Ask Alex: Steelers Mailbag

Welcome back to your Pittsburgh Steelers mailbag. As always, we’re here for the next hour to answer whatever is on your mind.

To your questions!

Brian Tollini:

Happy New Year, Alex!

Is there a chance Jaylen Warren’s success (at the very least) makes Pittsburgh reexamine how they approach UDFA’s? Easy for me to say, it’s not my money, but being cheap in this aspect of things seems like throwing away a bunch of lottery tickets with decent odds. Warren has been like winning a million on a $2 scratch-off.

Alex: Same to you, Brian! I don’t think so. It has been awhile but Pittsburgh has a history and culture around finding UDFAs, diamonds in the rough. Warren isn’t a unique case in that long-view of the team history.

If anything, the fact they’ve really only found Warren as their lone gem the last decade or so (B.J. Finney probably the most recent example before that) should compel them to go the other way and come off their model. Because they’ve struck out a lot even from a basic “did your UDFAs make it to camp or land on the practice squad” view regardless of if they had Sunday success or not. Eventually, they’ll realize they’re at such a disadvantage they will switch. But I don’t know when that time will come. I don’t see it happening soon so I don’t see Warren as being the catalyst for change, especially seeing Khan didn’t change the model after his first draft.

NickRVA: Happy Holidays Alex, I’m going to preface this by saying I just read the article about Pagano’s take on the Rudolph/Pickett situation. I know as a team your QBs and WRs often have some of the strongest personalities and are most reactive, but at what point do you put your foot down and do what’s best for the team, even if Pickett is “pissed”? He’s never once put up the numbers that Rudolph did. He did play better with the tag team OC situation, but still didn’t score. Plus if his mobility is even slightly reduced he could be a sitting duck behind our OTs.

Alex: Same to you. And definitely, that really comes first. What gives you the best chance to win now. But there are always consequences that come with that. Rudolph had a great game but Pickett was supposed to be the franchise guy. Rudolph isn’t. But you’re going to have to deal with a QB like Pickett who, to his credit, wants to compete, and knows he’s healthy enough to play. And if he isn’t, it’s going to feel like he’s been benched. That matters more than the national media perception and conversation.

So Rudolph may be the right decision. But there is a long-term consequence to deal with after this game is done. And it’ll beg the question – who is the future of this team? Does Pickett have faith that the coaches think he’s the guy? And vice versa.

Peter-Petersen: Hey Alex, do you think Mason Rudolph could be a franchise QB, or at least a guy to build around?

Alex: I don’t. And I don’t want to sound like a Debbie Downer. But it was one game. I think Rudolph could and should be a No. 2 quarterback, a top backup, but not a franchise, long-term kind of guy. You’re not seeing the 28-year-old backup suddenly blossom all too often.

hdogg48: 

Alex…

Felix Navidad.

Do you see the Steelers taking a QB in this Draft in the later
rounds and continue until they get it right.

Kenny is a good kid, but IMHO doesn’t have what we need.

Ditto for Rudolph who had a good game last week, but doesn’t seeem
to be evolving after years in our limited system.

I bet we could snag a good prospect in RD 2 or 3.
Somebody, big and tough with a cannon for an arm.

Alex: Merry Christmas to you as well! I could see late rounds. But at this moment, not anything that would “threaten” Pickett’s status, though things are getting interesting with the QB situation. Pickett says he’s healthy, ready to play, not doing so effectively means, in his mind, he’s being benched. And he’s not wrong about that.

But I still think they’ll give Pickett 2024. Unless Rudolph goes off and leads this team to a playoff win. But I don’t see them taking a QB early in this year’s draft. Day Three, sure, that’s possible, with Trubisky possibly/likely out and Rudolph a FA (though we’ll know by the draft where he ended up).

Trey: To continue Peter-Petersens question, why don’t you think Mason could possible be “the guy”? I know it was only one game, but here’s my side of asking, why not? When Mason first had his starts in 2019, he never really had first team reps besides a few weeks, or time to develop into the role. Has he really even been tried and tested to really know who Mason is as a quarterback? He was drafted 3rd round, but graded as a potential first round. Pickett’s had a season and a half, Mason has had a hand full of games with no significant first team reps, or full training camps as “the guy”. People still say they need more time to see about Pickett, but everyone seems to think they know Mason. I am not biased but I am curious as to why everyone’s so sure one way but not the other. Thanks!

Alex: For starters, we’re all saying, it’s one game. So to make that declaration for anyone, even if it was Kenny Pickett’s first start, is putting the cart before the horse. There’s lots of small sample size, feel-good stories that wash away. Duck Hodges, Tommy DeVito, Josh Dobbs in Minnesota. Franchise QB is sustaining. And Rudolph did benefit from the Bengals not exactly knowing what to expect either. Let’s see how he does on the road against a tougher defense with some tape on him to gameplan for.

I like Rudolph. I advocated for him to start the Colts game over Trubisky. I knew the road Trubisky would lead the team down. I just see him as the career competent backup. Not the guy who is going to go toe-to-toe with the top names in the AFC. It’s not a slight on him but the arch of him being a backup for his career and suddenly turning into the “guy” at 28, it’s just not a story that plays out.