DIESELMAN
06-15-2007, 01:15 PM
Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin held a press conference following the team’s final OTA Thursday. Here’s what he had to say:
http://media.scout.com/Media/Image/43/430388.jpg
The players said they had fun, was it fun for you?
MT: I’d like for them to have fun, but it’s not a prerequisite. It’s a good thing. We had a very productive offseason as far as I’m concerned, considering what you can get out of this considering it is shorts football. I got to know them a little bit. I’m sure they felt like they got to know me. We were able to do some different things, look at some people in some different spots. I was able to get an understanding of what some of those guys are – not under duress, not under football circumstances – just their personalities and how they come to work on a day-to-day basis. I saw what they are willing to do, how they interact with one another. All are important elements as we build a football team. From that standpoint, it was very productive.
What did you tell them as you said good-bye?
MT: I told them when you have a good offseason and you do what you set out to do, not a lot needs to be said. I didn’t say much. I believed that. It was a productive offseason. Casey Hampton (http://scout.scout.com/a.z?s=68&p=8&c=1&nid=2981437), he’s getting married in a couple of weeks. So I let him break the team down. Basically, that’s all that was said.
What was the priority? Was it getting the system in place or getting to know the players?
MT: It was multi-tasking. Like all the times you come together, that was the case. We wanted to focus on implementing all three phases, getting a foundation from that standpoint. We wanted to acquire some recall, so as we go to camp, they’ve done it, we’ve got video of them doing it, and then they have to go do it again from there. We wanted to implement all three phases. We did that. We wanted to hit situational football, some things that are critical to winning games and some things that define winning football. I’ve been selling the point to them that when you watch highlight shows, it’s all about situational football: Third down football, red zone football, backed up, coming out, situations involving special teams. We wanted to give that its just due. I thought we did that instead of just going out there and saying every situation is first and 10 and playing. We wanted them to be aware of the unwritten rules of the game that are part of situational football. How you play the game in third down is different than how you play it on first and 10. How you play in the red zone is different than in open grass. We wanted to give that its just due, address that, and I felt we did that. I wanted to get a sense again to get some insight into these guys as individuals, how they approach their work. Does their love of the game translate into how they perform and how they prepare? What’s their overall attitude when they take the field? We wanted to create a little artificial adversity if we could. I knew the schedule was different. I knew it was different than what they did in the past. But I thought taking them through that would give me some insight into who they are. I was pleased with that. I got an opportunity to look at many guys play different positions. I know that some were more of a story than others, the center position being one of them. But we moved a bunch of guys around. The corners played nickel, the corners played dime. The safeties played nickel and dime. Deshea Townsend (http://scout.scout.com/a.z?s=68&p=8&c=1&nid=2981471) played some safety. Linebackers flopped around. Wideouts exchanged positions. Tailbacks played fullback. That’s kind of been something that we’ve impressed upon them all offseason, the more you can do and are willing to do, adds value. No job is too small. That’s one of the things we wanted to get done. In a nutshell, that’s what we focused on, the guys playing multiple positions, getting our scheme implemented and getting to know what they are about from a football character standpoint.
Do you have a starting offensive line right now?
MT: No, we’re not going to base decisions off of what happened out there in shorts. That would not be smart.
You have to start somewhere, though.
MT: Yeah, we do. It’s in pencil, just like every position is in pencil. You define guys in this game when they play it in pads. I like what I saw out there, but I’m not making decisions on what I saw in this offseason.
Who’s penciled in at center?
MT: Chukky (Okobi).
What about cornerback?
MT: Right now it’s Ike (Taylor) and Deshea.
Ike has been running first team pretty much all along. Is he secure there?
MT: If he performs at a high level. No jobs are secure. This is not a security business. If they are looking for security, they need to find a new line of work. They have to play and perform. I told those guys that I’m going to base my opinions on them on what they do on a day-to-day basis, not their reputation or resume. I mean what I say when I talk to them in that regard. People want to establish depth charts at this time of year. So be it. But they change. I’m not worried about who the starting center is or who the starting corners are. I’m worried about acquiring guys and letting them fight it out at Latrobe in the preseason.
What about free safety?
MT: Ryan Clark (http://scout.scout.com/a.z?s=68&p=8&c=1&nid=2981372).
Free safety, center and cornerback are still up for grabs, though?
MT: There are known position battles that are talked about, but there are also unknown position battles that are going to develop because we’re going to go into this with no preconceived notions and base our decisions on what we see at training camp. Whether people are looking for comfort, whether they find comfort, or whether their jobs are mentioned as being up for grabs, I hope that they aren’t (comfortable). I hope they understand what we’ve been saying to them, that we’re going to base their jobs on what they do, not what they’ve done or what their reputation is.
How’s your quarterback been?
MT: I thought he was very good. He’s a tremendous competitor. Of course he’s a very talented guy. He communicated very well with his teammates. He’s kind of a ball junkie. I didn’t know that about him. But he talked ball on a day to day basis. I was very happy with him.
Is right tackle one of the positions that’s a known or an unknown?
MT: In what area?
Is Willie (Colon) pushing Max (Starks)?
MT: Absolutely, but Willie is pushing a lot of people. Willie’s been one of the guys we’ve moved around quite a bit because we want him to get into a position to fit into that top five. We want to see where he fits in. If he’s capable. Willie’s played some tackle. Willie’s played some guard. Willie’s even played some center. Willie’s going to push a lot of people.
You’ve got some uncertainty at that offensive line position, some things undefined. Are you confident that will get worked out early or is that something that will take some time at Saint Vincent?
MT: I kind of like uncertainty at this time of year. These guys are in the business of responding to challenges and answering questions. That’s kind of the underlying theme in football. I don’t mind the uncertainty. I like the uncertainty that we have at corner because I believe we have some good candidates. I like the uncertainty that we have at free safety. I like the uncertainty that we have on the offensive line because we have some candidates.
Are you happy with your overall depth now that you’ve seen this team for a month or will you still be looking to add veterans?
MT: I’m always shopping for guys that can help us win. I just think you have to have that mentality, whether or not you do it is one thing. But you’ve got to keep an eye open because it’s the nature of football. To think the men that we’re working with right now are the men we’ll win with would probably be naive. Things happen in football, injuries, etc. You always have to keep an eye open for depth at positions and we do.
What were some of the things you learned about your team?
MT: They like to work. They really do. Of course I’m talking about the majority. They like to work. They like to compete. They enjoy playing football in whatever form you present it to them. They love competition. There’s a healthy camaraderie on this football team. It’s a close-knit team. It really is. When you look at it, it’s kind of indicative of a team that’s been built through the draft as opposed to a team that’s been built through free agency. There’s a closeness to this football team that’s a little better than teams I’ve been associated with in the past and that’s probably where it comes from. The vast majority of these guys were drafted here and were raised as professionals here. That’s been a pleasant surprise, something that I’ve been excited about.
Do you think (Lawrence) Timmons will be ready for the start of camp?
MT: He better be (laughing). No, he will.
Did he try to go at all this week?
MT: He did. We slowed him down more so than him. We want to make sure that he is healthy and ready to go. Like everybody else we’ve talked about, he’ll establish his role in Latrobe and we don’t want to slow that down in any way.
Given that he’s been unable to do much here on the field, does that make it that much more import to get him signed by the start of camp, to get him on the field as early as possible?
MT: It doesn’t make it more important. He has to be there. They all have to be there. That’s just the nature of the game. If you did a study of guys who missed part of training camp their rookie year, the results would not be good. He understands that and not only him, but everyone that’s unsigned.
Is LaMarr Woodley (http://scout.scout.com/a.z?s=68&p=8&c=1&nid=3121153) further along than most rookies at this time?
MT: You can talk yourself into thinking that he is, but the reality is that he’s played football in shorts. He’s looked great in shorts. We’ll see what he looks like when the live bullets start flying.
You said they like to work, will they like training camp? Is that going to be more work this year?
MT: I don’t know too many active players that like training camp. They probably endure it. I did tell the group today that it’s going to be tough. I’m not apologizing for that. I’m going to put that challenge out there to them. In a lot of ways, it represents the journey that we’re going to face this year. It’s not going to be without its ups and downs. It’s not going to be smooth sailing. But we’ve got to deal with it like champions if we want to be champions. I’m looking forward to training camp. I’m sure they are too. But I’m sure at times they won’t. That’s part of it. That’s what NFL training camps are about. They are not supposed to be pleasant.
You going to heavy on two-a-days?
MT: Probably a little heavier than they are used to. It will give them something to whine about.
What would you like them to do with their time off?
MT: I want them to enjoy themselves, prepare themselves and to not be the guy. That’s the message that I gave them this morning. Enjoy yourself because it’s been a great offseason. The break from us has been well deserved. Prepare yourself because what you do between now and July 23 are going to determine your readiness in terms of winning jobs, competing and us putting a football team together. And not being the guy is simply not being the guy in headlines this time of year. Anybody in headlines this time of year is not what we’re looking for. Don’t be the guy that’s a distraction. Be the guy who’s doing what he needs to do. Fly below the radar and prepare for what we’ve got coming.
What will you do with your time?
MT: All of the above. For me vacation is doing what I always do, but not having to do it. I’ll be here for the most part. My wife will probably get me down south at some point. But I mean that. Vacation for me is leisurely doing
By SteelCityInsider.com
Posted Jun 14, 2007
http://media.scout.com/Media/Image/43/430388.jpg
The players said they had fun, was it fun for you?
MT: I’d like for them to have fun, but it’s not a prerequisite. It’s a good thing. We had a very productive offseason as far as I’m concerned, considering what you can get out of this considering it is shorts football. I got to know them a little bit. I’m sure they felt like they got to know me. We were able to do some different things, look at some people in some different spots. I was able to get an understanding of what some of those guys are – not under duress, not under football circumstances – just their personalities and how they come to work on a day-to-day basis. I saw what they are willing to do, how they interact with one another. All are important elements as we build a football team. From that standpoint, it was very productive.
What did you tell them as you said good-bye?
MT: I told them when you have a good offseason and you do what you set out to do, not a lot needs to be said. I didn’t say much. I believed that. It was a productive offseason. Casey Hampton (http://scout.scout.com/a.z?s=68&p=8&c=1&nid=2981437), he’s getting married in a couple of weeks. So I let him break the team down. Basically, that’s all that was said.
What was the priority? Was it getting the system in place or getting to know the players?
MT: It was multi-tasking. Like all the times you come together, that was the case. We wanted to focus on implementing all three phases, getting a foundation from that standpoint. We wanted to acquire some recall, so as we go to camp, they’ve done it, we’ve got video of them doing it, and then they have to go do it again from there. We wanted to implement all three phases. We did that. We wanted to hit situational football, some things that are critical to winning games and some things that define winning football. I’ve been selling the point to them that when you watch highlight shows, it’s all about situational football: Third down football, red zone football, backed up, coming out, situations involving special teams. We wanted to give that its just due. I thought we did that instead of just going out there and saying every situation is first and 10 and playing. We wanted them to be aware of the unwritten rules of the game that are part of situational football. How you play the game in third down is different than how you play it on first and 10. How you play in the red zone is different than in open grass. We wanted to give that its just due, address that, and I felt we did that. I wanted to get a sense again to get some insight into these guys as individuals, how they approach their work. Does their love of the game translate into how they perform and how they prepare? What’s their overall attitude when they take the field? We wanted to create a little artificial adversity if we could. I knew the schedule was different. I knew it was different than what they did in the past. But I thought taking them through that would give me some insight into who they are. I was pleased with that. I got an opportunity to look at many guys play different positions. I know that some were more of a story than others, the center position being one of them. But we moved a bunch of guys around. The corners played nickel, the corners played dime. The safeties played nickel and dime. Deshea Townsend (http://scout.scout.com/a.z?s=68&p=8&c=1&nid=2981471) played some safety. Linebackers flopped around. Wideouts exchanged positions. Tailbacks played fullback. That’s kind of been something that we’ve impressed upon them all offseason, the more you can do and are willing to do, adds value. No job is too small. That’s one of the things we wanted to get done. In a nutshell, that’s what we focused on, the guys playing multiple positions, getting our scheme implemented and getting to know what they are about from a football character standpoint.
Do you have a starting offensive line right now?
MT: No, we’re not going to base decisions off of what happened out there in shorts. That would not be smart.
You have to start somewhere, though.
MT: Yeah, we do. It’s in pencil, just like every position is in pencil. You define guys in this game when they play it in pads. I like what I saw out there, but I’m not making decisions on what I saw in this offseason.
Who’s penciled in at center?
MT: Chukky (Okobi).
What about cornerback?
MT: Right now it’s Ike (Taylor) and Deshea.
Ike has been running first team pretty much all along. Is he secure there?
MT: If he performs at a high level. No jobs are secure. This is not a security business. If they are looking for security, they need to find a new line of work. They have to play and perform. I told those guys that I’m going to base my opinions on them on what they do on a day-to-day basis, not their reputation or resume. I mean what I say when I talk to them in that regard. People want to establish depth charts at this time of year. So be it. But they change. I’m not worried about who the starting center is or who the starting corners are. I’m worried about acquiring guys and letting them fight it out at Latrobe in the preseason.
What about free safety?
MT: Ryan Clark (http://scout.scout.com/a.z?s=68&p=8&c=1&nid=2981372).
Free safety, center and cornerback are still up for grabs, though?
MT: There are known position battles that are talked about, but there are also unknown position battles that are going to develop because we’re going to go into this with no preconceived notions and base our decisions on what we see at training camp. Whether people are looking for comfort, whether they find comfort, or whether their jobs are mentioned as being up for grabs, I hope that they aren’t (comfortable). I hope they understand what we’ve been saying to them, that we’re going to base their jobs on what they do, not what they’ve done or what their reputation is.
How’s your quarterback been?
MT: I thought he was very good. He’s a tremendous competitor. Of course he’s a very talented guy. He communicated very well with his teammates. He’s kind of a ball junkie. I didn’t know that about him. But he talked ball on a day to day basis. I was very happy with him.
Is right tackle one of the positions that’s a known or an unknown?
MT: In what area?
Is Willie (Colon) pushing Max (Starks)?
MT: Absolutely, but Willie is pushing a lot of people. Willie’s been one of the guys we’ve moved around quite a bit because we want him to get into a position to fit into that top five. We want to see where he fits in. If he’s capable. Willie’s played some tackle. Willie’s played some guard. Willie’s even played some center. Willie’s going to push a lot of people.
You’ve got some uncertainty at that offensive line position, some things undefined. Are you confident that will get worked out early or is that something that will take some time at Saint Vincent?
MT: I kind of like uncertainty at this time of year. These guys are in the business of responding to challenges and answering questions. That’s kind of the underlying theme in football. I don’t mind the uncertainty. I like the uncertainty that we have at corner because I believe we have some good candidates. I like the uncertainty that we have at free safety. I like the uncertainty that we have on the offensive line because we have some candidates.
Are you happy with your overall depth now that you’ve seen this team for a month or will you still be looking to add veterans?
MT: I’m always shopping for guys that can help us win. I just think you have to have that mentality, whether or not you do it is one thing. But you’ve got to keep an eye open because it’s the nature of football. To think the men that we’re working with right now are the men we’ll win with would probably be naive. Things happen in football, injuries, etc. You always have to keep an eye open for depth at positions and we do.
What were some of the things you learned about your team?
MT: They like to work. They really do. Of course I’m talking about the majority. They like to work. They like to compete. They enjoy playing football in whatever form you present it to them. They love competition. There’s a healthy camaraderie on this football team. It’s a close-knit team. It really is. When you look at it, it’s kind of indicative of a team that’s been built through the draft as opposed to a team that’s been built through free agency. There’s a closeness to this football team that’s a little better than teams I’ve been associated with in the past and that’s probably where it comes from. The vast majority of these guys were drafted here and were raised as professionals here. That’s been a pleasant surprise, something that I’ve been excited about.
Do you think (Lawrence) Timmons will be ready for the start of camp?
MT: He better be (laughing). No, he will.
Did he try to go at all this week?
MT: He did. We slowed him down more so than him. We want to make sure that he is healthy and ready to go. Like everybody else we’ve talked about, he’ll establish his role in Latrobe and we don’t want to slow that down in any way.
Given that he’s been unable to do much here on the field, does that make it that much more import to get him signed by the start of camp, to get him on the field as early as possible?
MT: It doesn’t make it more important. He has to be there. They all have to be there. That’s just the nature of the game. If you did a study of guys who missed part of training camp their rookie year, the results would not be good. He understands that and not only him, but everyone that’s unsigned.
Is LaMarr Woodley (http://scout.scout.com/a.z?s=68&p=8&c=1&nid=3121153) further along than most rookies at this time?
MT: You can talk yourself into thinking that he is, but the reality is that he’s played football in shorts. He’s looked great in shorts. We’ll see what he looks like when the live bullets start flying.
You said they like to work, will they like training camp? Is that going to be more work this year?
MT: I don’t know too many active players that like training camp. They probably endure it. I did tell the group today that it’s going to be tough. I’m not apologizing for that. I’m going to put that challenge out there to them. In a lot of ways, it represents the journey that we’re going to face this year. It’s not going to be without its ups and downs. It’s not going to be smooth sailing. But we’ve got to deal with it like champions if we want to be champions. I’m looking forward to training camp. I’m sure they are too. But I’m sure at times they won’t. That’s part of it. That’s what NFL training camps are about. They are not supposed to be pleasant.
You going to heavy on two-a-days?
MT: Probably a little heavier than they are used to. It will give them something to whine about.
What would you like them to do with their time off?
MT: I want them to enjoy themselves, prepare themselves and to not be the guy. That’s the message that I gave them this morning. Enjoy yourself because it’s been a great offseason. The break from us has been well deserved. Prepare yourself because what you do between now and July 23 are going to determine your readiness in terms of winning jobs, competing and us putting a football team together. And not being the guy is simply not being the guy in headlines this time of year. Anybody in headlines this time of year is not what we’re looking for. Don’t be the guy that’s a distraction. Be the guy who’s doing what he needs to do. Fly below the radar and prepare for what we’ve got coming.
What will you do with your time?
MT: All of the above. For me vacation is doing what I always do, but not having to do it. I’ll be here for the most part. My wife will probably get me down south at some point. But I mean that. Vacation for me is leisurely doing
By SteelCityInsider.com
Posted Jun 14, 2007