Rookie minicamp is more like a meet-and-greet opportunity for the Steelers to get to know their newest draft class, along with some players signed to futures deals or who are at the event on a tryout basis.
As such, the weekend has been a success for Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin and his staff.
"I'm really excited to start the process with this class of Pittsburgh Steelers," Tomlin said Saturday. "(It's) been a good weekend as far as just a bunch of foundational things given and receiving of information to get to know, to get the familiar component of it, whether it's with each other or how we go about business or the facility itself.
"And so, just a lot of foundational things going on, appreciative of the group's attention. (We've) got a lot of work ahead of us. But they appear to have come in relatively good shape as a collective in bringing the proper appropriate attitude to start chewing on some of these things."
Part of that process for the young players is learning where and when they need to be on a daily basis while learning about the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex where the Steelers train.
The weather this weekend helped out with some of that, as rains forced the Steelers to do a walk-through inside on Friday before going outside later in the day. Saturday's practices could reverse that, as the team held a walkthrough on the outside practice fields with rain threatening in the afternoon.
"We're just trying to allow them to get familiar with our facility," Tomlin said. "We walked through inside. We worked outside yesterday. We had a dinner over at the stadium. And so it's just more than anything it's an opportunity not only for us to get some you know, usual work in but just show them not only us but our facility and what we're about."
And in the meantime, Tomlin can continue the process of getting to know the newest Steelers. That would include first-round draft pick, offensive tackle Troy Fautanu of Washington.
Tomlin had met with Fautanu during the draft process, but it was a limited session. And he didn't go to Washington's pro day when Fautanu worked out for scouts.
So he's still learning more and more about Fautanu each day.
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"I didn't know a lot," Tomlin said of Fautanu. "I don't come into these relationships assuming anything. It's been really good to get to know Him. We had dinner last night and sat at the table together. And so (we're) just continuing that process.
"He's in very good condition relative to his position. And that's a really good place to start in terms of laying the foundation for his career."
