Mr. Scot

That's a philosophical question... The Steelers have always been adamant about getting players that fit their system, and they've been pretty successful with it. The Patriots are the only team I can think of off the top of my head who pick players and adjust the schemes, but I'm wondering if that's going to continue with Josh McDaniels gone. There are way more teams that use the Steelers model than there are that emulate the Patriots. And admittedly, the fact that it takes superior coaching prowess to do what the Patriots do probably plays in. To put it bluntly, I really can't see Matt Rhule being smart enough to pull something like that off.

If you could convince me that we were getting the Sam Howell I saw last year, I could more easily get on board with it. And I'd really want to know that he had the right skills to run a West Coast style attack.

I would say a lot of things need to go right. He needs the right team, with the right plan, with the right offense with the right coaching. And then throw in a little luck...

Not exactly a big Sam Howell fan, I take it...

Well to be fair, one of those was the dipsh-t who kept claiming inside sources were telling him we could still get Deshaun Watson after the Browns deal was announced.

Fitterer stated pretty clearly on his radio interview that they were not at all up for trading next year's first and second round picks. He seemed to hedge a little when it came to talking about picks after the third, though.

You'd probably have a tough time finding a nicer kid.

Did you use a rectal thermometer?

I'd agree, but some people's definition of "deep" is a little extreme. You don't have to be able to throw it 50 or 60 yards.

I'd agree.

We're still going back after Deshaun Watson at some point, right?

There were people who were upset?

Short to intermediate level accuracy is more valuable in our scheme than a big arm.

Everything I've read tells me that decision didn't start with Fitterer. Not so sure it ended with him either. When you're not the guy in charge, and the guy who is in charge tells you he wants a certain player, all you can do is try and get the best deal possible.

Fitterer doesn't strike me as a guy who cares about "excitement". He wants to build a winning foundation, and he's talked about how to do that.

Like his current one? If he were really that much of a "pro", I don't think he'd be in this position.

Third is probably the ceiling, and I'm not absolutely certain we could get that.

I'm very convinced that we want to trade up, quite probably to somewhere in the second. I'm less convinced that it's absolutely for a quarterback and nothing else, although that's quite possible. I'm way less convinced that we can actually make it happen.

Walker needs to be elsewhere.

For a guy who's probably going to need a year or so before he's ready to start, a fifth year option would be ideal.

Didn't they have Zappe in for a pre-draft visit?

What struck me most was his line about wanting to come away with two or three good players in this draft. He referred to last year as their "numbers draft" and said they want this year to be a "quality draft". It really does sound like they want to trade up, but making it happen with the limited resources they have is still going to be a challenge.

Again, you're citing an example of a coaching change (not a firing but still a change). Bottom line though, for a scheme like ours you want a Drew Brees style quarterback. That's not Willis. And then benches him for Darnold...

We all thought TMJ was an Anderson replacement. I suppose he still could be.

That was on defense, and on Tepper's suggestion (didn't go particularly well). Changing offenses is waaaay more complicated than changing defensive alignments. Really don't see McAdoo switching just to take a second round quarterback.