Steelers Coach Mike Tomlin addressed the media following the Saturday morning on-field session of rookie orientation.
Tomlin: We're having a really good weekend, getting to know these guys, introducing ourselves to these guys, introducing these guys to some of the fundamental things we believe in from a football standpoint. We're beginning the process of helping them to develop skills that they're going to need to earn jobs, but largely this is an instructional camp. We're having a heckuva time, and these guys are working extremely hard.
Q. Does this feel like the official beginning of the 2012 season to you?
A. No. For me it starts when this process starts. Once I start building this group – when you're down at Mobile (for the Senior Bowl) and things of that nature looking at the next crop of talent, it starts for me at that time.
Q. Having not been able to go through this kind of stuff last year because of the lockout, do you have an appreciation of how much you can get done here in a couple of days?
A. Missing last year has nothing to do with it. I do have an appreciation for this process.
Q. As far as where you are lining guys up this weekend, is it just that you have to start somewhere? Is there anything to be read into certain individuals playing certain spots?
A. You know that we value the concept of position flexibility. You have to start somewhere. These guys who are going to be viable candidates are going to need to have more than one skill-set, and of course we'll get to a point where we see who's capable of doing multiple things.
Q. Specifically, when you look at the offensive linemen, Sean Kugler said that was something that was going to sort itself out?
A. Certainly, but we have to start somewhere. Particularly, if you're talking about the guys drafted early – David DeCastro was a right guard at Stanford and that's where he starts here, and the same can be said for Mike Adams. He was a left tackle at Ohio State and that's where he'll begin here.
