Tomlin, Steelers coaches having busy weekend

It’s all information Tomlin and his staff are collecting.

“We had a dinner last night, and it’s not necessarily football, just getting to know one another further, introducing them to Acrisure Stadium and things of that nature,” Tomlin said. “That’s just kind of reflective of the things we’re doing and people we have an opportunity to expose them to, and places, not only within our organization, but around town.”

For the seven rookies the team selected in last month’s NFL Draft, the team has had some level of interaction over the course of the draft process. For others, this was their first opportunity to be exposed to the coaching staff and vice versa.

The Steelers have traditionally signed at least a few of the guys who attend rookie minicamp to their regular roster, including players who wound up contributing during the regular season such as linebacker Terrance Garvin and quarterback Devlin Hodges.

“I think the thing you look for when you’re talking about a tryout guy are things you can’t coach, the pedigree-related things, the things they bring. If it’s above the line, meaning at a professional level, then you consider them,” Tomlin said. “That’s where we start first. You look at movement, speed, body control, their ability to drop their weight, change of direction, things of that nature, per their positions. It’s a lot of pedigree-related things from an evaluation standpoint.”

But players need to show things in a short amount of time.