6 players and one HOF candidate mentioned by Mike Tomlin after Tuesday’s practice

And so it continues! Looking at the players mentioned in Mike Tomlin’s press conferences carries on as the team went indoors due to the threat of severe weather. As is usually the case, these players are not always ones Tomlin brought up himself but are specifically players about whom Tomlin was asked questions. Coach Tomlin did bring up a couple receivers in response to one question, and his reply to a question about Bill Nunn is being included based on it’s quality.

Cameron Sutton

One of the players drafted by the Steelers who is entering the final year of his contract is cornerback Cam Sutton. Coach Tomlin was asked what position he feels Sutton plays best.

“His best position might just be versatility. I know that from a role standpoint, he has embraced that with us. Cam is a guy that is outside-corner capable, nickel capable, dime capable, safety capable and really he displays that just about daily and within the same drills. His versatility has been an asset to us. He really has earned his way into the rotation in terms of being a core component of our base defense, inside and in the sub-packages. But that’s just the means in which he got on the bus. I don’t want to put him in that box. He has a well-rounded skill set and continues to prove to us that he’s very versatile.”

James Washington

Earlier this week, James Washington told the media he has dropped some weight coming into training camp. Coach Tomlin was asked what he’s seen from Washington with his weight loss and if drafting another wide receiver may have motivated him.

“I think he started that process of developing his professional body and the level of conditioning required to be great after his rookie year. I just think this is just a continuation of that awakening and the process itself. So I don’t think that that is anything new but I do see the continued commitment there which is appropriate and I think as long as he continues that approach and think he’ll continue to search for the ceiling in terms of the development of his talents and the development of his contributions within our football group.”

Ryan Switzer, Chase Claypool, Ray-Ray McCloud, & Amara Darboh

There were a number of Steelers wide receivers who did not practice on Tuesday. Coach Tomlin was asked if Ryan Switzer was able to finish practice and if other young players such as Chase Claypool have been able to take advantage of the extra playing time.

“Ryan was not able to finish. I was able to see more from Chase. I was also able to see more from Ray-Ray McCloud and some of the others and, like I always say, one man’s misfortune is another man’s opportunity. Darboh got a lot of work today with the first group. And so that’s what I tend to focus on when people miss time. Not necessarily the time missed, but the opportunity that others get to ascend within the group and show their capabilities.”

Bill Nunn

The entire Pittsburgh Steelers organization is excited about the announcement of Bill Nunn as a finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Coach Tomlin was asked about what he had learned from Nunn during their time together with the Steelers.

“I learned a lot from Bill—formally, informally, the journey that he walked that was his life was something to be learned. But just strictly vocationally from from a talent evaluation standpoint, I was always really impressed how he never let football get in the way. His evaluation style was purely based on pedigree, knee and ankle flexibility, body control, fine motor skills, top end speed, measurables, things of that nature. He never got distracted by the football and he kept evaluations pure from a pedigree standpoint. I was always really impressed and marked by that.”

Mike Tomlin’s interview can be seen here: