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Ray Fittipaldo's Steelers chat: 4.9.18
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Kevin in Punxsy
12:48
Ray, are you going to do another mock draft b4 the draft?
Ray Fittipaldo
12:48
Yes I will do another one before the draft. I'm now waiting to see who they bring in for top 30 visits.
AK
12:49
Do you think Davis is a better fit a FS?
Ray Fittipaldo
12:49
The Steelers are hoping he is. I guess we'll have to wait and see.
Nosmo King
12:49
Why all of this talk about the Steelers drafting a QB in the first round? We all know its BS.  Is any of this eminating from the Steelers as a misdirection message to the media?
Ray Fittipaldo
12:50
Honestly, I think it's ill-informed national analysts more than local reporters. Have you seen any local reporters talking about QBs as a possibility in Round 1?
lsb
12:50
Good afternoon Ray, I am puzzled why the coaches have kept JJ Wilcox on the roster. I understand that they cannot cut all of the Safeties in one go but his hefty salary ($3.5m) and the fact that he was benched for the majority of the season does not make me believe that he is a future starter. Do you have a clue to why he was kept ?
Ray Fittipaldo
12:51
If they take a safety in the first three rounds they might cut him. But right now he's still one of their top three safeties. Why cut him now? You never know what can happen between now and the season. There could be injuries.
Lloyd's 3-Count
12:52
Appreciated DeCastro's comments on the new crown rule. Has any other player been on-the-record about it yet? Between that and targeting, seems like we're heading for more flags not less.
Ray Fittipaldo
12:53
We won't get a chance to speak with the players at length until OTAs begin in May. But I wrote a story in December when word leaked out that the rule was a possibility. The players, almost to a man, were not in a favor of it.
Jud
12:53
Is this Bell Contract situation 2.0 again?  Any chance of a different outcome at this point?
Ray Fittipaldo
12:54
Doesn't seem like it will be any different. I'm guessing they can't come to an agreement by the July 16 deadline and we see Bell again one week before the first game.
Lamont
12:54
Hi Ray, Who is Nat Behre? And is this a guy that might not even make the team?
Ray Fittipaldo
12:54
He's a special teams player and they needed one because they parted ways with Robert Golden. He's a guy who is viewed as a core special teams player so I do think he has a very good shot to make the roster.
Jud
12:55
Are Heyward and Tuitt believing their own hype?  We weren't great against the run last year correct?
Ray Fittipaldo
12:56
They are just two of 11 players on the field. Run defense is a team thing. It's not dependent on two players even though Tuitt and Heyward are on the first line of defense.
Bill
12:56
Malik Jefferson from Texas looks like a very interesting prospect that could fit the Steelers scheme. What do you think of the Steelers taking him in the early rounds for the draft?
Ray Fittipaldo
12:56
He's a second or third round prospect. He was in for a visit last week so it appears there is legitimate interest.
CC
12:57
When do the Steelers start off season workouts?
Ray Fittipaldo
12:57
OTAs begin in May and minicamp is in mid-June. They'll have four consecutive weeks of practices before breaking before training camp.
Micah
12:58
Ray, a sneaky pick (in my mind) for the second round would be Billy Price. To me, he's immediately an upgrade for depth and the eventual replacement for either Pouncey or Foster. Thoughts?
Ray Fittipaldo
12:58
Perhaps. He has that injury so he might fall.
Guest
12:59
Failing miserably? I get that we're all disappointed by playoff losses. And I think the Steelers should have beaten the Jaguars. But 11 of the 12 playoff teams are going to lose their last game. Does losing in the AFC Championship game or Super Bowl make the season that much better? Or did the Patriots fail miserably also?
James
12:59
Do the Steelers pay attention to any mock drafts out there or do their own draft scenarios to prepare?
Ray Fittipaldo
12:59
They do their own scenarios based on their preparations.
Nosmo King
12:59
Do you think the Steelers would trade Bryant for a good ILB or a high (3rd or 4th rd) draft pick?
Ray Fittipaldo
1:00
Maybe for a high third round pick, but why would a team give up a high third-round pick to get Bryant, who will be an unrestricted free agent as soon as the season ends? Not to mention the fact that he's a two-time offender of the league's substance abuse policy.
Guest
1:01
Is Jerome Baker of Ohio State a possibility? I think he's a bit raw, but he has the potential to be a playmaking linebacker, and give them a bit of what Shazier gave them.
Ray Fittipaldo
1:01
Baker is a middle-round prospect. They always seem to like Ohio State guys.
Ron Konkoma
1:01
Bates or Reid?
Ray Fittipaldo
1:02
Good question. I tend to see Reid's name higher in most mock drafts, but Bates is intriguing because he is so young and seemingly has more room to grow as a player. The Steelers tend to go for those types of player.
JC
1:02
Any chance we use a draft pick on a punter or another long snapper in this draft?
Ray Fittipaldo
1:02
I hope not.
1:03
Thanks for all the questions this week. We'll do it again next week.
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