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Kenny Pickett #8 of the Pittsburgh Steelers throws the ball during the first half of the game against the Cleveland Browns at Acrisure Stadium on January 08, 2023 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
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Ray Fittipaldo's Steelers chat transcript: 01.30.23

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Ray Fittipaldo's Steelers chat transcript: 01.30.23


Ray Fittipaldo: Welcome to this week's Steelers chat. Let's get started.

Jps717: Hi Ray? Love the chat. M Hilton was a good player here but would you agree that his shortcomings in coverage were exploited yesterday? 2nd
Ray Fittipaldo: Yes. I like Mike Hilton as a player. He's very good in run support and blitzing. But as you saw yesterday he does have some limitations in coverage. He's only 5-8 and doesn't have long arms. That's why he was an undrafted free agent. He's done very well in this league, but he's not someone coaches want out there in a game like that yesterday when Mahomes is the QB.

Whenisthenonlosingseasonparade?: Cincinnati seems to have an incredibly talented coaching staff. Harbaugh and company have always gotten more out of less (e.g. Flacco vs Ben). Stefanski beat the Steelers from his couch in a playoff game. For all of the discussion that the Steelers are destined to have the 4th best QB in the division for years to come, where would you rate the overall coaching staff of the Steelers in the division?
Ray Fittipaldo: The Steelers staff is better than Stefanski's staff in Cleveland. After that, it's pretty even. Harbaugh has done it for a long time and has had his share of success. And you see what Taylor has done with the Bengals. He's changed the culture there, and that was hard to do after some of the people Marvin Lewis employed. I'm not sure if the Bengals will ever win the Super Bowl, but they're going to be a problem for the Steelers and the rest of the AFC North for years to come because Joe Burrow is a top-3 QB in the NFL.

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Kid Rock: Ray, given the vitriol of the Flyer rivalry, should something be done or have been done to develop a Steeler/ Eagles rivalry?
Ray Fittipaldo: Like what? They play once every four years. Can't really manufacture a rivalry. That only comes with heated games.

Stelelers general manager Omar Khan speaks during a press conference, Tuesday, Aug. 2, 2022, at Saint Vincent College.
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Silly in Philly: Hi Ray. Pundits and some fans think WR is a need for this team. But they have CA3 from last year to hopefully step in. More of a want than need, right?
Ray Fittipaldo: It's a need. Maybe 4 or 5 on their list, but it's a need nonetheless.

Soggy: As we are all about to be mocked drafted to death.... based on the positional depth, a CB looks to be it the Steelers reach at pick 17. Which one of the top CB prospects would you like the Steelers to end up with? (Thanks Ray, always enjoy the chat.)
Ray Fittipaldo: There are a bunch of quality prospects they could get. All depends on whether they fall to 17 or 32... Can they get one of the top three left tackles at 17? Do they take advantage of the CB depth and wait until 32 or 49 to take a CB? It will be a very intriguing run-up to the draft. Lots to discuss and break down in the coming weeks.

Mark in Texas: How can Steelers justify keeping Canada when 12 other NFL teams fired their OCs? And the large majority of those teams scored more points in 2022 than the Steelers did.
Ray Fittipaldo: Art Rooney II said the Steelers kept Canada because he saw second-half improvement and wanted to keep some continuity with Kenny Pickett entering Year 2. That's how he justifies it. We'll see how the plans works, but that's his thought process.

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Zamo: I’m still shocked Canada is being retained. Has anyone asked coach Tomlin or Art about bringing in an offensive assistant to help Canada? Would love to see Leftwich, kellen moore or someone of that caliber to give another voice on that side of the ball. Relying 100% on Canada is not a smart business decision. We have insurance for a reason and there is no coach cap in the NFL. What’s your best guess Ray? Will Tomlin/Art do this?
Ray Fittipaldo: Yes that question was posed to Art II, and he didn't close the door on the idea.

Mitchy T.: Ray, so I see that The Big Guy wants me to stick around as an insurance policy, but he did not mention if this scenario was contingent upon thou receiving a trim to the automatic deposit. Your thoughts on this matter, if any.? Danke Shoen.
Ray Fittipaldo: I don't know if Art would have come out as strong on Trubisky if he was going to ask him to take a pay cut. We'll some come March.

This Guy: In your option should that personal foul been called against the Bengles at the end of the game. It looked like the hit was at the exact time his foot hit out of bounds. Was it called because it was late or because it was flagrant.
Ray Fittipaldo: It was late, not flagrant. I have no problem with the call. Kind of funny how many playoff games that franchise loses due to personal foul penalties. They have to won the record, right?

Steve: Good afternoon Ray. In reference to Cam Sutton, do you think he is a shut down CB? The reason I ask? I don't think he is and I'm concerned the Steelers will over pay him next month.
Steve in Canton: Hey Ray. If the 1st round of 2023 NFL Draft was held this week, what are 2-3 names you'd write on the Steelers card? Assuming they're available.
Ray Fittipaldo: Sutton is not a shutdown CB, but he's a good player, and he's versatile. They won't overpay for him, but you have to pony up to keep good players. You can't just pay the All-Pros.

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Mitch Trubisky (10) throws before an NFL football game against the Baltimore Ravens in Baltimore, Sunday, Jan. 1, 2023.
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Gerald (with a G) Williams Fan Club: Would you name a few players that you're going to be taking a close look at this week at the Senior Bowl?
Ray Fittipaldo: Focus on OL, DL and CBs. I'll get into some of the names later in the week.

Mike—EE: Ray, do the Steelers have a road map to compete with teams like the Chiefs and Bengals or are we destined to be middling?
Ray Fittipaldo: See: Eagles.

Bernard: If not Mahomes on that run, does the flag get thrown in that situation?
Ray Fittipaldo: Sure why not. As I said, it wasn't flagrant, but was there any doubt it was late? Ask Germaine Pratt. Ha ha. He thought it was late.

21-58-66: Ray - Thanks for the chats and keeping them going in the off-season. Any word that the Steelers might bring in some offensive coach to help with play calling and game plans?
Ray Fittipaldo: Art said it was possible, but I haven't heard any names. If something happens there it likely will come after these OC positions have been filled around the league.

Fletch: Hi Ray - One position I haven’t heard discussed much as a position of need is QB. This year’s QB FA class seems kind of weak. I expect Rudolph and Trubiski will be gone. Do you see them trying to pick up Dobbs and a late round draft pick to fill out QB or something else?
Ray Fittipaldo: If Trubisky is back then they can just draft one late or sign a cheap free agent.

Grossman: Ray, Pat. F. is a fine player, but are the people comparing him to Kelce looking through the same rose-tinted glasses as when they compare Kenny P. to Joey B.? Danke shoen.
Ray Fittipaldo: No one is Kelce, but I think Freiermuth is close to being a top 10 TE in the league, if he's not already there. The Steelers have to get back to throwing to him in the red zone next season. Not sure why that went away -- he was very productive as a rookie -- but his yards and receptions were top 6 in the league. And he's still young. He'll grow along with the other young players in the offense.

mrbig: How do you think the Steelers would have fared against KC, Buff & Cinn if they met at the end of this season?
Ray Fittipaldo: Might have been competitive versus the Bills because they seemed to be leaking water by the end of the season. I'm not so sure it would have been very competitive against the other two. They need to close the gap on those teams for sure.

Nate from Fort Wayne: Ray, what drafting trend do you see happening this year? Last year there was a run on drafting WR's in the 1st round. 4 in the first 12 picks and 7 I think in the first 34 picks.
Ray Fittipaldo: Edge rushers and CBs.

Steeler in Virginia: The past few years we've seen poor OLB depth hurt this team (I'm thinking of Ingram being replaced by Taco Charlton and then Malik Reed this year). Do you think the team has finally learned the importance of getting a quality third OLB? I know you don't want to take Watt off the field ever, but the guy needs a few snaps off now and then.
Ray Fittipaldo: Yes and this is a great year to add a quality edge prospect. It's a deep draft for edge rushers.

mrbig: Is there any talk to give teams a 2nd bye so the SB can be on prez day. weekend?
Ray Fittipaldo: A likely scenario once we get to 18 games, but I don't think that's happening soon.

Nate from Fort Wayne: If we don't go CB in the 1st, is 3rd or 4th best OT or No.1 Guard the better pick?
Ray Fittipaldo: I'm not sure about the better pick, but that's the range they could get Broderick Jones or O'Cyrus Torrence. At 17, I'm guessing three or four of the top CBs might already be off the board.

mrbig: Steelers and eagle will play more often than 4 years. They played this season when the steelers played NFC south.... game 17 can be rivalry state week!
Ray Fittipaldo: Right, but that's not guaranteed. It only happened because they finished in the same place in the division.

Bob: Hi Ray, With what it will cost to resign Highsmith do you see the Steelers drafting an OLB?
Ray Fittipaldo: I think they will take advantage of the depth of this draft and select an OLB. As far as Highsmith goes, I think it will be in the $12-15 million a year range.

Paulie Pennino: Thanks for chats, Ray. Seemingly simple enough question: what would it take for the NFL to have officiating worthy of the richest sports league in the history of world?
Ray Fittipaldo: How about officials who worked on a full-time basis and didn't sell insurance or practice law during the week?

Fletch: With a year of growth for the young offense, do you see the offense being able to average 21 ppg? Historically over the last 2 yrs, they have a 0.667 win percentage when they score 20+. That puts them at 11 wins and in the playoffs.
Ray Fittipaldo: That would be nice, but a jump from the 17 or 18 they average this year. As Art II said, they need to score more. It's an obvious point of emphasis this offseason.

Sara Jay: Ray, I saw a lot of Steelers fans on Twitter taking great delight in Bengals fans' misery last night. I don't get that, though. Cincy seems way ahead of Pittsburgh. How far are the Steelers from the Bengals, in your opinion?
Ray Fittipaldo: Bengals have a clear edge at the moment, but it's the NFL. Rosters change so much from year to year. I also have a theory about teams that don't get over the hump in their first few years of contention -- sometimes it never happens for them. Not saying that's the case with the Bengals, but I can see them having a down year or two during Burrow's career. It happens from time to time as teams retool.

TommySoCal: Is it really so hard for a QB and the rest of the offense to learn a new scheme?
Ray Fittipaldo: I don't think so. It would just be the terminology that changed. All of these teams have the same plays in the playbook.

Fletch: I think Pickett showed some good things over the 2nd half of the season. Will be interesting to see if he continues to progress or regresses next year. Do you think he has the potential to bring this team to KC/CIN/BUF level by year 3?
Ray Fittipaldo: By Year 3? Sure, but he's not Mahomes or Burrow or Allen. It will happen if the Steelers are great on defense and control the ball with the running game on offense with Pickett making a few plays here and there every week. Kind of like Hurts and the Eagles.

The Art of Rooney: If bringing back Canada results in an epic fail next year, should both Canada and Tomlin be replaced?
Ray Fittipaldo: No, but Tomlin would take more heat -- and deservedly so.

Long Gone: I have zero faith that this team will make the postseason in my lifetime. I'm in my mid 40s btw. There is virtually no talent and the coaching is awful. The ownership has no clue what it is doing. I see a Detroit Lions type drought but much much longer. Am I wrong.
Ray Fittipaldo: Talk about a pessimistic view. They should make it back next season. Fourteen teams qualify each year.

Fletch: I agree with the thought of getting Canada help (still can't believe they kept him, continuity is a poor reason to keep him). However, Canada strikes me as a stubborn person, believe he even described himself that way in an early PG article. Do you see him accepting help if they actually did the right thing and hired and experienced offensive assistant to help him?
Ray Fittipaldo: He won't have a choice in the matter.

E.Hochuli: Ray, I pumped serious iron in the off-season, and did not practice freaking law or work at State Farm. Best hope I don't run across your sports writing arse...
Ray Fittipaldo: Back flex, Ed!

Pittfan: Hi Ray. When will you start to take a look at prospects? I'm really interested to hear your take on Siaki Ika, the big nose tackle from Baylor.
Ray Fittipaldo: I'll start that process this week in Mobile at the Senior Bowl. Then Super Bowl week I'll drop my first mock draft.

Chrich_13: good afternoon Ray, I don’t understand why keeping Rudolph as a back up and trading Mitch is not a viable option? Rudolph would be cheaper and knows the offense, and seems to be as good as Trubisky in the backup roll.
Ray Fittipaldo: But he's not the type of QB they want. They want mobile QBs.

Steeler in Virginia: Been seeing a lot of Polamalu highlights recently, and his blitzing wrecked havoc when it was called. Do you see a chance for Minkah to blitz more in the future if the team lands some quality DB help and frees him up?
Ray Fittipaldo: Not really. They're different types of safeties. Minkah can play in the box and blitz once in a while, but he feels like he's best as a deep safety.

Dahntown: How much of the offenses’ lack of creativity / production was related to coach Tomlins’ belief that the defense will keep the games close, so let’s limit our young qb’s exposure. As opposed to blaming Matt Canada for his vanilla scheme?
Ray Fittipaldo: That's part of it but not all of it.

Jamie: Philly has had 3 different head coaches and gone to the SB. This idea that MT is not replaceable is nonsense. There are more than a few quality coaches that could help lead this team back to bring a legitimate playoff team. Nothing against MT but sometimes his stubbornness becomes a liability. Would you care to comment? Thank you.
Ray Fittipaldo: The Steelers have had three coaches reach the Super Bowl, too. In fact, they've combined for six Lombardis. I get what you're saying about the Eagles, but let's not pretend the Eagles are suddenly a model NFL franchise. They've made it back to the Super Bowl for the second time in five years. It's been a good run for them, but let's not compare histories between the two franchises.

Doyle37: What do you think of the officiating in yesterday's games ?
Ray Fittipaldo: Holding can be called on every play. These defensive linemen and edge rushers are some of the best athletes on the field. As for the block in the back penalty on Moore's punt return, the one block I saw didn't look egregious. It was more of a stand in the way type of block. I think the officiating is substandard almost every week, but I didn't necessarily think last night's game was any worse than normal.

Nate from Fort Wayne: Have you ever seen a team have the best luck at the QB position but also the worst luck at the QB position as the 49ers in the same season?
Ray Fittipaldo: That's a good way to put it. Lesson: protect your QBs at all costs. Asking tight ends to block edge rushers is crazy dumb.

Gene: If Byron Leftwitch is available do you think the Steelers should hire him as an offensive assistant?
Ray Fittipaldo: A new set of eyes on a struggling offense sounds like a good idea to me.

Yates: Ray - Would it be better for Steelers to resign both of their free agent safeties or sign one and draft someone?
Ray Fittipaldo: I like Edmunds and Kazee. Just not sure about their price tags and whether it's feasible both come back.

Steel Greg in Baltimore: Happy Monday, Ray! I'm a big fan of your work, thanks for all you do! My question is, with most mocks having the top OT's off the board by pick 17, and assuming that happens, should the Steelers trade down 2-4 picks to get more of a haul? Will they still fill the top needs (OT, CB, ILB, DE) with that plan? Thanks, Ray!
Ray Fittipaldo: Depends what other players are available. What if a DL drops to 17 or the CB they covet? Lots to consider.

Steeler fan in Chicago: Ray - did you laugh or cringe when the Bengals did their Bengals thing and hit Mahomes out of bounds (where is Burfict when you need him?
Ray Fittipaldo: Definitely a Bengals type of play. Some franchises are just destined to be losers.

Ed in Carrick: Ron wrote an article this morning saying Trubisky was worth keeping. I know Art what AR said but what do you think?
Ray Fittipaldo: I like Trubisky as a backup, but I don't know if I like him at that cap hit.
Ray Fittipaldo: OK thanks for all the great questions this week. I have to head to the airport soon to head to Mobile. We'll do another chat next week.

First Published: January 30, 2023, 3:30 p.m.

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