“I honestly don’t know much about Chase other than his numbers and size, but I’m excited. I heard he’s a good, hard-working guy and a great teammate. I’m sure he’s excited to get to come share a [wide receivers meeting] room and learn from a great player like JuJu.” — Ben, on Chase Claypool.


Are you wondering what happens now with the young men drafted by the Steelers during the pandemic?
The Steelers’ Bob Labriola has the answer in his latest “Asked & Answered“:

William Dowdell, Cocoa Beach, FL: What is the plan going forward for all of the men the Steelers added during the three days of the NFL Draft? What will the Steelers ask them to do in order to be ready for OTAs, rookie camp, training camp, and how is that going to be different from a non-pandemic year?

Bob Labriola: The Steelers virtual offseason program began yesterday, and Coach Mike Tomlin referred to that when he and General Manager Kevin Colbert did their final video-conference with the media at the end of the draft. Tomlin said, “We’re excited about the young men we were able to acquire, and now it’s our job as a coaching staff to get these guys assimilated into the program, and not only them but all of our guys as we get into the virtual offseason starting on Monday, and we’re excited about that.”

I would imagine that Phase I and Phase II of the virtual offseason program can be relatively identical to Phase I and Phase II of what the offseason program would be if all of the individuals were gathered at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex, because on-field football-related drills are prohibited by the CBA at that time. There will be some differences created by not being in the same room, but the information will be transferred from coach to player, and then the players will be given a workout program that can do on their own to prepare themselves physically for whenever the sport re-opens. It will be different and it will be a challenge, but as Tomlin always says, since it’s the same for everybody, it’s fair.


You can read more from Mr. Labriola’s column here (and submit your own question).


Stay safe and well, Steeler Nation!