ORLANDO, Fla. -- Though he's currently a free agent after the Steelers did not tender him an offer this offseason, the plan for the Steelers is to re-sign Eli Rogers at some point.
Speaking to reporters at the NFL meetings here Tuesday morning, Mike Tomlin included the free-agent receiver in his assessment of the position.
"I like some of the pieces," Tomlin said. "Eli's ability to bounce back from the injury is going to be critical for him and for us, particularly with some of the things he's able to do inside. But I like the group overall. I think we've got good balance, got guys with different skill sets, and I think they complement each other."
The interesting thing about Tomlin bringing up Rogers is that he was not prompted to do so.
Rogers, 25, is currently rehabbing from a torn ACL and meniscus injury suffered in the Steelers' 45-42 season-ending loss in the playoffs against Jacksonville on Jan. 14. He suffered the injury with about four minutes remaining in the game when he was accidentally kicked in the knee by linebacker Telvin Smith.
It ended a season in which Rogers saw his catch numbers dwindle from 48 in 2016 to just 18 last season with the emergence of JuJu Smith-Schuster in the slot. But Rogers also took over the punt return duties from Antonio Brown on a full-time basis last season, averaging 7.7 yards per return, with two going for more than 20 yards.
The injury required surgery and Rogers was still on crutches in February. He was off the crutches and at the Rooney Sports Complex last week checking in with his doctors, but the Steelers have no current ties to him.
"Eli, because we didn’t tender him an offer, is currently a free agent. So, we can give him guidance as to what he should be doing with his rehab, but he won’t be rehabbing in the building since then," GM Kevin Colbert said Sunday.
But, according to Tomlin, he's very much still in the team's plans, which would also lessen the team's need to select a receiver in the draft next month.
"Yes, we'll see where that road leads, but certainly," Tomlin said.
MITCHELL'S ROLE
When longtime defensive line coach/assistant head coach John Mitchell was reassigned to a new job at the end of the 2017 season, it came as a surprise to many.
After all, Mitchell, 66, had been in his position of defensive line coach for more than two decades with the team, adding the title of assistant head coach in 2007 when Tomlin took over for Bill Cowher.
Karl Dunbar -- who played for Mitchell at LSU -- was hired in February as defensive line coach and Mitchell assumed more of an administrative role. Tomlin addressed what some of that role will be.
"He's got administrative responsibilities, no on-field coaching responsibilities," Tomlin said. "I think when I presented it to him, it became attractive to him. Mitch has been in our organization a long time. He cares a lot about players, both current and former. I think this position allows him to utilize some of that experience in terms of being able to touch a broader scope of some of our current players and be a good liaison for some of our former players."
MCDONALD ON THE FIELD
The Steelers made a trade just before the start of last season for Vance McDonald after saying the tight ends on the roster hadn't been consistent enough in training camp and the preseason.
McDonald, a former second-round draft pick of the 49ers, showed some flashes of playmaking ability for the Steelers, but missed six games with ankle and shoulder injuries. He finished his first season in Pittsburgh with just 14 receptions for 188 yards and one touchdown.
But the team was intrigued by his contributions in the playoff loss to Jacksonville, when he caught 10 passes for 112 yards, and is looking forward to seeing what he can do in 2018.
"Availability is obviously the key for him," Tomlin said. "He had some ups and downs physically. When available, he was effective. I look forward to 2018, him being more available and seeing what that brings for him and for us and his ability to build a rapport with Ben and be available to be an outlet for him is going to be key for us."