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Ray Fittipaldo's Steelers chat: 08.11.20
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Ray Fittipaldo
1:57
Here we go... Let's get the chat started.
football fan
1:58
Are any media members at all allowed to watch training camp this year?
Ray Fittipaldo
2:00
Yes starting Monday Aug. 17 select members of the media will be allowed into Heinz Field to watch practices. It will be different from previous years though in terms of reporting. At Latrobe, we can report what we see because there are no fans. However, due to no fans being allowed at Heinz Field this year there will be a pool report from the reporters in attendance. The Steelers will sign off on that report and then distribute it to all reporters who cover the team.
Mister
2:00
Ray, can you give us a couple of under-the-radar names to keep an eye on from camp this year, like camp sleepers? Thanks.
Ray Fittipaldo
2:02
It's really hard this year due to the truncated camps. Those guys usually would be on the radar by now because they would have gone through an entire spring and almost two weeks of NFL camp by now. But if you're looking for a name to watch starting next week keep an eye on the ILB Leo Lewis and OLB James Lockhart. LB is a rather thin position and if there are injuries those young guys might get a chance to step up. Bug again, it's really hard to come up with a sleeper without having seen these guys yet. It's more like a list to watch.
Zack B
2:02
Safety and ILB depth is not good.  Think we sign a vet?
Ray Fittipaldo
2:04
I think it's a distinct possibility at ILB. You are right. They are razor think there. They are a little deeper at safety now they they signed Curtis Riley, but we'll have to see how he plays this summer. If he doesn't work out then they might be back to Square One there too come the second week of September.
Yinzer in Boston
2:05
Hi Ray. How will the NFL make it through the season with COVID-19? Things are not looking good for MLB. How will things be different?
Ray Fittipaldo
2:06
I just saw some numbers today from the NFL that looked pretty good. A bunch of teams don't have anyone on the COVID-19 list now. Only Jaylen Samuels from the Steelers is on the list. We'll see if they can keep it going but it seems like these first two weeks of camp have gone well from that standpoint.
Football Fan 1951
2:06
Ray, with everything else going on this year it has been hard to get too excited about the Steelers or even sports in general. I'm wondering if a Trump win in November would be better or worse for the state of the NFL. I'll be basing my vote largely on selecting the candidate who is most sports-friendly. I recently came into a large inheritance and my wife divorced me a decade ago. I'm big into sports and  I want a President who will protect sports and allow them to happen in the USA. Go Steelers!
Ray Fittipaldo
2:07
Well, that's a heck of a reason to cast your vote!.
Guest
2:07
Have any steelers players opted out of the 2020 season?
Ray Fittipaldo
2:07
No Steelers opted out by the NFL's deadline. Others can opt out during the season, but it's a bit more complicated.
Tom in Dallas
2:08
College football is quickly fading away.  Teams like the St Louis Cards can't seem to get a team on the field.  We have yet to see similar issues in the NBA and NHL.  Which are in bubble environments.  Is NFL more likely to follow baseball with outbreaks as teams travel to cities, or less issues like the bubble sports?
Ray Fittipaldo
2:09
I get this question a lot, and it's kind of a moot point. The NFLPA was never going to let a 16-game season happen in a bubble because they didn't feel like that was something players would ever do. Being away from your family members for months at a time is a hard sell, especially if health issues or something else like that arose. Of course, the NHL and NBA will do better with positive cases because it's a more controlled environment. The NFL has to hope their players act responsibly once they leave teir respective facilities for the day.
steelbydesign
2:10
Teryl Austin said Cam Sutton will have an expanded role this season. Any insight as to what that might look like? Any chance he gets some snaps at safety? Maybe Edmunds moves down to replace Vince on passing downs? Just feels like Cam is too talented to not have on the field more.
Ray Fittipaldo
2:11
Yes they could decide just to play more DBs in passing situations. So instead of a dime LB like Mark Barron they would simply employ another cover DB. The Steelers did this some in the 1990s. Rod Woodson talked about it when I interviewed him before the draft. I think that's an option. I also think Edmunds moving to dime LB is an option with Mike Hilton or Sutton moving back to play safety in those situations. They did that some last year with Hilton although Edmunds came off the field in those situations. But now he'd stay on because Barron was cut.
Tom in Dallas
2:12
The bad news for college football is good for the NFL.  Will the NFL schedule Saturday afternoon and  night games?  Could easily offer 3 or 4 nationally televised games w/o any competition from other  football games.
Ray Fittipaldo
2:13
I'd be all over that if I worked in the NFL offices. They'd make a killing with the added TV revenue, and it just might make up for some of the losses they'll suffer due to fans not being allowed in attendance. I'd be shocked if the NFL doesn't play Saturday games if all college games are canceled.
Entmd
2:13
Hey Ray, from Gerry’s article on Coach Canada, offense will add some presnap motion.  Do you think it will be a staple (80+%) or more gadget like (<20%)?
Ray Fittipaldo
2:14
I'd lean toward more gadget, at least early in the season. I think it's going to take some time to implement. Not sure 14 padded practices is enough time. But the players have been talking about it. They're going to do it, just not just sure how much.
Steelers 4 Life
2:15
I'm not working right now and I'm trying to fill my time with listening to some great music. I've run through the whole catalog of Metallica albums, the Eagles, and some more modern stuff like Train and Crazy Town.      Any suggestions on some cool tunes that I could check out while I'm at home and trying to listen to some righteous tunes? Thank you!
Ray Fittipaldo
2:15
Blueface.
Jacque Strap
2:15
I still can't wrap my mind around the rookies' first game action being an actual game. Wouldn't it make sense to have at least one preseason game to get them some action and help make personnel decisions? No vets would play anyway. Don't really see the risk in that, current environment considered.
Ray Fittipaldo
2:16
Players didn't want any preseason games this year. The NFL listened to their request in an effort to make sure they reported on time.
steelbydesign
2:16
Any idea what's going on with Cam's contract? Are they going to have to pay him something like the 4 years 80 million that Chris Jones just got?
Ray Fittipaldo
2:17
It's been quiet on that front. We are less than five weeks away from the season. Ideally, they'll get it done before the season, but I wonder if this year they'll decide to continue negotiations with players once the season starts. They don't usually do that, but it might be smart to keep that option open this year.
BB
2:18
Ray - Thanks for the chats and the projected 53!  Assuming the season goes ahead as planned, do you think the offenses or defenses will have the early advantage given the truncated preparation?  Will offenses be pretty vanilla while installing more of the playbook as the season goes on?
Ray Fittipaldo
2:19
Good question. I think it will depend on the team. If a team has a rookie QB then it's going to be a big disadvantage for them because they'll be vanilla. But by the same token, if a defense has six new starters and a few rookies in starting roles those teams could struggle. For the Steelers, I'd look for the defense to carry the load early until the offense can figure out their identity and exactly how they want to play this year.
Franky D
2:19
Do you see Devin Bush being the every down inside linebacker this season with Vince Williams coming in mainly for run support?
Ray Fittipaldo
2:21
Vince Williams is going to start and the initial plan is for him to play more in all situations this year, not just on running downs. Keith Butler said it's being done because Williams is a good communicator and get the defense lined up. We'll see how he holds up in coverage. It was an issue in the past. If offensive coordinators want to target him again they'll find ways to get him in bad matchups. If it's an issue the Steelers would have to change some of their personnel around. But little of this has to do with Bush. He'll be on the field most of the time.
Mark
2:22
The way camp has to play out this year is full of disadvantages. Any possible advantages?
Ray Fittipaldo
2:22
David DeCastro said yesterday that it can be an advantage for the Steelers because they have such a veteran team. And I think that's true on many levels. Teams that lack experience are going to have to learn together on t he fly. That's difficult.
Nitro
2:23
Hi Ray -   Assuming the season moves forward with limited in stadium crowds, does this favor the offense for most teams?  Will viewership be up or will the product be compromised and viewership will fall off?
Ray Fittipaldo
2:24
I think viewership will be up. People I talk to are clamoring for the NFL product. Fans in attendance will have little impact on the TV ratings, which I think will be huge.
steelbydesign
2:24
That protocol for reporting camp practices sounds pretty awful from the perspective of a fan looking to gain some insight... but maybe better from a team perspective? Can they work on some wrinkles without the threat of it getting out to other teams?
Ray Fittipaldo
2:26
We will do our best to break stories and write interesting features on players. But it's certainly an advantage for teams to have tighter reins of their players and the way they practice, what gets out to the public, etc. And yes I certainly think they can work on some things without having to worry about those things being written about. Certainly moreso than other years when anyone could show up at Saint Vincent and sit in the stands.
Paul from Sacramento
2:26
Hi Ray, I really like your chats and insight.  In your estimation...Do you think the return of Ben is going to help the O Line performance at all? And what did Mike Munchak do differently from Shaun Sarrett?
Ray Fittipaldo
2:28
Yes. David DeCastro spoke on this topic yesterday and I've written and talked about it a lot over the offseason. People underestimate Ben's ability to read the defense at the line of scrimmage and get the Steelers into the right play. That will make the run game and passing game improve. And, of course, a good passing offense will open up the run game as well.
iowasteelersfan
2:29
On a scale of 1 being best and 10 being worst - where do these chats fall in as how much you like this part of the job?
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