The Pittsburgh Steelers under General Manager Omar Khan have made surprising trades and aggressively pursued upgrades in free agency. Khan, Mike Tomlin and Andy Weidl have been brilliant in importing players that are solid fits into what the team is trying to accomplish. The biggest test still awaits the trio in the NFL Draft, but all signs indicate that they are prepared for the signature event of the offseason.
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Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin and general manager Omar Khan press conference
Khan is more open to trading than the Steelers have typically been in the past and rumors are swirling that Pittsburgh is considering another trade before or during the NFL Draft. Tomlin and Khan held a press conference on Monday and discussed how the moves they had made put them in a position to be flexible heading into Thursday night.
“We’ve been able to do some things in free agency that I really feel like provides a clean slate,” Tomlin began. “From a draft perspective, we don’t have any glaring needs and so we are able to look at the board in totality and not be swayed inappropriately in any specific way.”
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Steelers Mike Tomlin attends Ohio State Pro Day
The Steelers have done their due diligence with available prospects and had multiple tackles and cornerbacks come in during the pre-draft visits. Tomlin in particular shines during the interview process and has always taken the long view during this part of the process. The Steelers are not picking 30 players next weekend but the veteran coach files away the information.
Four years from now a player who might have been a bad fit with the team who selects him could become a free agent and Tomlin relies on that information to assist in finding players that fit the Steelers’ free agent profile. The press conference continued, and Tomlin and Khan were then asked if being at the top of the second round was presenting any unique challenges or surprises. Tomlin eagerly jumped in to answer the question.
“We are excited man,” Tomlin gushed. “I think the thing we are least familiar with is the amount of calls that we will be or could be getting. We spend our time talking about how we organize and how do we get prepared for the receiving of the amount of interest that pick could have. That is a good and exciting possibility for us."
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The Steelers have not finished with a top-five pick since they drafted Terry Bradshaw in 1970. They are not used to being in the position that the Chase Claypool trade with the Chicago Bears has put them in the second round of the NFL Draft. Khan jumped in to field the query about whether they are considering trade offers in the first round of the NFL Draft.
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Former 2nd Round Pick Steelers Chase Claypool
“That’s natural that happens, but that is happening,” Khan answered. “People are calling and inquiring whether we are interested in moving up, moving down. A lot of times it is just fishing for information.”
The Steelers are a hard organization to read from the outside and in the past, the very idea of giving up valuable draft capital like picks 17 or 32 would be out of the question. That is definitely not the present case because Khan has demonstrated a willingness to pull the trigger that is unprecedented in Pittsburgh. The Steelers have been linked to interest in moving into the top 10 and trading back to acquire more picks, but one thing is certain, you can’t predict what the Pittsburgh general manager will do.
Getting the right player seems to be the most important part of the upcoming equation and both Khan and Tomlin are on the same page about the type of player who will fit into the Steelers’ culture. In what appeared to be a question that was indirectly related to a potential trade-up for a player like Jalen Carter, the pair were asked how important the love of football was as part of the process.
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“It’s extremely important and can be a deal breaker,” Khan interrupted. “I’m not going to go into the how we come up with our final evaluation on that, but it is really important we ask certain questions. It’s all part of getting to know the player and understanding if he loves it. A lot goes into it, but it can be a deal breaker. You gotta love football.”
Several key prospects that the Steelers are interested in have made curious decisions leading up to the draft and reportedly may have put a future in the black and gold in jeopardy by doing so. Poor pro-day performances are red flags to Tomlin who is actively involved in the process of evaluating young men in an environment where they should thrive. A less-than-thrilling performance coupled with underperforming during an interview is almost a sure ticket to one of 31 other destinations during the NFL Draft.
Khan and Tomlin are less than 96 hours from the decision that has Steelers faithful all over the nation on the edge of their seats. When are they going to be on the clock and who the heck are they going to pick?
What do you think Steeler Nation? Is the anticipation unbearable at this point or are you patiently awaiting Thursday’s announcement? Please comment below or on my Twitter @thebubbasq.
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