You are viewing the chat in desktop mode. Click here to switch to mobile view.
X
Ray Fittipaldo's Steelers chat: 06.30.20
powered byJotCast
Prev Page View Full Chat
Ray Fittipaldo
2:27
Yes I think Minkah will be even better in 2020. He was just learning the defense last season. But having said that, I'd still go with Watt or Cam Heyward as the most critical piece. They're all All Pros so you can't go wrong, but Watt and Heyward set the tone up front.
Indy Fan
2:27
If Ben is back, is there a need to keep Duck on the team as a third QB?
Ray Fittipaldo
2:29
Well, much of that will depend on the type of camp Paxton Lynch has. But I wouldn't count out Duck as a third-stringer. He proved to be capable in more than a few games last year in a tough situation last season. Remember, he was a rookie undrafted free agent. He only got an invite to training camp after earning a job in rookie minicamp.
steelmann58
2:30
Hey Ray do you feel that the Steelers FO missed by not going after a vet QB
Ray Fittipaldo
2:31
Not necessarily. They're up against the cap and Roethlisberger has a huge cap hit. They drafted Mason Rudolph for a reason. They believe in him, and they want to see if he gets better this year.
Walt
2:31
Hey Ray...do you see Zach Banner potentially becoming a starter for the Steelers in two or three years?
Ray Fittipaldo
2:32
He has an opportunity this summer to earn a starting job. He will wage a battle with Chuks Okorafor for the right tackle job in camp. At leas that's the way it will start. I think Okorafor has the edge, but Banner is much improved and will have a chance.
Jack Lambert's tooth
2:32
3d and 5, 5 minutes left in the 4th quarter down by 3.  Who are the 4 or 5 receivers?
Ray Fittipaldo
2:33
Diontae Johnson, JuJu Smith-Schuster, James Washington, Chase Claypool and Eric Ebron.
Jeff
2:33
good Zach Banner question earlier.  Dude is huge and can run block.  Did you notice how he did in the passing game.  I realize we didnt pass much when he came in
Ray Fittipaldo
2:34
Right. He was mostly in games to run block. I am sure they threw on a few occasions, but not enough to make any determinations on his ability to pass block. He'll have to prove he can do that in camp.
Doyle37
2:35
What kind of odds can I get that Big Ben will catch a Philly special in the Super Bowl ?
Ray Fittipaldo
2:36
1,000 to 1? It would take some stones to call for a play like that with a 38-year old QB.
Doyle37
2:36
Why do the Steelers keep the European TE around ? Everyone says he has no chance. Is his value of a non roster practice squad player worth the free ride he gets from the league ?
Ray Fittipaldo
2:37
Every teams in the NFL has a an international player. They don't count against the practice squad limit and it's done to grow the game overseas.
Jimmie
2:37
How will AB be regarded twenty years from now?  After our emotions have cooled, is there any possibility that he will be considered one of "the greatest of all time"?
Ray Fittipaldo
2:39
My sense right now is he'll be viewed like Terrell Owens. It's hard to deny the talent and the stats they put up. But there will always be the question of whether their behavior torpedoed the team. That's my two cents right now. Owens eventually rebounded after his ugly exit from Philadelphia. Brown remains out of the league, and his legal situation might prevent him from getting back in anytime soon.
David
2:40
When was the last time a coach invented/innovated a new defensive scheme that caught on, like the Buddy Ryan 46?
Ray Fittipaldo
2:41
It's hard to reinvent the wheel. Football is more than 100 years old. There are only so many defensive alignments. But there are tweaks to systems and the best coaches find ways to build off those schemes. Tony Dungy did that as a head coach after learning at the foot of Chuck Noll. The same can be said for many others that learned from the all-time greats.
Doyle37
2:41
Best of all time. Steelers, Packers, 49ers, Pats or Cowboys  ?
Ray Fittipaldo
2:42
Best team in a single season? Best dynasty? Best extended run of excellence? There might be some different answers.
Doyle37
2:43
Alltime
Ray Fittipaldo
2:45
I think it's hard to top the Steelers winning four times in a six-year span. The 49ers won four in nine years. The Cowboys and Patriots won three in four years. It's all impressive, but I'd have to go with the Steelers, who beat two very good Cowboys teams to earn two of their rings. Nothing against the Cowboys and Patriots, but beating the Eagles and Panthers and the Bills twice isn't the same.
Dave
2:46
Wouldn't you consider the zone blitz as an innovative defense? Who developed that concept before Blitzburgh capitalized on it?
Ray Fittipaldo
2:47
Sure, but LeBeau installed that as a wrinkle to the 3-4. It wasn't a new defense unto itself. But yes of course, the zone blitz changed the game in the 90s and early 2000s until offenses found a way to solve it.
Doyle37
2:48
Great answer. Also Steelers won 4 in 6 years and one of the 2 losses may have been their best team ever. What a shame Franco and Rocky both got hurt. Another reason to hate Baltimore ?
Steeler in Virginia
2:49
If the cap doesn't increase next year, what would GM Fittipaldo do to cut costs?
Ray Fittipaldo
2:52
I think you could see the Steelers moving on from Al Villanueva, who is entering the last year of his deal. I think in that scenario you might see a TE released. You'd be talking about the players earning those salaries between $6 and $9 million a year. They're going to find a way to retain their stars and then they'll have a bunch of players on minimum salaries. That's how it works in today's NFL. By the way, the cap is more likely to be flat than go down. I think the league will do everything in its power to ensure that happens.
Bobby
2:52
Who is the Steelers starting TE week 1?
Ray Fittipaldo
2:53
They have two very capable TEs in Vance McDonald and Eric Ebron. They will use both. The designation of "starter" isn't really relative to the conversation because the Steelers plan to use both often.
OK thanks for all the great questions this week. We'll do it next week at the same time. Have a great Fourth of July.
Connecting…