Tomlin not worried by comments
PITTSBURGH – Yes, Mike Tomlin read what Alan Faneca said from the Pro Bowl, that he hoped Russ Grimm would’ve become the new Steelers coach. But, no, Tomlin does not believe a player revolt, or anything close, is in the offing. “I’m not concerned about it whatsoever,” said Tomlin. “Transition’s never easy, particularly at a place like this that has had great stability. Some organizations get quite used to change. This is not one of them, thankfully. So you don’t expect it to be easy or comfortable for everyone, but (I’m) not concerned about that at all. I think as they get to know me that those kinds of questions will quickly be laid to bed.”
Tomlin sat down yesterday with nine print reporters from the Pittsburgh area. The new Steelers coach fielded questions for 30 minutes and delivered some interesting answers:
On what he’s seeing on film: “I see a very talented team, of course, a team that’s physically and mentally tough. We have some standout players at various positions. There’s a lot to be excited about.”
On the positions he’d like to strengthen in free agency and the draft: “I’m greedy. I’d like to strengthen all the positions, but at the same time I’m a realist. It’s not necessarily what positions need to be strengthened, it’s about prioritizing what positions you want to focus on. That’s what we’re in the process of doing.”
On determining a defensive scheme before drafting a defensive player: “The elite players defy scheme. They do. Troy Polamalu’s going to be an excellent safety, regardless of what defensive scheme he’s in. Casey Hampton’s going to be a dominant interior defensive lineman, regardless of what scheme he’s in. So the elite players defy scheme. We’re not going to get enamored with that. What we’re going to do is we’re going to continue to shape our package to do what our players do and do well. It’ll be a constant evolution, just like the players are constantly evolving.”
On whether Ben Roethlisberger’s poor season was behind the hiring of new QBs coach Ken Anderson: “I felt strongly about some of the things that Ken was able to bring to the table. His experience both as a player and as a coach is well-documented. I think he has a unique experience from that standpoint in that he’s experienced just about everything that someone can experience from inside that helmet. I think that will help him in terms of building a quality relationship and mentoring Ben.”
On using starters on special teams: “I have an all-hands-on-deck mentality. And you guys will find it’s not going to be lip service. It’s a legitimate phase of the game. … I think my track record in terms of teams I’ve been involved with will tell you that. Antoine Winfield made a rack of plays on special teams last year. Ronde Barber was a special-teams player even after he emerged into a Pro Bowl player when I was in Tampa. It’s a phase of the game and great players have an opportunity to impact the game in that phase and so you call on them to do it.”
On the need for a second running back: “Yes, we need one; we have potential men identified. … If you look at the teams in the conference championship games, all of them had two backs.”
On his offensive coordinator’s interest in using four wide receivers on early downs: “We’re going to do what we have a chance to be successful with. If that means spreading people out, then we’ll spread people out. That’s a part of today’s NFL offensively. I think you can’t hit your head against the wall, you can’t run on the beach, you have to do at times what defenses give you and play to our strengths. And if four wides happens to be a strength of ours vs. a given opponent on first and second down, then of course we’ll be willing to do that.”
On moving Kendall Simmons to center: “That is an option. It is not an option that I’m extremely familiar with, but again I’m having an open mind in regards to personnel roles on the football team, and I think we need to do that.”
(Tomorrow, Tomlin discusses his coaching style, his work with Dick LeBeau, his handling of pressure and other philosophical coaching beliefs.)