Mike Tomlin Taking Rookie Evaluations Slow in Virtual Offseason

PITTSBURGH -- As the Steelers close virtual rookie mini camp, they leave phase one of an uncertain offseason with some grounds for the future.

What 2020 has brought is anything but usual, but the NFL has adapted, and done whatever they could to remain on schedule. While following the guidelines set in place by most states' governments, they took their first team in offseason activity through the lens of a laptop.

"We’re excited about introducing ourselves and introducing the organization to these men this weekend," Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said following the team's rookie mini camp. "You guys know how we approach our business. We wasted very little time lamenting this weekend about what we aren’t capable of doing in terms of not being able to work in the same space and things of that nature."

Tomlin and the Steelers have now completed two phases of the virtual offseason. Along with the rest of the NFL, their preparation for the NFL Draft was mostly done through conference calls while remaining in their homes.

"I’ve gotten quite comfortable with it to be honest with you," Tomlin said on the team's virtual setting. "You know I’m also a big draft preparation guy. Kevin [Colbert] and I sit in rooms for over a month in preparation for that, and we had an opportunity to do that virtually in preparation for what we’re doing now. So, over the course of the time that we’ve been in shelter-in-place, I’ve gotten quite comfortable utilizing the technology and getting some things done in a normal way even under these circumstances. That hasn’t slowed down this weekend at all."

As for evaluating players through a virtual classroom, Tomlin is allowing himself to take a step back.

Rookie mini camp is not a weekend the team spends evaluating talent, but rather how these new players can retain the information the team is throwing at them during their first step to the NFL.

"There are some changes in terms of the amount of information that we’re giving them, but that probably changes every year because things are ever-changing," Tomlin said. "The evaluation of their ability to absorb information, the retention of the information, is probably the most significant difference when working in this setting."

"It’s much more difficult to get the feedback, to get the feel if somebody’s receiving the information when you’re working remotely than it is when you’re dealing with somebody in an intimate space. It’s probably not about the material or the amount of material that we can give them. It’s about the tools of evaluating what the learn, how they learn and reinforcement of what we give them is probably the most challenging element of the circumstance."

As for how well these rookies are handling the challenge of a virtual NFL welcome.

"We don’t have the answer to that," said Tomlin. "And that is one thing that you have to acknowledge that in these circumstances, there are certain things that you don’t have the answer to, and time will provide those answers."

But as the Steelers head towards the next phase of their offseason - however they'll need to conduct it - they're prepare to see how well these players are adapting.

The NFL can continue their offseason programs on May 18 through June 26. The league has sent a memo to all 32 teams regarding protocols to slowly reopen their facilities, but that process won't begin until all states are under the same mandates.

"This class is going to be affected by these circumstances," Tomlin said. "It will be fair that globally this class will be affected by these circumstance – not only the Pittsburgh Steelers rookies, but throughout the National Football League. I’m sure it is going to affect their abilities in some instances to participate and the amount of participation and contribution, but we will all understand the ramifications of that as we walk the journey."