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Ray Fittipaldo's Steelers chat: 04.09.24
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Ray Fittipaldo
1:48
Welcome to my Steelers chat. We'll get started in a few minutes.
Draft Strategy
1:54
Hey Ray. There is a lot of talk recently about drafting based on a player’s “ceiling” vs. a player’s “floor”. Under Cowher, the organization routinely got players to play way above their drafted value (Ward, Porter, Keisel, Ike, Gildon, Smith, Haggans, Foote, and so on). He often got players to exceed their ceiling. Under Tomlin, the inly player to exceed is draft value was Beachum. Since we rarely get players to reach their ceiling with this coaching staff, wouldn’t it be wise to draft based on their floor?
Ray Fittipaldo
1:54
I agree with your premise, but you have to be careful when comparing from one generation to the next. What you are right about is the Steelers have not found great success in the middle to later rounds of the draft under Mike Tomlin. You mentioned Beachum. I would add Vince Williams, but there really aren't many other starting-caliber players found from the fourth rounds and on after them. As for your point on Cowher developing middle and later round picks he most certainly did. But you also have to realize 3-4 outside linebackers and 3-4 defensive ends were always available in the third, fourth and fifth rounds for the Steelers during the 1990s because there were not a lot of teams using the 3-4 defense. So while Joey Porter and Jason Gildon were third-round picks they probably had a higher value in the draft. There just weren't many teams using the 3-4 back then. And many of those players were conversions. They were defensive ends in college and had to make the transition to 3-4 stand-up OLBs. (Continued)
1:55
Good on the Steelers and their scouts for being able to make those projections. The same goes for guys DEs like Smith and Keisel, who came in the fourth and seventh rounds. They had specific body types that fit the 3-4 defense and maybe not 4-3 defenses. But overall, I agree with your premise. The Steelers need to start hitting on some middle and later round picks. Herbig came in Round 4 last year. He looks like he can be good. We'll see about Trice too.
Noah Kravitz
1:55
Let’s say the Steelers trade down with Arizona.  Steelers get 27th overall, and 66th. Cards get 20th.  Who would u select at 27 between Tyler Guyton, and Graham Barton (if those are the two top choices on the board for the Steelers)?
Ray Fittipaldo
1:56
If you those are the choices in that scenario I'd probably go with Barton and see if I can make him a center.
1:57
FYI, he's been a center, but it's been a few years.
Paul from Beaver Falls
1:57
Please tell me Dan Moore will not be the starting LT this year.
Ray Fittipaldo
1:57
Depends on what happens 15 days from now.
Indiana Mike
1:57
In my mid 60’s - looking to make my first trip to Latrobe for Steelers Camp.  What suggestions / recommendations would you recommend?
Ray Fittipaldo
1:59
Book a hotel now if you're coming in from out of town. There aren't a lot of hotels in Latrobe and they book up fast. If you're driving in same-day get there early. There will be cars lined up at 9 a.m. waiting to get onto campus. Afterward, head to Denunzio's at Latrobe airport for dinner!
MajorRick
1:59
Good afternoon, Ray. I'm looking forward to your final mock draft. If the draft were held today, would you lean T, WR, and C?
Ray Fittipaldo
1:59
Tackle.
Penny Kickett
2:00
Will the Steelers use all of their top 30 visits?
Ray Fittipaldo
2:00
Right now they're at 18 and they can have visits through the end of next week, I believe. So only 12 more to go so it seems like they'll get to 30. They usually use all 30.
Mark from Katy, Tx
2:01
Thanks for doing these chats Ray! What positions do you think the Steelers have to draft someone for this year?
Ray Fittipaldo
2:01
Well, lots. But most immediate needs are RT, C, WR, DE, CB.
Danny
2:02
Who do u think is the best fit for the steelers at wr coming out of the draft I like ricky pearsall
Ray Fittipaldo
2:02
Pearsall is a good player. For me, I'd prefer a player to complement Pickens.
Tim in Cleveland
2:02
Hi Ray,  Most likely starter on week one OL Cole or Moore?
Ray Fittipaldo
2:03
Well, since Moore is on the roster and Cole isn't, so I'll go with Moore.
LarryG from Punxy
2:03
As we sit here today, and with you making an assumption of who would be available when we pick in Round 1, what position should we draft?
Ray Fittipaldo
2:03
Tackle.
Tom in Dallas
2:04
If we don't draft a potential starter at RT, is the plan to keep Dan at LT and Jones at RT all year, then draft the RT starter next year, or fill it with a good FA?
Ray Fittipaldo
2:04
Would depend on the development of Spencer Anderson at RT or Moore at RT although Mike Tomlin believes Moore is much better on the left side than the right.
Dave
2:05
Hi Ray,  really liked and agreed with your latest mock.  Tackle seems like the position that will come to them in the 1st.  However, Mims seems to be a high ceiling type; whereas someone like JPJ  is probably a high floor type.  Do you suspect the big board that Weidl creates is based on ceiling, floor, or somewhere in between?
Ray Fittipaldo
2:07
It's somewhere in between, but one thing I have noticed about their pre-draft visitors is many of them are elite combine testers. Look at Braden Fiske. He killed the combine. He was in for a visit. Logan Lee, who is a mid- to late-round DE, also crushed the combine. Same with Nate Wiggins, the CB from Clemson and LSU DE Maason Smith as well as others who have been in. Now, many of those guys had production too, but some of them, Smith included, will be looking to put it all together in the NFL.
LarryG from Punxy
2:08
Hard to believe TJ Watt will be 30 this fall and has never won a playoff game.  I'm starting to think if it doesn't happen this season, it may never happen.  Do you think we win a playoff game this season?
Ray Fittipaldo
2:08
Let's wait to see what happens in the draft, but I like this team better now than I did in the middle of January.
Canton Steve-o
2:09
Why did the Steelers sign TE MyCole Pruitt? Aren't they set at TE with Muth, Mt. Washington and Connor Heyward? Seems they need a center, OT, CB and solid WR more.
Ray Fittipaldo
2:09
He played for Smith in Atlanta and he can be camp competition for Connor Heyward. I'm not convinced he makes the 53-man roster. He didn't do a lot with the Falcons last season.
Cameron
2:09
Ray, with Mitchell visiting today, do you get the sense the Steelers could go receiver with their first pick?
Ray Fittipaldo
2:10
Always that possibility, but I'm still leaning OL at No. 20.
TX Pressure
2:11
Are the Steelers learning anything from putting O line players in the wrong positions like Greene and Dotson and now Jones?  I get it for a short term fix but put these guys in their best position and best chance to succeed - will that philosophy change with Arthur Smith?
Ray Fittipaldo
2:13
Smith will certainly have some say in where guys play, but the only issue I have with the guys you mentioned as the way the Steelers used Dotson. He was only comfortable at LG and the Steelers played him at RG. You can argue he should have been able to do both well, but he thrived with the Rams at his natural position. As for Green, I'm not sure he'll be a good guard either. And with Jones, he was good at RT. Will be better at LT, which is why Omar Khan wants to get a RT in this draft, if at all possible.
Noah Kravitz
2:13
Who do you like more Mims or Fuaga?
Ray Fittipaldo
2:13
Fuaga.
Larry from Moon Twp
2:14
What do you make of the Steelers bringing in DEs without length, shorter arms than their prototype?  Are they changing a defensive philosophy?
Ray Fittipaldo
2:14
Traditional 5-techniques are not growing on trees in the colleges so you have to just get talented guys and make it work.
Luca
2:15
Hi Ray.  At 20 if our choice is between Mims and Fontanu who would you pick?  I like Fuaga but he’s likely to go early.
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