelphia graded very high and they share their fields with college teams too.
Ray Fittipaldo
1:43
But not high school teams. Anyway, the NFL is taking ownership of this mess and making all the teams have the same grass surface. That doesn't mean they'll all be maintained the same way, but the hope is there will be more uniformity in the field conditions.
Yuri
1:43
Hello Ray, having been an offensive lineman in college, can you tell kindly tell me why linemen are required to run the 40 yard dash at the combine and probably other workouts as well?  I would think the Oklahoma drill would be a more effective way of evaluating prospects.  Thank you Ray.
Ray Fittipaldo
1:43
You had me at Oklahoma drills at the combine!
Stairway to seventh seed
1:44
Ray: in 2002, the Steelers drafted college QB Antwaan Randle El with the idea of moving him to WR.  ARE ran a 4.54 at 5'9" 190.  This year, ACC Player of the Year Haynes King is not that heralded (for whatever reason) as a QB prospect.  King ran 4.46 at 6'2" 212.  He also had just under 1,000 yards rushing and 15 rushing TDs this past year.  Would it make sense to use a late round pick on King, see if he can play QB in the NFL and if not think about a position change to WR or even RB?
Ray Fittipaldo
1:44
Sure, but the player has to want to make the move.
Draft King
1:44
Do the Steelers determine ahead of time which positions they will attempt to fill thru free agency and ones they will fill thru the draft or does it just depend on who’s willing to sign with them? Thank you
Ray Fittipaldo
1:45
For the most part yes. They'll look at the draft and see which positions are strong and which are weak. They tend to fill the weaker positions in free agency.
Scooter
1:45
Hi Ray, how much input, if any, does the Steelers have on hosting the upcoming draft?
Ray Fittipaldo
1:46
Quite a bit. They put the bid in. Obviously, others in the city are involved in putting on the event, but it's here because the Steelers bid for it. They want to put on a good show for the rest of the NFL.
Jeff M
1:46
I think DK takes a lot of criticism for not living up to his contract. His fan incident and drops do justify a lot of that criticism. However, after watching Pickens put up all-pro numbers once he got to a team with a quality QB & dynamic offense handicapped DK and would have any potential WR1. Unfortunately it doesn't look like he will get a QB upgrade this year. Do we need to reserve full judgement until he can play in a better offense?
Ray Fittipaldo
1:46
His QB was fine last season. He needed better weapons around him. That's what this offseason is all about for the Steelers.
G Man
1:47
Hi Ray, I noticed in your initial Steelers mock draft, you didn’t have them taking a DL. Do you think they will address DL in free agency?
Ray Fittipaldo
1:48
They could. It's not a deep draft for 34 defensive ends, but there are some good interior players, including some nose tackles. They tend to go late Day 2 or Day 3. I very well could have the Steelers taking a DL in my next mock. I still think it's a need, just not a major one after taking Harmon and Black last year.
martian
1:48
Hey Ray - thanks for the chats. Would you be surprised if they went LT or DT in round 1 vs WR this year?
Ray Fittipaldo
1:49
Yes. Not shocked but mildly surprised. I think it's looking like a year the Steelers will take a WR or a DB.
Cain from Arkansas
1:49
Ray, who could eventually be cut?
Ray Fittipaldo
1:50
Jonnu Smith for one.
Cain from Arkansas
1:50
I remember when the Steelers forced Troy to retire right? Why not the same to Heyward? He is long in the tooth
Ray Fittipaldo
1:51
He's been named All-Pro in back-to-back seasons, and you want to get rid of him? Really? He might rub some people the wrong way with his contract demands and how he went about that, but how can anyone not like the product he puts on the field?
TVC15
1:51
Is it important for the Steelers to at least win one playoff game before asking for taxpayer dollars for a new stadium?
Ray Fittipaldo
1:52
You know, there was a time when someone would have asked the question: Is it important for the Steelers to at least win one more Super Bowl before asking for taxpayer dollars for a new stadium? (My how times have changed around here)
Jake
1:52
I’m heading Lemon didn’t interview well and came across as awkward at the combine. Have you heard anything similar ? We don’t need another loose cannon WR
Ray Fittipaldo
1:53
Yes I have heard some of that. His interview at the podium was different than most, but they don't really matter to teams. Their interviews obviously carry the most weight, and I've heard some of them did not go well.
Ryan
1:53
Ray when can we start resigning free agents like Pierre and Samuel jr now o
Ray Fittipaldo
1:53
Right now. Next Monday for outside free agents.
TVC15
1:54
Hi Ray, Are you as surprised as I am that no NFL team offered a contract humongous enough to lure Hall of Fame coach Mike Tomlin back to the NFL? Everybody said it would take less than 5 minutes?
Ray Fittipaldo
1:54
But he does not want to coach this year. And maybe never.
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