JotCast | Ray Fittipaldo's Steelers chat: 03.19.24

Ray Fittipaldo's Steelers chat: 03.19.24

View Full Chat Next Page

Ray Fittipaldo

1:54

OK, let's talk Steelers.

Stairway to seventh seed

1:55

Ray: it sounds like Donte Jackson is taking a $4m pay cut which makes the Diontae trade much better. That said, it creates a gaping hole at WR. The top 3 WRs will be gone by 20. If Thomas is also gone, is there any other WR a good value at 20?

Ray Fittipaldo

1:57

Really, it depends on where Andy Weidl has these guys ranked on his big board. There is a dropoff after Thomas in some of these prospect rankings, but Weidl could have different opinions on them. I'd get an offensive lineman in Round 1 and then a receiver on Day 2. This is a very deep WR draft class and a starter can be had in the second or third round.

Guest from VA

1:57

What's the earliest in the off-season will the offense(especially the QB's)be able to come together with the new Offensive Coordinator to work on the new offensive system? Should we expect good results week 1 or a few weeks into the season?

Ray Fittipaldo

1:58

OTAs in mid- to late-May. That's when they can be on the field as a team for the first time. But Russell Wilson can work with the WRs and TEs whenever he wants to put that together. I'm sure that will happen soon. They just can't be coached on the field until OTAs.

Mark Houston, Tx

1:58

Do you think there is any substance to the rumors that Steelers are negotiating with Vikings for Justin Jefferson ?

Ray Fittipaldo

1:59

No because you can't negotiate with a player when he is employed by another team. But I do think the Steelers are doing their due diligence on the WR trade market. They have to do that given that the WR room currently consists of George Pickens, Calvin Austin and Van Jefferson.

the real guest

1:59

Ray, The best thing about the Fields trade is that maybe now they won't use a 2nd or 3rd rd pick on a QB. Agree?

Ray Fittipaldo

2:00

Agreed, but maybe one on Day 3 at some point. But definitely not a roster need after what transpired last week.

Bill Goldberg

2:00

Ray - any chance the Steelers are in on Brandon Aiyuk? Given SF's asking price, I'm skeptical, but wondered what you thought.

Ray Fittipaldo

2:02

I know they liked Aiyuk when he was coming out of college, but you are right. It will depend on the price. SF isn't in position to demand a lot. Aiyuk is entering the final year of a contract that pays him $14 million in 2024. If the Steelers or any other team acquire him he's a rental unless a new deal is in place beforehand. Either way, he's a free agent next year so no one is going to fork over a lot of draft capital to get him.

Blinders

2:02

Hey Ray. Tomlin has a bad habit of bringing in former first rounders and guys he loved coming out of college. The problem is most of these have stunk in the NFL. The latest is Fields. Isn’t what these guys put on film in the pros more important than how they played in college? They are two different games.

Ray Fittipaldo

2:04

Correct, but there is value in getting to know guys now so if things don't go well for a player in his first stop the Steelers know if they want to pursue him. And many times when Tomlin brings in a guy like that it's for a cheap price after he leaves his first team.

Doyle37

2:04

Percent chance steelers draft the oregon center first round.

Ray Fittipaldo

2:04

20%

2025 Plan

2:04

I’m a little confused about our plans at QB. Wilson seems to be a one-year rental. If he gets an extension, it isn’t going to come cheap. Fields is due $25 million next year. Neither of these guys is worth anything close to that amount. So, we either start all over next year or overpay. Is this just a way to win a playoff game this year and end the worst postseason streak for this team since the 60’s?

Ray Fittipaldo

2:05

The Steelers are in win-now mode. They'll worry about 2025 in 2025. They believe they are a contender with Russell Wilson at QB and they're going to make every effort to build a team around him that can compete in a rugged AFC.

TVC15

2:05

Hi Ray, If all the players in the NFL supposedly want to play for Tomlin why do the Steelers end up with so many hostages?

Ray Fittipaldo

2:09

Good question. James Harrison and LeGarrette Blount are on record saying Tomlin misled them about their playing time. With Harrison, it happened in 2017 when TJ Watt was a rookie. With Blount, it happened in 2014 when Le'Veon Bell was the workhorse RB. They were told one thing early on and then their playing time dwindled. They felt like they were lied to. Something similar happened with Melvin Ingram when Alex Highsmith was in his second year. Looking at it, I think we can agree the right call was made for the team. Watt deserved to play as did Bell and Highsmith over an aging Ingram. The funny thing is it doesn't seem to hurt the Steelers in the free agent recruiting process. If you listened to Patrick Queen last week you know that.

Coaching

2:09

Fields really struggled in Chicago. While he was a good running back, he was a bad quarterback. He didn’t have much pocket presence, didn’t go through all his progressions, and just seemed to run whenever he didn’t see the first read. Do you think we have the coaching staff to turn him into an NFL quarterback? I haven’t seen much from Tomlin and his staff in a very long time.

Ray Fittipaldo

2:12

Arthur Smith is well-respected around the NFL so I think Fields will have a chance to develop with the Steelers. It didn't work with two different coordinators in Chicago, including Luke Getsy the past two seasons. It was Getsy's first OC job after coming up as a QBs coach. Smith has much more experience both as a head coach and OC. Maybe he can get more out of Fields. At least that's what the Steelers are hoping.

Next Man Up

2:13

We got rid of the offense coordinator. We got rid of all the quarterbacks. We got rid of half of the diva receivers. We upgraded at inside linebacker. Tomlin got his mobile quarterback that he has been lusting for. If we don’t win a postseason game for the 8th year in a row, and I suspect that will be the case, will we finally make a change at the head coaching position? Who is left to blame?

Ray Fittipaldo

2:13

Doubt it. The Steelers are going to sign Tomlin to an extension in the next few months. If they wanted to fire him they would have done it at the end of the season.

Guest

2:14

Is there a limit to the volunteers not hostages thing? What happens if Pickens asks to be traded today? Are they going to trade him too and leave us with essentially no starting WRs?

Ray Fittipaldo

2:15

Sure there is. But Pickens is the one who is on notice, not the Steelers. If he wants to play with the team in the long term he's going to have improve his behavior.

DrBobbyE

2:15

Hey Ray, thanks for chat, now that some of the negative Kenny nonsense has been walked back, his refusal to dress for Seahawks game has been debunked by your colleague can we ease up on him, in recent memory I have not seen a poorer handling of a young QB then Kenny, your thoughts, thanks.

Ray Fittipaldo

2:17

The Steelers did Pickett no favors by having Matt Canada as his OC, but Pickett didn't help himself with his behavior late in the season and especially last week. I don't understand why he would want a "reset" after two seasons. He has an inflated opinion of himself.

Barry

2:17

Ray - would you rather have the Steelers trade a high draft pick for a WR such as Aiyuk or use it to draft a rookie WR? Seems like this team is built to win now and getting an experienced WR1/2 seems to better fit rather than relying on a rookie.

Ray Fittipaldo

2:18

They can draft a starter and trade for Aiyuk. Nothing says they can't do that.

William Regal

2:18

Ray, what are the chances the Steelers start the season with Broderick Jones at RT again? I'm a little concerned we will all have to suffer through more Dan Moore Jr. at LT this year. Say it ain't so!

Ray Fittipaldo

2:20

It depends on what happens in the draft. If they can get JC Latham then I think Jones goes to the left and Latham is plugged in as the starter at RT. But a guy like Amarius Mims, who didn't start a lot of games in college, might need some seasoning before he ascends to starting status.

Guest

2:21

Ray love the chat thank you! Love what the Steelers have done so far. Glad to see Kenny take his tiny gloves to Philly and can’t wait to see Russ and Justin cook. A little concerned we are talking about big receiver deals and ignoring OL/Center position. Are you confident they can fill those needs in the draft with game ready starters?

Ray Fittipaldo

2:22

I'm confident they can find starters for those positions in the draft, but I don't know when they will become starters. It took some time for Broderick Jones and Joey Porter Jr. to develop last season before they became starter.

Joe

2:22

Impressed with Khan. Moving on from all of Colbert's mistakes. I think he's the best GM since Tom Donohue. What are your impressions of Khan?

Ray Fittipaldo

2:23

He's not afraid of change, that's for sure.

2:23

WR seems like an almost dire need at this point. What's your read on the possibility of signing Mike Williams - the likelihood of it happening and your take on him as a player.

Ray Fittipaldo

2:24

He's 29 and coming off an ACL injury. I think he can help as a No. 3, but they need a starter opposite Pickens.

BringOutTheGimp

2:24

Thanks for the chats Ray. Were you surprised by the Pickett trade?

Ray Fittipaldo

2:24

I was, but I didn't know he was being so difficult behind the scenes.

Danny

2:25

Do u think the steelers will put a few play in offense for fields