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The ***OFFICIAL*** 2019 Pittsburgh Steelers Thread (2 Viewers)

Fitzpatrick will want to play the Slot Corner or Nickel Back if he can help it...that was why he requested a trade out of Miami. His big beef was that Miami was game planning him at all the positions and he was most comfortable with what he did his rookie year which is slot DB covering the slot WR. That is typically a big time WR in most 3 WR set offenses like LARams as an example. I do not see him playing a lot of Safety, also he isn't really built like say the kid in Oakland, rookie named Abrams I think? He's not like that guy at all. He isn't going to be Troy Polamalu II or Ed Reed from the Ravens, that's not who he is IMO. 

He is really good at what he does and most defenses roll 5 DBs almost all the time now or for large chunks of the game so he doesn't just stroll out on 3rd and long and then hop back over to the sidelines. I think he will help the Steelers a lot but I don't know if he can help them go from 4 wins to 8+ wins but we will see. 

 
Bracie Smathers said:
Their front office kicks butt.  They draft incredibly well and I thought the move-up for Bush this year was brilliant but this move is a bit puzzling IMHO and I like Minka.  

You would know much more about his ability.  I'm sure he can play the slot but do you think he can play outside?
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Yep, i was just posting that. I think he will be a huge shot in the arm for the defense but...the Steelers just lost Big Ben after watching AB exit and after well you know...it just boggles my mind when teams might see what Miami is doing and join the party. Pittsburgh had a different approach then say the 2012 Colts did once Manning was leaving town. 

 
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Steelers' move for Minkah Fitzpatrick bold, calculated -- and a bit desperate

On the surface, the Pittsburgh Steelers’ decision to deal a first-round pick to the Miami Dolphins for safety Minkah Fitzpatrick reeks of desperation. They are 0-2, just lost their franchise quarterback for the year and see the Super Bowl window closing fast. 
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Ministry of Pain said:
Fitzpatrick will want to play the Slot Corner or Nickel Back if he can help it...that was why he requested a trade out of Miami. His big beef was that Miami was game planning him at all the positions and he was most comfortable with what he did his rookie year which is slot DB covering the slot WR. That is typically a big time WR in most 3 WR set offenses like LARams as an example. I do not see him playing a lot of Safety, also he isn't really built like say the kid in Oakland, rookie named Abrams I think? He's not like that guy at all. He isn't going to be Troy Polamalu II or Ed Reed from the Ravens, that's not who he is IMO. 

He is really good at what he does and most defenses roll 5 DBs almost all the time now or for large chunks of the game so he doesn't just stroll out on 3rd and long and then hop back over to the sidelines. I think he will help the Steelers a lot but I don't know if he can help them go from 4 wins to 8+ wins but we will see. 
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It 'could turn' into a top-ten pick and that is a lot to play a slot corner.  I know he can play that but if it turns into a top-ten pick then they will overpay.

The Phins have to turn those picks.

 
Ministry of Pain said:
...that was why he requested a trade out of Miami.
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I heard players were questioning the in-game play calling.  Thought they were determined to "lose".  Minkah wanted no part of that scenario after the first game and up until then he been okay with the acquisition of picks for players.

 
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Bracie Smathers said:
Steelers' move for Minkah Fitzpatrick bold, calculated -- and a bit desperate

It 'could turn' into a top-ten pick and that is a lot to play a slot corner.  I know he can play that but if it turns into a top-ten pick then they will overpay.

The Phins have to turn those picks.
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Hey Bracie, I've seen this mentioned a few times now..."they have to hit on the picks". I'm not sure I understand why that is brought up a lot. If they swing and miss like they have done for the last 20 years, they just won't improve which is hard to imagine right now.

I will say this as I was thinking about the cost Miami is paying...could they have kept their best players like Fitzpatrick and still lost a bunch of games, gone 3-13 and been in the hunt for maybe 1 of say 3-4 really strong QB prospects this year? Miami seems to be overpaying to get the number one spot and sad to say but at the moment they are being challenged by a couple other teams that seem like they might never win a game this season. 

Miami is $113 Million under the cap right now going into 2019/2020 off season...people are overlooking how much money they will be forced to spend in this off season and even the one in 2021, it's going to take them a while to spend within 80-90% of the cap over a 3 year period, carry the 7, oh I get a headache figuring this out but Miami has a ton of cash to spend the next 2-3 years, there are no contracts to weigh them down moving forward. Whenever they decide to try and move forward of course.   

 
BigSteelThrill said:
I heard players were questioning the in-game play calling.  Thought they were determined to "lose".  Minkah wanted no part of that scenario after the first game and up until then he been okay with the acquisition of picks for players.
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You are hitting right on the head, the smoking gun that Miami is tanking in ways that could actually be illegal but Im not sure...if you purposely put together a game plan designed to fail, that's kind of like throwing the game which puts a lot of stress on Vegas and the gambling community...but it's been obvious to casual observers what the Phins have been doing. 

 
Ministry of Pain said:
Hey Bracie, I've seen this mentioned a few times now..."they have to hit on the picks". I'm not sure I understand why that is brought up a lot. If they swing and miss like they have done for the last 20 years, they just won't improve which is hard to imagine right now.

I will say this as I was thinking about the cost Miami is paying...could they have kept their best players like Fitzpatrick and still lost a bunch of games, gone 3-13 and been in the hunt for maybe 1 of say 3-4 really strong QB prospects this year? Miami seems to be overpaying to get the number one spot and sad to say but at the moment they are being challenged by a couple other teams that seem like they might never win a game this season. 

Miami is $113 Million under the cap right now going into 2019/2020 off season...people are overlooking how much money they will be forced to spend in this off season and even the one in 2021, it's going to take them a while to spend within 80-90% of the cap over a 3 year period, carry the 7, oh I get a headache figuring this out but Miami has a ton of cash to spend the next 2-3 years, there are no contracts to weigh them down moving forward. Whenever they decide to try and move forward of course.   
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Miami has the location/weather, no state taxes, FAs should be flocking to the Dolphins.  

I never liked Tannenhill and I hate Devante Parker and I hate the Tunsil trade.  Minka is only 22.  

If they get the QB then they can start the rebuild.  They have a boat load of draft ammo.  If they had a Dorsey-type of GM they could turn it around PTQ but I don't want to muddy the Steeler thread but jeesh, this move is out of character for the Steelers.  If it turns into a top-ten pick then that is a lot to play a slot corner. 

 
BigSteelThrill said:
Had to pay the first -- which was expected. 

Really freakin' happy. :pickle: :pickle: :pickle:
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:thumbup:

Good Luck and I think he will perform well for you all. He's going to love the front office and the coaches a lot more than he did here, that's gotta make a big difference for him. I'll bet that the Steelers happily extend him in 2021 when he's eligible. I'm happy for Fitz he is going to a strong organization, most of the players we traded landed on good teams. 

 
Ministry of Pain said:
Pittsburgh had a different approach then say the 2012 Colts did once Manning was leaving town. 
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The next Fall the Colts also traded away a future 1st to add a former high pick from a struggling team: RB Trent Richardson from the Browns.  The Steelers acquiring Fitzpatrick can't go that poorly...right? 🤔

 
PFF...

According to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, Miami asked Fitzpatrick to learn six positions this off-season after having him play at least 90 snaps at box safety, slot corner, outside corner and free safety as a rookie. Fitzpatrick’s frustration is well-warranted because it takes him away from the position he clearly plays best and one that has grown significantly in value with the NFL’s ongoing pivot to lighter personnel groupings.

As a rookie last season, the former Alabama standout earned an impressive 79.3 overall grade and a 76.7 coverage grade across 379 snaps at slot cornerback. He also ranked first in completion percentage allowed (51.3%) and passer rating allowed (53.4) among the 34 defensive players with 200 or more coverage snaps played in the slot in 2018.

Fitzpatrick was one of the best rookie slot corners we have ever graded. Since 2006, only five rookie defensive backs have earned higher coverage grades from the slot than Fitzpatrick’s 79.3: Casey Hayward, Desmond King, Leon Hall, Tyrann Mathieu and Antoine Cason.

Fitzpatrick’s NFL success is what we expected after he excelled for the Crimson Tide in college. His 90.5 career coverage grade playing the slot for Bama is the best grade among 93 Power 5 defenders with 400 or more slot coverage snaps played since 2014.

And successful slot cornerbacks are indeed valuable in today’s NFL, well worth first-round picks.

In 2018, Fitzpatrick allowed a passer rating of 69.0 in coverage - good enough for 7th best among qualified CBs.

Note* his worst grading is when he is "in the box," 40.9.

https://www.pff.com/news/pro-breaking-steelers-trade-2020-first-round-pick-for-minkah-fitzpatrick

 
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Out of all the years we wanted this team to make a big trade for a QB and they pick now to do it?  Good lord - I'm so turned off my this management and coaching staff.  WTF are they doing?  Rudolph better be the real deal or this is going to end really, really badly.  Lot of the pressure on the kid to win now.

 
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I have been a big fan of the dolphins moves in the offseason, jettisoning salary to get a solid rebuild going. Thought it was odd they dealt Tunsil but not after seeing the return. But this trade just doesn’t make sense to me. Fitzpatrick is 22 and is a fantastic player. I understand they got a first for him but he is a young, very good player. The type of player you want to hold onto in a rebuild, not trade.

 
My guess is they have a lot of confidence in Rudolph but realize they're going to need to sure up a very shaky secondary in order to win games this year.  A healthy Ben can win shootouts, not as likely with Rudolph.

I expect the Steelers to dial up the running game and simplify the offense a bit in an effort to keep the clock moving and opposing offense off the field.  This trade should improve the defense significantly: getting them off the field on 3rd downs and hopefully more turnovers.

So it seems like this is a move for both now and the future.   I hope it works out because if they suck this season and this turns out to be a top 5 pick they've paid a very steep price.

 
Godsbrother said:
My guess is they have a lot of confidence in Rudolph but realize they're going to need to sure up a very shaky secondary in order to win games this year.  A healthy Ben can win shootouts, not as likely with Rudolph.

I expect the Steelers to dial up the running game and simplify the offense a bit in an effort to keep the clock moving and opposing offense off the field.  This trade should improve the defense significantly: getting them off the field on 3rd downs and hopefully more turnovers.

So it seems like this is a move for both now and the future.   I hope it works out because if they suck this season and this turns out to be a top 5 pick they've paid a very steep price.
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If nothing else, this move shows that they're extremely confident in Rudolph as the heir to Ben.  I hope that works out.  If it does, this move will end up being a good one.

 
fred_1_15301 said:
If nothing else, this move shows that they're extremely confident in Rudolph as the heir to Ben.  I hope that works out.  If it does, this move will end up being a good one.
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Yep.   One thing for sure:  that secondary has been getting lit up and Fitz should be an immediate improvement

 
Write ups on Minkah around the 2018 draft.

When the trade was announced my first reaction was "WTF, why?" It looked like our season was over with Ben out and we might end up with a top 10 pick. I honestly couldn't believe it and I was disappointed. 

After having time to think about it, I'm much happier than I was, but still skeptical. I think they did this for 2 main reasons, but it will have to play out during the season to see if I'm right. First, I think that Colbert and Tomlin are still of the belief that our team is good enough with Rudolph to make a serious push this year. They think that a defense based around Watt, Haden, Bush, Tuitt, Heyward, Fitzpatrick is enough to build around and hold teams in check, while our O-line, Rudolph, Juju, McDonald, and Conner will be strong enough on Offense to put up points. After watching Rudolph work against a strong Seattle D, I can't say I disagree, and if we'd had Fitz to stop some of Wilson's quick passes then the outcome could have been different. 

Second, the FO and Tomlin must believe that Fitzpatrick will drastically increase the quality of our secondary. I'm not sure where they plan to play him, in the slot or at FS, or as a utility defender, but they must believe that after he gets up to speed our defense will improve greatly. I like Mike Hilton out of the slot, and he was able to get pressure in the Seattle backfield on crucial plays, but I didn't really analyze his coverage during the Seahawks game. I think that having Minkah in the back end, replacing the injured Sean Davis (soon to be FA) and covering for a mediocre Edmunds, could be beneficial, but I'll be honest that I don't know enough about Fitzpatrick's game to know for sure how he'd do at FS. He was a leader of Bama's D in a year that they dominated, I feel like that can't be a bad thing.

Another point in support of this trade is that I haven't been a huge fan of several of our recent first round picks. Granted, if we actually had a high pick next year we might be able to get a game changer, but our recent track record in the secondary has been Artie Burns and Terrell Edmunds. I don't think our talent evaluation is great when it comes to that area of the defense. If we end up with a top 10 pick next year, I'm not sure this was a good deal, but I'm not sure that the season is as lost as it felt on Sunday right after the game ended. 

Fitzpatrick is only 22 (23 in Nov), he's a young, talented, proven player. I don't think we'd have drafted a QB in the 1st, even if Rudolph plays poorly this year, because I think that Ben or Rudolph are the starting QB next year. Hey, if Rudolph does as poorly as some people think he will then we can just go heavy on D in 2020 and take Lawrence in 2021. 

 
Leeroy Jenkins said:
If our pass rushers were getting tired, it sure sucks to have Chickillo out there instead of Skipper. 
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Can't wait for Ola to get healthy. I think a rotation of him, Watt, and Dupree will be legit.

Also, allegedly the Chiefs made a very similar offer for Fitzpatrick but we got him because Miami expects our pick to be higher in the 1st (I wonder why?). Makes me feel a bit better that other teams (with good FOs) were offering a similar amount for him.

At this point, I'm feeling better and better about this trade. The only thing that'll suck is if our pick next year is high and a ridiculous player would have dropped to us. Trying not to think about April 2020 with 14 games left to play (Or 17?!?! Probably not). 

Steelers are 100-1 odds of winning the Super Bowl right now. It'd be stupid to throw money away, right? Right?!

 
Franknbeans said:
Another take
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Yet even under the weight of headlines he wanted out, Fitzpatrick graded out as ProFootballFocus.com’s top Dolphins defender in Sunday’s blowout loss to the New England Patriots.

The Steelers get Fitzpatrick on the cheap, too. The Dolphins have paid the bulk of his salary over the next few years. He’ll cost Pittsburgh an average of about $1.5 million over the next four years. That’s nothing for a top talent. So they not only get a top talent but get extra money to buy someone else.
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Risky move but I like it if they are confident that Rudolph will be solid. May even be able to get that first back for Ben or Rudolph if Mason has a good year.

8 first round picks now starting on D. Heyward, Watt, Dupree, Bush, Barron, Fitzpatrick, Haden and Edmunds.  If the D doesn't show some serious improvement soon (as in top 5) have to think it comes down quickly on Butler and eventually Tomlin.

 
steelers1080 said:
Can't wait for Ola to get healthy. I think a rotation of him, Watt, and Dupree will be legit.

Also, allegedly the Chiefs made a very similar offer for Fitzpatrick but we got him because Miami expects our pick to be higher in the 1st (I wonder why?). Makes me feel a bit better that other teams (with good FOs) were offering a similar amount for him.

At this point, I'm feeling better and better about this trade. The only thing that'll suck is if our pick next year is high and a ridiculous player would have dropped to us. Trying not to think about April 2020 with 14 games left to play (Or 17?!?! Probably not). 

Steelers are 100-1 odds of winning the Super Bowl right now. It'd be stupid to throw money away, right? Right?!
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Chiefs, Seahawks, Saints, Cowboys, there was a bidding war actually and Dallas dropped out at that point. 3 or 4 other teams were also in contact with Miami about Minkah.

 
So I guess the Steelers have their #3 QB in Paxton Lynch.  Yeah he really sucks but if this team has to go to him then we have started tanking way before that

 
Frenchy Fuqua said:
Risky move but I like it if they are confident that Rudolph will be solid. May even be able to get that first back for Ben or Rudolph if Mason has a good year.

8 first round picks now starting on D. Heyward, Watt, Dupree, Bush, Barron, Fitzpatrick, Haden and Edmunds.  If the D doesn't show some serious improvement soon (as in top 5) have to think it comes down quickly on Butler and eventually Tomlin.
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Absolutely.  This defense should be better than they've been playing

 
Leeroy Jenkins said:
Will play exclusively at safety this week it seems. 
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Yeah, Tomlin said that at least for now he's locked in at Safety. The only comments I saw by him about Miami was that he didn't want to move all over the place like crazy. He played 6 positions this offseason and was not a fan. Last year he played 4 positions with Slot CB and FS being the most common. I'd bet that we're going to use him as a FS and Slot CB to start and then hopefully adjust based on how it's going. You can't give a normal player 6 positions worth of tasks to remember and expect him to excel. 

 
The Steelers need a playmaker, and we have an old friend who's wasting one right now. I'm not sure what it would take, but I think we should inquire about OJ Howard. Arians can't give two s***s about the TE position, and Howard is averaging like 10 yards per game. I think we should offer 2 4ths for him and instantly have another playmaker on offense. This year is the bizarro Steelers, so why not go for it. 

 
steelers1080 said:
The Steelers need a playmaker, and we have an old friend who's wasting one right now. I'm not sure what it would take, but I think we should inquire about OJ Howard. Arians can't give two s***s about the TE position, and Howard is averaging like 10 yards per game. I think we should offer 2 4ths for him and instantly have another playmaker on offense. This year is the bizarro Steelers, so why not go for it. 
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Unfortunately Howard is also one of the best blocking TE’s in the game. Bruce will use them to block. It’s not like when Mike Martz sent Olsen packing because he simply didn’t use a TE at all. 

 
Bet you there are a ton of happy faces on the practice field Wednesday from Minkahs arrival.

The FO just told the entire team what they think about them and this season going forward.

 
steelers1080 said:
What record do you guys think we get this season? I'm thinking 11-5 as a half-optimistic line.

  1. Pats - 0-1
  2. Seahawks - 1-1
  3. 49ers - 2-1
  4. Bengals - 3-1
  5. Ravens - 4-1
  6. Chargers - 4-2
  7. Dolphins - 5-2
  8. Colts - 6-2
  9. Rams - 6-3
  10. Browns - 6-4
  11. Bengals - 7-4
  12. Browns - 8-4
  13. Cards - 9-4
  14. Bills - 10-4
  15. Jets - 11-4
  16. Ravens - 11-5
I think we split with the Ravens and Browns, we lose to two of Pats/Chargers/Rams and lose to 1 bad team. I just chose us losing to all 3 solid teams because I couldn't pick a bad team for us to lose to. 
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Well crap. I think this is probably not accurate anymore, and wouldn't have been even if Ben stayed healthy. So, clearly the time to update this is now, while we still don't know how terrible (or great) Rudolph will be. We're obviously 0-2 after 2 weeks, and I would be surprised if we beat the 49ers on the road, since we never win on the west coast. So, after starting 0-3 we go on a short run and win 1 game, taking down the Bengals. The Ravens and Chargers will both be favorites against the Steelers but I think we're able to win at least 1 of those games, so now we're a solid 2-4. The Dolphins kick off a mini-run for us and we wind up 4-4 after 8 weeks. Rams-Browns-Bengals-Browns doesn't look too favorable now, but Goff falls into a slump and the Browns are somehow still bad, allowing us to dominate this stretch, 8-4 after 12 weeks. Cards-Bills-Jets sounds like an easy run, but we're unable to put away teams with terrible records so we end up eking by a 2-1 record there, putting us at 10-5. No one expects us to win against the Ravens right now, but with Lamar Jackson running on every 3rd play he gets hit more than his body can handle and RG3 doesn't last much longer. The Ravens are starting Trace McSorley by week 17 and the Steelers pull off the division clinching win. 11-5, did not see that coming at the beginning of this paragraph.

I think the biggest takeaway is that I'm still overly optimistic and that this season has yet to crush my hopes and dreams. If last week showed us anything its that anything can happen. Big Ben and Brees sustained major injuries and the Jets QB was too busy getting the kissing disease to stay on the field. The AFC looks insurmountable at the moment, but Brady and Mahomes are 1 bad hit away from the same fate as Ben. Anything can happen and I won't give up hope until we're eliminated from the playoffs (Or if we lose to the Dolphins). 

 
I recall people around here wanting Taco Charlton (and Takkarist and R Foster) over Watt.  Now Taco is waiver wire fodder.

 
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