Steelers News: The new “virtual” offseason will be tough on new coaches as much as players

The Pittsburgh Steelers 2020 NFL Draft is officially over. After finishing last year 8-8, the Steelers, and their vast fan base, have another long offseason awaiting them. Just because the games are done doesn’t mean we stop providing you with features, commentary and opinions to tide you over throughout the offseason!

Today in the black-and-gold links article we take a look at how the new “virtual” offseason will be equally as challenging for new coaches.

Let’s get to the news:

• New players will have a challenge getting acclimate to life in the NFL without being in the facility, but new coaches will struggle too.

New assistants Ike Hilliard, Matt Canada face unique challenges prepping Steelers rookies

By: Chris Adamski, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

The two new faces on the Pittsburgh Steelers coaching staff for this season work with the skill positions on offense.

It just so happens two of their first three draft picks play skill positions on offense.

In the midst of this peculiar offseason, relationship-building between coaches and players isn’t conventional. Trust needs to be built, personalities need to mesh and messages need to get across not face-to-face but over smartphones and laptops.

Thanks in part to a preexisting connection, the Steelers’ most important rookies on offense say they are off to a good start in establishing rapport with their coaches.

Matt Canada and Ike Hilliard were hired as quarterbacks coach and receivers coach in January and February, respectively. Though each worked at UPMC Rooney Sports Complex for several weeks, like the rest of the league’s coaches, government and league edict have since limited them to working from home during the coronavirus pandemic.

To read the full article, click HERE (Free)

• Ramon Foster...the writer?

On The Line: Returning from inactivity dangerous for athletes young, old

By: Ramon Foster, DKPittsburghSports

When Dejan Kovacevic asked me to be a part of DK Pittsburgh Sports a few months ago, while I was still playing for the Steelers, I honestly thought it was one of those empty proposals that people tend to give out to continue to carry a conversation.

So, when I logged onto my Twitter a couple weeks ago and got a direct message from Dejan, I left him on ‘Read’ for a couple days before I decided to reply back.

Why?

Getting into the sports media world can be tricky for a former player. You have to deal with the current issues along with the issues that could peel back some layers in the past.

In DK’s proposal to me, he stated I could give you guys my perspective on how I see things, and that there’d be no parameters on what topic I could write about. Well, I don’t know if he knows this, but this could be a rollercoaster ride for him and this site. Because I’m hoping to give you guys a look into the perspective of a Pittsburgh athlete through words, so that we all can enjoy the game, the mindset and show how similar we all really are.

With that out of the way, I turn my attention to the 2020 NFL offseason.

To read the full article, click HERE (Free)

• Chase Claypool is one of the few Pittsburgh Steelers whose jerseys are hot-ticket items.

Rookie Chase Claypool has only Steelers jersey among top 140 sellers on NFL site

By: Chris Adamski, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

The Pittsburgh Steelers remain one of the NFL’s most popular franchises. That, though, is not currently reflected in the league’s jersey sales.

Only one Steelers jersey was among the top 147 sellers listed on the NFL’s official apparel website Monday. That was of rookie receiver Chase Claypool, whose black (home) No. 11 was listed as the 39th-best seller. The next-highest selling Steelers’ jersey on nflshop.com was a black No. 55 of second-year linebacker Devin Bush. It ranked 148th.

The list includes myriad jersey styles: each team’s dark- and white- colored, many teams’ third jerseys, plus former players, throwbacks and women’s- and children’s-style jerseys.

For obvious reasons, rookies and players who changed teams dominate the top of the list. Recently drafted Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa’s new No. 1 has the top two spots (aqua No. 1, white No. 2), and future Hall of Fame quarterback Tom Brady has Nos. 3, 4, 5, 6 and 10. Brady signed with Tampa Bay in March after 20 seasons with the New England Patriots, and the Buccaneers also coincidentally revamped their jerseys this offseason.

To read the full article, click HERE (Free)

• BTSC articles you may have missed...

Chase Claypool is considered a “steal” of the 2020 NFL Draft

It is good to see sports starting to return...

A tremendous film review of Steelers rookie Anthony McFarland

Is J.J. Watt coming to the Steelers an inevitability?

What would a new contract for Matt Feiler look like?

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