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Ray Fittipaldo's Steelers chat: 07.30.24
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Ray Fittipaldo
9:47
Good morning, Let's chat about the Steelers until practice begins.
James Mitchell
9:47
Hows it going Ray hope you are doing well , I was curious what your thoughts were about the Report that the Steelers are “convinced” they will land Aiyuk, DK, or Tyreek Hill? Apologies in advance if you already answered this elsewhere and missed it
Ray Fittipaldo
9:50
I don't think the Steelers are convinced they'll land one of those receivers. And I have to be honest with you, I haven't heard one word about Tyreek Hill. But what I do know is the Steelers created salary cap space back in April in the event they made a deal on draft day. As we know that did not happen. But that cap space is still available. And knowing Omar Khan's track record I never rule anything out. So to answer your question, I would not be surprised if they made a deal for a WR, but I wouldn't go as far as to say they are convinced they are getting one.
John Hargreaves
9:50
Hello Ray! Patrick Queen and Wilson add much needed speed to the LB corp. Will that equate to more 3rd down stops?
Ray Fittipaldo
9:53
Yes, and the veterans always mention the speed when they are asked about the new guys on defense. I think what it means for Teryl Austin is he'll have the freedom to dial up a few more things on his rolodex. With all the injuries to the ILBs and the secondary last season he had to play it basic or conservative. Provided he has all of his personnel at his disposal this season I think he can be much more creative. I can see Wilson being the dime LB right out of the shoot, giving the Steelers a chess piece in their sub-packages. They also have some different pieces in the secondary they can deploy in different ways. Should be a fun defense to watch if they all can stay healthy.
Guest
9:53
Good Morning! Based on what you're seeing in camp, is Najee still RB1 and Jaylen RB2, or does their appear to be a battle for RB1/RB2 on the Depth Chart?
Ray Fittipaldo
9:55
Yes, Najee Harris is still the first RB in with the starters, but Jaylen Warren gets plenty of reps with the starting offense as well. It was close to a 50-50 split in snaps last season, and I don't think that will change this season. The Steelers have two quality backs and they have very different skill sets. Warren is your big-play back who can break long runs. He's also your third-down back and best receiver out of the backfield. Harris is your between-the-tackles runner and a guy who can wear teams down in the second half. Plenty of reps for both.
SharPourdanish
9:55
Have you noticed any changes in the receiving routes as opposed to Canada’s offense? Guys running downfield catching balls in stride instead of 3 yard sideways routes with the receiver facing the QB?
Ray Fittipaldo
9:57
Yes, Arthur Smith's offense is much different than Canada's. If Smith can establish the running game the passing game will flow off that. He's known for creating play-action and has a history of getting guys open in that manner. That's what he did in Tennessee when the Titans were a really good unit with Ryan Tannehill at QB and Derrick Henry at RB.
Josh
9:57
Has Fields increased his chance
Ray Fittipaldo
9:59
His chances of... starting? No. I think he was solid in the first week of camp with the first-team offense. He has some ups and downs. He was brought in to be the backup to Russell Wilson. And that's what he'll be once Wilson returns from his calf injury. By the way, we might find out about that soon. Even with the rain, the Steelers were still scheduled to practice at 10:30 when I checked with a team official about 10 minutes ago.
Josh
9:59
Has Fields’ chance of starting increased at all? Based on all prior reports, I figured it was 95% plus chance Wilson would be starting. Now ESPN has an article that, with Wilson’s injury opening the door, they think fields will start
Ray Fittipaldo
10:00
II haven't read that story, but that's not the case.
Ryan
10:01
Ray with The Way bishop has been practicing i think he is the teams slot cornerback what do you think also what do you think about the camp so far From fields and warren i think fields will do good if he gets any playing time and i think warren will have a good year again this season
Ray Fittipaldo
10:02
They are taking a long look at Bishop. But don't mistake early-camp reps with him being the starting slot in September. That's a long ways away. He did well in the first week, but he has to sustain it. As for Warren, I'm expecting big things. He's been really good the past two years, and I think he'll make a lot of plays for the offense again this season.
Lefty
10:02
Ray, has Broderick Jones received any 1st team reps at LT? If not, can you figure out why?
Ray Fittipaldo
10:03
Maybe a few, but he's mostly been on the right side. I think Jones flips to the left side once Fautanu proves he's the starter on the right side. And I wouldn't be surprised if that happens in the next few weeks.
TomB
10:04
Seems unusual to have 4 qbs on the roster. Any idea why? I saw an article speculating RW possible cut if JF lights it up which struck me as click bait. Thanks for chatting Ray!
Ray Fittipaldo
10:04
I suggest you start getting your Steelers news from reliable sources. Wilson is not going to be cut. And it's quite common to have four QBs in camp. They need the extra arm for the first few weeks.
Sean
10:05
Thinking about coming to Latrobe this weekend sort of last minute. Do you think getting a hotel room would still be possibl
Ray Fittipaldo
10:05
Maybe, but more likely in Greensburg.
Joe
10:05
Why is Dan Moore still the team’s starting LT?
Ray Fittipaldo
10:05
For now, yes.
Jim_Bow_Dean
10:05
If Herbig is a starting caliber C why didn’t he play last season when Cole struggled?
Ray Fittipaldo
10:07
I don't think the coaches wanted to make a midseason change at such an important position. And Herbig never played much center in games. He's practiced there for his entire career, but most of his reps have been at guard. I think it's only a matter of time until Frazier is the starter. But that won't happen until Frazier proves he can handle the job.
Darnell
10:07
Hi Ray, two questions if I may:  How has Frazier looked so far, and what do you think the plans are for Moore?  Thank you.
Ray Fittipaldo
10:08
Pads come on today. That's when you find out about the linemen.
DarthStiller
10:08
What would be your guess as to who will win their next playoff game, Mason Rudolph or Mike Tomlin?
Ray Fittipaldo
10:09
Well, since Mason is in Tennessee, I'll say Tomlin. I think the Steelers are farther ahead in their rebuild than the Titans, who have a first-year head coach.
John in SC
10:09
Will we see a 2-back offense in Smith’s scheme? Najee and Warren together makes it tough on the defense to focus on a single RB. Will we see a Dan Kreider type lead blocker for either one?
Ray Fittipaldo
10:10
They have a fullback (Jack Colletto) in camp. Not sure if he'll make the roster. And I'm all for a 22-30 package. We saw it some with Canada and I think we'll see it with Smith too. The goal is to get your best players on the field, and I think having two good backs creates some matchup problems.
Jim_Bow_Dean
10:11
How is Trice looking in camp?
Ray Fittipaldo
10:12
He's coming off an injury. I think they are easing him back into things. I think we'll know more in the next few weeks. They need quality depth at corner, and maybe he can provide that.
Guest
10:12
Can we trust Tomlin to restock the offense?  Since Haley he has had 2 disaster OCs, a failed 1st round QB, 2 failed FA QB signings, a number of diva WRs at an alarming rate.  His track record has been surprisingly awful.
Ray Fittipaldo
10:14
I think hiring Smith was a good first step in that direction. The vibe I get from players is they believe a pro is now in charge and there is more confidence in his ability to move the ball and score points. They're still very young and there are three new QBs so there will be some hiccups, but in terms of game planning and play-calling there is much higher confidence among the players in Smith than his predecessor.
Sean
10:14
Reports out of Browns camp say Vrabel is going to have them playing out of their minds. Too bad we couldn't have lured him to the Steelers?
Ray Fittipaldo
10:15
I thought Vrabel would be a good addition for the Steelers too, but he's not a coordinator. It's kind of like the Brian Flores hire. He'll have input and brings a different perspective, but how much impact can he have if he's not actually calling the plays?
10:23
I have to head up to practice. We'll have coverage all day of the first day in pads. Check back for updates throughout the day.
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