Poll Question: Are you in favor of moving the extra point from the 2-yard line to the 1-yard line to enhance teams go try more 2-point conversions? Answer #1: Yes (46%) Answer #2: No (54%)

McGruff: Do you get a sense that the Steelers have interest in moving up for Trae Wayens?

Ray Fittipaldo: I don’t get that sense yet, but we’re a month away from the draft. It’s been interesting with Waynes. There have been mock drafts where he’s been gone by No. 6 and then others when he is available at No. 16 or 17. Obviously, it would be much easier to trade up five or six slots than 15 slots. He is generally regarded as the best CB in the draft, but this is a deep class for corners, so I am not sure it would be worth it to trade picks to take Waynes when you can find others in your slots and in later rounds.

Zack: Our DE depth. Why not look at Adam Carriker. He looked good at the vet combine and was good for the Skins when healthy. Has experience under Haslett there too which would make his transition here easy. Thoughts?

Ray Fittipaldo: Usually, there is a reason guys at working our at veteran combines and not on rosters the previous season. They’ve lost a step or aren’t as explosive as they were. The Steelers do need to address their depth at DE, but they can do that in the draft and perhaps by adding guys who are cut late in training camp.

McGruff: Do you see the steelers designating Troy P as a post 6/1 cut and then using the $6mill and change to extend Cam Heyard and Kelvin Beachum?

Ray Fittipaldo: The Steelers don’t necessarily need to free up money to sign Heyward and Beachum to long-term contracts. Heyward’s extension would actually clear space in the short term. Beachum’s would add but they are about $6 million or so under the cap now. As far as Troy goes, I just think they want to handle the situation delicately. He is one of their all-time great players and they’d prefer not to cut him.

Zack: Considering the depth an ILB, why not move Timmons before his contract is up in2 years and we have to either cut him next offseason or resign to a bigger deal? A second rounder from San Fran seems fair.

Ray Fittipaldo: Because he is 28 and coming off a Pro Bowl year. The Steelers are in win-now mode. They have a franchise QB and an offense that can be one of the better ones in the league next season. The defense is in transition, but trading one of your best players won’t make that unit better.

Guest: Mr. Dulac seems to think signing Harrison is a bad sign for the state of the current LB’s, so Jarvis Jones is that suspect playing strong side LB that we need to bring back a 37 yr old guy?

Ray Fittipaldo: I’ve been saying all along no one, including the Steelers, knows what they have in Jarvis Jones. He was benched as a rookie for ineffective play and missed most of last season with a wrist injury that required surgery. I think they’ll let Jones and Harrison compete with the hope Jones shows enough to start. Either way, Harrison proved last year he can still play. If it ends up being in a limited role he might actually be more effective. I can see a scenario where Harrison sets the edge on running downs and Jones is a pass rushing specialist. That, obviously, would mean Moats is your full-time starter on the left side. And I’m not terribly enthusiastic about that either. Moats was good as a part-time player, but I’m not sure how he translates as a starter.

EliFromOttawa: Numerous sources cited saying that Troy is working out and is in football shape looking to continue his career, if they can bring back Harrison to mentor the rookies and give them some snaps why can’t they do the same with Troy?

Ray Fittipaldo: For one, Harrison was still effective last season. I can’t say the same for Troy.

Dude_From_Cali: I read Big Ben takes his WR’s to Georgia for training… why Georgia and for how long? How many WR’s attend this thing?

Ray Fittipaldo: Ben has a home in Georgia, so that might be one reason, but it’s not always Georgia. Last year he took some of the WRs to California for a week or two to work out. Last year it was the younger WRs.

Brian: Are they really not considering signing a veteran free agent Cornerback? The position is so thin and rookies never contribute on the team.

Ray Fittipaldo: They’ll draft one or two and maybe they’ll pick up a guy like BW Webb in late August. Webb was among the final cuts of the Cowboys last year and the Steelers grabbed him. He ended up being their fifth CB and a part-time special teams player. Right now, they have Gay, Allen, Blake and Webb plus whomever they draft.

Steelmann58: Ray I for one am glad James signed. Do you see JJ no moving across to the other side where he have to go against the RT?

Ray Fittipaldo: I don’t see Jones moving to the left side. I suppose Harrison could, but he’s played his entire career on the right. Asking a 13-year vet to learn something new might not work. As I mentioned previously, maybe you have a situation where Jones is a pass-rushing specialist. Baltimore does that with Dumervil and is very successful with that approach. Maybe the Steelers will try it.

Joseph: Colbert’s comment that the ROLB spot is an “open competition” between Jones and Harrison makes me curious what the plan is for the LOLB spot. I would have assumed, like many people, that Harrison would be playing LOLB and grooming a high draft pick while letting Jarvis get reps at the position that the Steelers ultimately drafted him to play. Any thoughts about how this might ultimately shake out?

Ray Fittipaldo: Right now, I am guessing Moats is the guy on the left, but Tomlin is talking at the owner’s meetings today. perhaps we’ll have some news on that subject later in the day.

Guest: do you think the Steelers are going to take a cornerback or an outside linebacker with the’re first pick

Ray Fittipaldo: If they have an OLB ranked higher on the board at the time they draft they can afford to take him and get a CB in the second round because this is a deep class for CBs.

SteelByDesign: Any idea of Marcus Peters is on the Steelers board? If he is, seems like he’d be a no brainer in the 1st wouldn’t he?

Ray Fittipaldo: I wouldn’t say it’s a no-brainer. There are those who believe Peters is the most talented CB int he draft, but you cannot overlook his past issues at Washington. I don’t know if he is on or off their board at this point, but at No. 22 you wan to be sure you have a long-term solution. And drafting a guy who has had the issues of Peters might not be a good bet at that point.

Keith: What is Shazier up to this offseason? How is his health?

Ray Fittipaldo: He’s working out like everybody else. He had some lingering problems with his knee and ankle last year but nothing serious. He should be fine by now.

McGruff: would you be shocked if #92 leads the team in sacks this season?

Ray Fittipaldo: That would not be ideal for the Steelers. Hopefully, Jones blossoms and becomes their top sack guy, but Harrison had 5 1/2 last year and he missed the first three games.

Rod Rust: Can you give a grade A-F on how the cap has been managed?

Ray Fittipaldo: I’m not an expert on the cap, but generally I favor cutting ties with a player earlier rather than later and I’m not a big fan of restructuring older guys like Heath and Troy the way they did last year.

Dude_From_Cali: Which players would voluntarily attend VETERANS COMBINE? What’s the upside or downside for attending?

Ray Fittipaldo: For most of them it’s their one last shot to show they can still play. Felix Jones was there and he was washed up in 2013 so you get the idea of the caliber of players there.

McGruff: Will 2016 be another year of witnessing just how bad Cam Thomas is?

Ray Fittipaldo: Maybe Ethan Hemer or someone else can play well enough to supplant him and they won’t have to carry Thomas on their roster. It sure would be nice if they Josh Mauro to vie for that job now, too, but he’s in Phoenix with the Cardinals.

Ponce: From Colbert’s comments it seems like they’ve painted themselves into a corner (pun intended) vis a vis the draft. Sounds like they will have to draft out of need, not take best available, agree?

Ray Fittipaldo: I don’t think that’s the case. They have big needs at OLB and they could take a TE there if they have one rated high enough.

Theo: Hi Ray! Can you tell us if Harrison’s deal is really a two year deal and not just a one year deal spread out for cap purposes? If it is, what will be the hit in 2016 for him if he’s not on the team?

Ray Fittipaldo: It’s essentially a one-year deal. They can cut him after the season like they did with Keisel and absorb a small cap hit in 2016. It’s not a big deal.

Ponce: Any way Limas Sweed gets to retire a steeler?

Ray Fittipaldo: Right along with Steven Conley and Alonzo Jackson.

IH: With the undeniable “hit or miss” nature associated with drafting CBs, the depth at the position in this draft, & especially with Colbert & Tomlin’s track record drafting CBs, do you think there is a strong likelihood of drafting multiple CBs in this draft?

Ray Fittipaldo: They’ve done that before, the year they took Curtis Brown and Cortez Allen. Hopefully, this time around they’ll have better luck.

Steelmann58: Ray can we almost be assured we be drafting cb/Olb in the first two rounds.

Ray Fittipaldo: That seems most likely, but as I mentioned before they could take a TE early.

McGruff: who has more chatches this year, Martavis or Marcus? Who has more TDs, Bryant or Brown?

Ray Fittipaldo: If Martavis Bryant earns the starting job opposite Brown I can see a scenario where he leads the team in TDs and has more catches than Wheaton.

Scott Campbell: Was Taj Boyd signed because of his Clemson connection to Martavis Bryant? Will Landry Jones be selling insurance next year?

Ray Fittipaldo: Got news for you. Boyd isn’t much better than Jones. He will compete this spring and summer. No guarantees beyond that. Kind of like the year they brought in Troy Smith, who never made the 53-man roster.

Steelmann58: Ray what position besides CB or OLB would you draft in the First Round.

Ray Fittipaldo: They need to improve in the back end and in the pass rush so I’m fine with them taking the highest ranked player on the board at either of those two positions.

Ponce: Why do you think Jarvis has been a bust thus far? He was as close to a can’t miss as they come when he was in the draft…scheme?

Ray Fittipaldo: Never said he’s a bust. Too early to say that. He’s not big or strong and he hasn’t shown a consistent ability to get to the QB. When you’re an OLB in a 3-4 scheme that’s not good.

Guest: Is anyone from the PG out in Arizona covering the meetings?

Ray Fittipaldo: Gerry Dulac is there writing blogs and stories.

JamesinNYC: Do you think the best thing Harrison did was get all the LB together to work out? Showed he could be a mentor as well as a fill in at LB. Did it play a part in the Steelers resigning him?

Ray Fittipaldo: The Steelers needed depth at OLB. That’s why they signed him. His worth in the weight room and locker room is gravy. He showed he can still play last season. That’s why he was signed.

John: If Maxx Williams is available at 22, do the Steelers still pick D?

Ray Fittipaldo: I like Williams, but I don’t know if I like him at No. 22 when they have bigger needs elsewhere. Would be interesting though if they had him ranked that high. If they did I would applaud them for taking him because he has some upside and would be the long-term replacement for Heath.

John: Thoughts on the developement of Howard Jones, CJ Goodwin, Rob Blanchflower and McCullers? What are the outlooks for them going forward this season?

Ray Fittipaldo: Blanchflower has a chance to be a No. 3 TE and a special teams player. He was injured in camp last year and spent the year on the practice squad. I kind of like what I saw out of Jones in camp and the preseason games. Still very raw but there is some potential there. I like Goodwin as an athlete, but I’m not sure if he has the hands to be consistent. McCullers should have a bigger role this season. He was solid in a small role as a rookie.

Zack b: How much longer do you think the steelers will wait for Troy to make decision if he’s retiring or playing next year before make the decision to cut him

Ray Fittipaldo: If they were in a hurry they would have done it before free agency. They’re not in a hurry so it could happen anytime — next week or next month or the month after.

Steelmann58: Ray Looks like the Steelers got some wiggle room will they be trying to extend anyone?

Ray Fittipaldo: Heyward and Beachum.

Rich from ATL: Who from the current Practice Squad can make an impact and get a helmet on Sundays ?

Ray Fittipaldo: Blanchflower should be that guy. They didn’t bring Palmer back because they hope he can handle it.

Steelmann58: Ray what do you see as the ending of the Troy situation?

Ray Fittipaldo: I know there has been some speculation about keeping him on the 53-man roster as a mentor to Shamarko, but I don’t know if they have the luxury for that. Generally, reserve DBs have to play special teams and Troy wouldn’t do that. I think they’ll cut him if he doesn’t retire.

Devon: People have the steelers drafting an offensive lineman, presumably to replace Foster. Is Foster solid enough that you believe he is a long-term Steeler?

Ray Fittipaldo: Foster has been solid, but he’s the type of player you can move on from and plug in a younger guy with a smaller salary. Maybe it’s Chris Hubbard, who they kept on the 53-man roster last year. They took a long look at Hubbard last year in camp when Foster missed a week or so after the death of his mother. Or maybe it’s someone they draft in the middle rounds this year and groom for a year.

James: What are we to expect with Shawn Lemon?

Ray Fittipaldo: I have no idea. I’m as curious as anyone else about him.

denverdog: Any chance Zumwalt is being considered for depth at olb?

Ray Fittipaldo: Zumwalt is slender and resembles a safety more than an OLB. I think he’s an ILB with some versatility, not the other way around.

James: Will Ifo Ekpre-Olomu last to our 3rd round pick or would he have to be taken in the 2nd round? Is he worth the risk in the 2nd? 3rd?

Ray Fittipaldo: He’s coming off a major injury and there is some doubt he would take part in camp. He might not be ready to play until the fall. So his rookie year would be almost like a redshirt year. I think third round would be a good value there because if he can return to form he can be a good CB in the NFL. But selecting a guy coming off an injury in round 2 might not be worth it. You’d like that guy to at least be a depth player and contributor on special teams as a rookie.

Renal: Any reason why they won’t take a look at Holmes as return man/ 5th WR?

Ray Fittipaldo: because he’s old and they don’t want him back.

Renegade: Do you see any even small chance that Troy returns under a much reduced contract sort of like Ike last year? I don’t want to see that as Troy just doesn’t have it any more and even as an all-time Steeler great, if he has to be cut, just do it and move on.

Ray Fittipaldo: I agree with you. We’ll see if the Steelers do.

straightPitt: Would it have been unfitting to bring tebow in as QB but let him play olb?

Ray Fittipaldo: It took almost an hour, but we got the question of the day!

Guest: Which position is harder to come in and contribute (start) as a rookie, OLB or CB/DB?

Ray Fittipaldo: We really haven’t had the opportunity to see a first-round CB attempt it in this defense in 20 years. Chad Scott was the last CB taken in the first round in 1997. And I honestly don’t remember if he started right away. Woodson was gone by then so maybe Scott did have a role as a rookie.

Guest: How much better can the offense be if they draft maxx Williams with the 22nd pick?

Ray Fittipaldo: The offense would be better, especially in the red zone provided Williams is a quick study, but it’s not about that. It’s about drafting the best available player at the time you pick. And I’m not sure if Williams has a No. 22 overall grade on him.

Steelers_fan: What late-round prospects do you see the Steelers targeting?

Ray Fittipaldo: I don’t know about specific prospects but you could see them draft a WR to develop in the middle to later rounds as well as an offensive lineman, defensive end and maybe even a backup TE to groom as Spaeth’s eventual replacement as a backup.

Guest: Ray, The Harrison signing to me show the Steelers doubt Jones is the answer at ROLB. I understand will be to “dispell, push. motivate the younger LBs” but frankly I think the writing is on the wall here with Jones, Great College player, that doesnt have the skill set to adjust to the NFL. We see it all the time with QB’s this is no different-forget he had an injury he lack technique and get lost on his bull rush or washed by the OT sorry he is a bust

Ray Fittipaldo: We should find out this year barring another injury. If you’re not doing it by Year 3 you’re probably not going to do it.

Guest: Think we can draft FSU TE Jack Nicklaus Grandson?

Ray Fittipaldo: Some people disagree with me, but I look at Nick O’Leary as more of an H-back than an in-line blocking tight end.

TillmanWasAssassinated: How sad is the Copm Comm? They talk about off the wall crap like 9pt. TDs and don’t even discuss the after the catch process being tweaked?

Ray Fittipaldo: I wish they would come up with a better rule than what they have for the catch/no catch, but no one on the competition committee has come up with anything. As far as new rules go, I don’t mind Tomlin’s idea of moving the ball to the 1 for PATs. You might actually get coaches to go for 2 more often, which would be good for the game.

Kevin from Washington: Other than being a self moving tackling dummy, what does Cam Thomas bring to the Steelers?

Ray Fittipaldo: Ideally, he’s not on the roster in late August, but they don’t have a lot of depth there so here’s there now.

Guest: What are your thoughts on adding a ‘move’ TE in the draft or FA? Rob Housler is still out there. Or would the Steelers never employ a TE that doesn’t block well.

Ray Fittipaldo: I think they prefer to have guys who can block and catch, but those guys are getting harder and hard to come by.

Guest: A lot of mock drafts I see have the steelers selecting Landon Collins safety from Alabama. Do you think he would start ahead of sharmako or do you think they’ll finally let him get his chance?

Ray Fittipaldo: Bigger needs at OLB and CB so I don’t see why those mocks do that. They committed money to Mitchell and they committed to Shamarko in the draft. They should find out what they have in him.

Ray Fittipaldo: Thanks for taking part in the chat this week. We’ll do it again next week at the same time.