Ray Fittipaldo's Steelers chat: 10.08.26
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Ray Fittipaldo
10:29
Good morning. Let's get the chat started.
Stairway to seventh seed
10:30
Ray: evaluations of the trade compensation that Porter brought back seem to be all over the map which is not surprising because there is little consensus on how good Porter actually is.  If you think he is top 5, then the return is a disaster because Gardner set the bar at two #1s, but if you are like me and think Porter is say between the 12-16th best CB, how should you feel about this return?  It still seems really bad to me given that they could have let him leave in free agency and probably gotten a 3rd round comp pick so it is say a move from 97-100 to maybe 50-56 in the 28 draft.  But then again if he wasn't going to play for you at all, anything is better than nothing.  Thoughts?
Ray Fittipaldo
10:33
When you consider the Cowboys were bidding against themselves it was a good return. You're right. If the rode it out and placed him on a reserve list and just forgot about him until the offseason he would fetched a third-round comp pick. That's what the Cowboys will get for him if he doesn't re-sign there. No other team was interested in making a trade. So when you consider that and the fact that Porter had become a distraction I think it was a decent deal. I'm not absolving Omar Khan and Art Rooney II of any blame in the situation. They could have handled the entire saga in a better manner, but when it comes to getting something for him a second-round pick was the bext-case scenario.
Butcher
10:34
Ray - my fantasy football team name has been Volunteers not Hostages for a few years now - I think the only fault in the Porter trade was not realizing that this would end up dragging into the season and a move should have been made when his trade value was highest. I don't think there was any way a contract would be signed early since he and Gonzales shared the same agent - they were waiting to set the market - This is why we heard NOTHING about a contract discussion in the spring. Regardless - now we have "volunteers" - We set ourselves up to have to long man corners and now we have Dean who is injured and a rookie - who of the practice squad signings have a chance of getting us to a semblance of the scheme that we planned on all off season? Or what do we do to shift schemes with what we currently have on roster to make the D work without 5 TOs a game?
Ray Fittipaldo
10:39
There was a lot going on with Porter retaining two agents, but I'm not sure that whole deal with his business arrangement played a big role in the outcome. In the end, Porter was dug in and had a higher price in mind than the Steelers willing to pay. As for the fallout, yes they built their roster a certain way, but that was for Tomlin. There is a new staff in town and I think we saw from the very beginnig they wanted to see how Porter fit into their defense. That's why Mike McCarthy said he wanted Porter to practice in the spring and summer. There is no telling if that would have made a difference, but it certainly played a role. I guess we'll see if Graham can patch this thing together. He'll have a rookie and Asante Samuel Jr. and probably two guys in reserve who were on practice squads last week. That was not the plan.
Dan
10:39
Hey Ray, thanks for the chat. I was so excited we were finally loaded up at corner and now it’s a glaring weakness. It’s amazing how quickly things change in the NFL. Any word on how long Dean will be out?
Ray Fittipaldo
10:40
The good news is they didn't put him on IR so it's not a long-term deal. He's been battling an ankle injury for a few weeks now, and I think they're at the point where they might want him to rest it for a week or two before he plays again.
Chili
10:41
OK follow me on this, I believe the Steelers will have a winning record and have a top five pick in the NFL draft next year! I think that the Washington football team will have an abysmal record and fire coach at some point in the season. They will turn to the Steelers to get Tomlin to become their next head coach and I cost them a first round pick. And since they already have a quarterback for the future, I think they’ll do it. What do you think?
Ray Fittipaldo
10:42
That's quite the scenario you dreamed up, but I don't think Tomlin will go back as soon as you think. After all, there are Minecraft cities to build.
James
10:42
Good morning Ray…How do Steelers teammates feel about Jaylen Ramsey orchestrating JPJ’S exit from Pittsburgh? Are there any hard feelings or just part of today’s way of doing business?
Ray Fittipaldo
10:45
I wouldn't go as far as to say he orchestrated it, but I'm sure he advised a game plan. And to be fair, I'm sure he felt like the plan would end with Porter stsaying in Pittsburgh. But to answer your question, the players always want their teammates to get paid because every one of them will be in that situation at some point. But there was a point in practice last Thursday when Porter faked the back injury again that the team felt like it was time to move on. That's why you saw a deal come together so fast. It basically happened six hours later. The whole thing with the back and the contract had become a distraction for some players.
Dormont_Legacy
10:46
Ray, lots of different opinions about the Steelers handling of JPJ and who is to blame. I can’t fault the org for not wanting to overpay a guy who will lie to get what he wants. Their offer was pretty generous and not out of line with the market. What is your take?
Ray Fittipaldo
10:48
I've been here long enough to know the Steelers don't cut players a year or two after they sign big deals. It would destroy their cap. So $28 AAV was a good deal. And if the guarantted money was an issue for Porter then maybe he should have studied Steelers history. I think a lot of people were in his ear and his ego got the better of him. He's taking a huge risk by playing for the Cowboys. If he rips up his knee he's costing himself millions upon millions of dollars.
JR
10:49
Hi Ray, how much do you think the loss of Derek Harmon will affect the run defense? He seems to be the key to stopping the run. More Gabe Rubio?
Ray Fittipaldo
10:52
It will either be Rubio, Otomewo or Jobity. If run defense is considered most then I think Rubio gets the call. If they want someone who is a little more well-rounded then they might opt to sign Otomewo off the practice squad. He's also played a lot more than Rubio. But hey, these guys have to learn at some point. And this staff hasn't been afraid to play other rookies.
David Chestnut
10:52
Hi Ray, Is Julius Welchoff ever going to actually get a hat?  Its been several years.  If not, why dont we use that international exception on an international player with more upside instead of giving this guy several years?  Thanks
Ray Fittipaldo
10:53
Welschof isn't a bad player, but he's behind four very talented players. And none of them have been injured yet this year. And please tell me of the player from the International Pathway Program who has been a big success. Most of these guys are projects.
G Man
10:53
Good morning Ray.  Omar Kahn is taking a lot of heat on failing to extend JPJ before he was traded.  But isn’t he just following the contract  structure ownership wants set up with the players?
Ray Fittipaldo
10:55
Yes he is. If Art Rooney II wanted Porter to sign he would have bent the rules for him like he did for TJ Watt. But obviously for Rooney, Watt is the exception. They simply don't do the big guarantees like other teams do. They almost always pay it out anyway, but its not guaranteed up front.
Scott via Louisville Ky
10:56
Does special teams play look as tight and put together as it did under Danny Smith?  I don’t think so. What is the difference?  Can’t just be because we have so many qbs is it.
Ray Fittipaldo
10:57
We have chatters clamoring for the days of Danny Smith! How soon we forget. Smith was blamed for myriad of special teams gaffes ovr the years. In the end, I thought he was a good coach. We'll see if Crossman is as good. He's not off to a great start but maybe it does have something to do with his personnel.
TXSteeler
10:57
Are you finally ready to admit Zach F is their best OL, and not Troy F
Ray Fittipaldo
10:58
Frazier is playing very well. And Fautanu hasn't been as consistent.
Ryan
10:58
Ray what do you think about the play of Ben Skrowronek i think he has looked good especially vs Cincinnati and he has been a good player for the Steelers since he was been with us
Ray Fittipaldo
10:58
Skowronek is a great role player. Very good on special teams and useful at times on offense.
TXSteeler
10:59
Did anybody ask Rodgers or McCarthy what was up with the final play and why they forced it down the field into double coverage instead of hitting their best receiver who was wide open in field goal range?
Ray Fittipaldo
11:01
Yes both were asked this week. McCarthy said they thought they had a good play call to set up a field goal. When I followed up with a question about why Rodgers rollled out, McCarthy said Rodgers had the option to roll out or stay in the pocket on that play. Looking back, Rodgers probably stayed in the pocket. He cut the field in half by rolling out. Then again, he was getting hit so much during the game he probably figured his best shot to even get the pass off was to roll out.
Joey
11:03
If Joey Porter accepted the Steeler offer, would the new deal have been effective immediately, or would he still have been playing this year under the last year of his rookie contract ?
Ray Fittipaldo
11:03
New deal and effective immediately.
Bob
11:03
Are any of these CBs the team picked up any good? I know they aer both coming off knee injuries.
Ray Fittipaldo
11:04
I guess we'll find out, but there has to be reasons they weren't on active rosters. Maybe the injuries are part of the reason.
Ryan
11:04
Pittman has been quiet lately.   I look for him to breakout this game.  Steelers by 10!
Ray Fittipaldo
11:05
Pittman is dealing with a foot injury. I'm not even sure he's going to play at this point. He was limited in practice yesterday.
T-roy
11:06
Hey Ray, thanks for your insight.  Any concerns with Boz?  thanks love reading these chats
Ray Fittipaldo
11:06
Yes I have concerns. It's been a pattern with him. He always has bad seasons after he signs a new contract. It's like clockwork.
TVC15
11:07
Is there any way McCarthy can stop Metcalf from being such a loose cannon?
Ray Fittipaldo
11:07
Rodgers was talking about this a bit yestrday. He obviously didn;t say loose cannon, but he basically said you have to live wiht it. It's a big part of his game. He feeds off it. There sis some good that comes with it and some bad.
Jim
11:08
Would it be completely unprecendented to have Porter Sr removed from Steelers Hall of Honor?
Ray Fittipaldo
11:08
Yes.
Peter
11:08
Fill in the blanks, Ray! The Steelers trade for cornerback __________ from the ____________ at the NFL's 2026 trade deadline!
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