Tomlin to provide clarity on Steelers, rule changes at owners meetings

ORLANDO, Fla. -- A lot of attention in the football world is geared toward draft preparation this time of year, and for good reason. The draft is the crown jewel of the NFL offseason.

But, for the next few days, attention will shift from free agency and draft prep to focus to the owners' meetings, or officially dubbed the NFL's annual meeting.

This year, all 32 owners and many high-ranking figures from each franchise will spend Sunday through Wednesday at the Ritz-Carlton in Orlando. Outside of any unofficial meetings on the golf course, this is the time of year when the owners and competition committee take care of tabled business that can affect the on-field product for the upcoming season.

However, all of that will take a back seat to just about everyone in Pittsburgh. In case you've been living under a rock, the Steelers have had quite the offseason thus far, including a complete overhaul at quarterback and the signing of a top-of-the-market linebacker.

Art Rooney II's presence is obvious since this is the owners' meetings, and he's expected to address local reporters at the conclusion of Tuesday's meetings. However, Mike Tomlin will be part of the Steelers' contingent at the meetings, and not only because he's a part of the competition committee.

This is the time when Tomlin will break his silence with the media. The last time he spoke with reporters was his end of season press conference. And in that time with the media, Tomlin expressed a lot of faith in Kenny Pickett. So much so, when asked if his quarterback in 2024 was already on the roster -- the only one at the time was Pickett -- Tomlin simply answered, "Yes."

That faith, which was reinforced by Rooney and Omar Khan, apparently soured between mid-January and now. Thus, when Tomlin addresses local reporters Sunday afternoon and the media at large early Monday morning during the AFC coaches' breakfast, he'll certainly field several questions regarding what happened to the franchise's view of the quarterback position over the past few months.

Those questions will also be pointed at Khan, who will also be addressing local reporters on Monday evening. Even though Khan spoke publicly as recently as three weeks ago at the Combine, the Steelers have been very active in free agency. That'll prompt a multitude of new questions for the Steelers' general manager. 

Of course, Khan should and will also field questions regarding the upcoming draft. The Steelers' 2023 class was praised from all around the league, and the franchise sure could use an encore. While some positions have been addressed during free agency, such as quarterback inside linebacker and cornerback, the Steelers still desperately need to address center, offensive tackle, defensive tackle and could use more youth at cornerback. And, when the Steelers upgraded at cornerback by trading Diontae Johnson for Donte Jackson, it created a gaping void at receiver.

While Khan won't tip his hand, we should get some insight into how the Steelers are prioritizing things moving forward. Remember, when he addressed the media at the Combine, Khan was very blunt about improving the inside linebacker position. Just a couple weeks later, the Steelers made a huge splash in free agency and signed Patrick Queen.

Both Tomlin and Khan should provide some clarity to the Steelers' current mindset and how they intend to make 2024 a better season than its predecessor. But, there is actual business to take care of over the coming days, as well.

Among the several proposals for rule and bylaw changes, none might be more publicized and debated than the competition committee's suggestion to eliminate the "hip-drop" tackle.

The hip-drop tackle is defined as a defender grabbing the runner with both hands or wrapping the runner with both arms; and (b) unweights himself by swiveling and dropping his hips and/or lower body, landing on and trapping the runner's leg(s) at or below the knee.

Ahead of the annual meeting, the NFL Players Association has already publicly rebuked any attempt to outlaw the "hip-drop" tackle, which thrusts this particular proposal into the limelight: