He was asked about the play of rookie receiver Sammie Coates, who made a nice sideline catch in the preseason game at Jacksonville.
Tomlin praised the reception, then added, "He’s got to get into better condition. Fatigue was a factor like it is with a lot of young guys. He’s got to get better in that regard. I think that the more in shape he gets, in terms of NFL wide receiver shape, the more we’re going to see his skill set like that sideline catch. But until he does, it’s going to be up and down. And that’s not only for him, it’s for all of them."
Auburn's Coates was this year's third-round draft pick. Coates was drafted on May 1. He signed on May 15, agreeing to a four-year deal for $2.91 million, of which $631,500 was guaranteed.
To close the gap between the guaranteed money and the total value of the contract, wouldn't it be prudent to get in the best shape possible? Surely his agent could have hooked Coates up with a trainer who works with NFL players. Failing that, he could have leaned on the Steelers' staff for a program that would get him ready for the NFL.
Assuming Coates worked out regularly in the time between signing and the opening of training camp, it didn't do him as much good as it should have.
Once he signed the contract, football became his job. You'd like to think someone preparing for a career that could pay millions would be motivated enough to get to work as quickly as possible.
Tomlin's emphasis that he wasn't just singling out Coates indicates it's an ongoing issue, and probably helps explain why rookies don't often make consistent contributions.
(Stand by for one of those insufferable Steelers of the '70s stories. Mercifully, it's just one sentence).
When Jack Lambert was drafted from Kent State in 1974, he began driving to Pittsburgh on weekends to watch film at the Steelers office, trying to get a head start on learning the defense.
Even though the Steelers have plenty of talent at receiver, there's still a great opportunity for Coates.
Provided he gets in better shape, of course.
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--CHANGING FORTUNES
Here's more evidence of why baseball general managers are tortured souls:
On June 20, Max Scherzer of the Nationals pitched a no-hitter against the Pirates.
Only Jose Tabata's elbow dip prevented a perfect game. Scherzer could have won a Cy Young award election that day.
Since then, he's made 11 starts and pitched past the sixth inning only four times. His ERA over those 11 starts is 4.33.
Pirates' No. 5 starter Jeff Locke, the subject of understandable season-long talk show consternation, also has a 4.33 ERA in his last 11 starts.
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--REMEMBERING DEUCE
When Deuce Skurcenski died last week, we lost another of those characters unique to this region.
Someone said it a long time ago: "People like that are institutions in Pittsburgh. In other places, they're in institutions."
Deuce, a close talker before Seinfeld coined the term, had a knack for showing up everywhere and conspicuously making his presence known. He was always quick to update the number of "smokin' frays" he'd witnessed, and seemed only mildly bothered that his claims were sometimes disputed.
He'd put his hand alongside his lips and furtively deliver a non-scoop out of the side of his mouth, usually decorated with the arcane language of sports pages gone by.
He was the subject of a documentary film a few years ago, and now we're grateful to have his eccentricities preserved. Future generations can get acquainted with a guy who logged hundreds of thousands of miles on snowy nights, chasing down a doubleheader somewhere. If there was a game, he wanted to see it and scribble the stats down on his legal pads.
He carved out his own place in local sports, was known to all by one name (just like Franco and Mario) and enjoyed himself.
A good life? In Deuce-speak, awww yeah.
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