February 26, 2025 • 5 mins
Director of Pro Scouting Sheldon White sits down with Rob King at the 2025 NFL Combine in Indianapolis
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:03):
We are with Sheldon White, very happy to be joined
by this cheother's director of pro scouting. And before we
launch into things I think for fans benefit, can you
tell us what is the director of pro scouting? How
does it differentiate between director of amateur scouting?
Speaker 2 (00:17):
For example, Okay, there's a there's a pro, a pro director,
and a college director. The college director will be focused
primarily on the college guys that are coming into the
NFL draft. The Pro director's primary responsibility is all of
the players in the National Football League. So we have
to have a great feel for everyone that plays in
the NFL as well as everyone that wants to play
in the National Football League. So that includes the additional
(00:39):
leagues like the Canadian leagues and the UFLS and some
of those other leagues. We have to be on top
of every player that wants to play in the National
Football League as well as knowing the team the players
that are in the NFL at the time.
Speaker 1 (00:49):
Oh, is that all? So that sounds like a lot.
Speaker 2 (00:52):
To spend a lot of time in the office.
Speaker 1 (00:54):
Yeah, there is. So you have a free agent crop
coming up, and I'm sure you're evaluating players, but have
to evaluate players that fit into the Steelers system. Correct,
So how do you evaluate a class of free agents
when you're knowing, okay, people are reporting, hey, this is
a great class for wide receivers or whatever, but maybe
a player isn't a particular fit for the organization.
Speaker 2 (01:15):
Before we even start that, we have to know our
own football team. So like there's a complete evaluation and
process of evaluating our entire football team. First, we have
to know our players first before we go into what
is available in free agency. Omar is big with saying
who are Pittsburgh Steelers out of this group?
Speaker 1 (01:33):
And then part of knowing your own rosters probably knowing
which players are on the rise. The students have always
done a great job of having somebody sort of waiting
in the wings at a certain position that maybe fans
haven't seen on the field, but the staff and the
evaluators of those players know is ready to take on
a larger role.
Speaker 2 (01:51):
That is correct. And part of that process primarily is
we will have a presence at practice, so you will
see our staff around the pro staff, and we will
be evaluating our players every day. After every game. We
have watched every film of every game of every player
that's played preseason, regular season, we've watched them, and then
we grate them and evaluate them and meet on them
(02:13):
to make sure that we know exactly who our players
are before we head to that next process.
Speaker 1 (02:18):
I think it's fascinating to watch and Stieler's in the
last couple of years have been aggressive out in free agency.
Are you looking for a combination of bigger moves like
that and knowing that the team can be aggressive and
has some cap space, but also maybe strengthening a position
sort of maybe towards the bottom of the roster, a
better depth player at a certain position, all of the.
Speaker 2 (02:39):
Above, but primarily though, we're trying to find guys that
fit within our structure of our salary cap on top
of guys that fit within our locker room. So Deshaun
Elliott was a great example of that. I mean, he
was a great value for what we got him for
and how he performed for us last year was phenomenal.
Speaker 1 (02:56):
Yes, yes he was. He was a terrific player to watch.
So at the what are you and your staff and
looking to accomplish, because there's the college staff obviously evaluating
the players for the draft, what are you looking to
get done here? What's important for you and your staff
to accomplish in Indianapolis.
Speaker 2 (03:12):
For me, it's sitting in the interviews at night and
listening to the players and learning the players. We have
to start evalue our evaluation process right now because the
majority of the guys that are here will be in
the National Football League in some capacity, and we have
to start that as soon as we can. College guys
are out on the road doing their thing. They have
a good feel for We sit down with them and
catch up, play some catch up, go to senior bow
(03:34):
and do those things, and try to just make sure
that by the time we get down here we have
a feel for who the players are. I'll personally sit
in those interviews with our formal interviews to sit with
our players and get to know them a little bit
more and just start the process of learning who's gonna
be playing because eventually they'll be pro guys, and when
they're pro guys, we have to know them inside it out.
Speaker 1 (03:52):
Yeah, I think that's important for fans to understand that
when a guy hits free agency, you're not scrambling around here,
Hey who's this guy? Right? Have you got to a
dossier on these players that you can fall back on
while you continue the present evaluation process as well.
Speaker 2 (04:07):
That is correct, and and we'll start that process down here.
By the time they get to the National Football League,
we will evaluate our players like I mentioned, in the preseason,
looking at them and practicing in the games, and then
we'll send we'll we'll have guys out at preseason games
to start the evaluation process there as well, and then
once the season starts. We're evaluating these players every year.
(04:28):
My scouts will have a team every you know, every year,
and you're evaluating every player that's on the football team.
And then by the time they get to free agency,
you know him really well. And if you don't know
him really well, someone on my staff does because I
saw him year one, two, three, l he's a free agent.
But it's not just like, oh my god, who's who's available.
These guys have been broke down and vetted to the
(04:49):
best that we can do, depending on a number of staff.
Speaker 1 (04:52):
And it has to be heartening to be able to
find things that are gonna help the football team, whether
it is at Patrick Queen and Isaac Ciamala, Deshaun Elliott,
to help the team and move forward.
Speaker 2 (05:01):
No doubt, those players have been great for us. They
were great signings. You had to get to know them
first as well, make sure they fit. Are they Pittsburgh Steelers?
As Omar were always acts, is that guy Pittsburgh Steeler?
If nothing, keep it moving, because whether you're the strengths
or weaknesses in our classes or why these free agent classes,
it's a matter where they can fit with us, and
they're gonna help us win and fit in our locker room.
Speaker 1 (05:22):
Yeah, Sheldon, thanks very much of the time. Really appreciate it. Yes,
thank you.
We are with Sheldon White, very happy to be joined
by this cheother's director of pro scouting. And before we
launch into things I think for fans benefit, can you
tell us what is the director of pro scouting? How
does it differentiate between director of amateur scouting?
Speaker 2 (00:17):
For example, Okay, there's a there's a pro, a pro director,
and a college director. The college director will be focused
primarily on the college guys that are coming into the
NFL draft. The Pro director's primary responsibility is all of
the players in the National Football League. So we have
to have a great feel for everyone that plays in
the NFL as well as everyone that wants to play
in the National Football League. So that includes the additional
(00:39):
leagues like the Canadian leagues and the UFLS and some
of those other leagues. We have to be on top
of every player that wants to play in the National
Football League as well as knowing the team the players
that are in the NFL at the time.
Speaker 1 (00:49):
Oh, is that all? So that sounds like a lot.
Speaker 2 (00:52):
To spend a lot of time in the office.
Speaker 1 (00:54):
Yeah, there is. So you have a free agent crop
coming up, and I'm sure you're evaluating players, but have
to evaluate players that fit into the Steelers system. Correct,
So how do you evaluate a class of free agents
when you're knowing, okay, people are reporting, hey, this is
a great class for wide receivers or whatever, but maybe
a player isn't a particular fit for the organization.
Speaker 2 (01:15):
Before we even start that, we have to know our
own football team. So like there's a complete evaluation and
process of evaluating our entire football team. First, we have
to know our players first before we go into what
is available in free agency. Omar is big with saying
who are Pittsburgh Steelers out of this group?
Speaker 1 (01:33):
And then part of knowing your own rosters probably knowing
which players are on the rise. The students have always
done a great job of having somebody sort of waiting
in the wings at a certain position that maybe fans
haven't seen on the field, but the staff and the
evaluators of those players know is ready to take on
a larger role.
Speaker 2 (01:51):
That is correct. And part of that process primarily is
we will have a presence at practice, so you will
see our staff around the pro staff, and we will
be evaluating our players every day. After every game. We
have watched every film of every game of every player
that's played preseason, regular season, we've watched them, and then
we grate them and evaluate them and meet on them
(02:13):
to make sure that we know exactly who our players
are before we head to that next process.
Speaker 1 (02:18):
I think it's fascinating to watch and Stieler's in the
last couple of years have been aggressive out in free agency.
Are you looking for a combination of bigger moves like
that and knowing that the team can be aggressive and
has some cap space, but also maybe strengthening a position
sort of maybe towards the bottom of the roster, a
better depth player at a certain position, all of the.
Speaker 2 (02:39):
Above, but primarily though, we're trying to find guys that
fit within our structure of our salary cap on top
of guys that fit within our locker room. So Deshaun
Elliott was a great example of that. I mean, he
was a great value for what we got him for
and how he performed for us last year was phenomenal.
Speaker 1 (02:56):
Yes, yes he was. He was a terrific player to watch.
So at the what are you and your staff and
looking to accomplish, because there's the college staff obviously evaluating
the players for the draft, what are you looking to
get done here? What's important for you and your staff
to accomplish in Indianapolis.
Speaker 2 (03:12):
For me, it's sitting in the interviews at night and
listening to the players and learning the players. We have
to start evalue our evaluation process right now because the
majority of the guys that are here will be in
the National Football League in some capacity, and we have
to start that as soon as we can. College guys
are out on the road doing their thing. They have
a good feel for We sit down with them and
catch up, play some catch up, go to senior bow
(03:34):
and do those things, and try to just make sure
that by the time we get down here we have
a feel for who the players are. I'll personally sit
in those interviews with our formal interviews to sit with
our players and get to know them a little bit
more and just start the process of learning who's gonna
be playing because eventually they'll be pro guys, and when
they're pro guys, we have to know them inside it out.
Speaker 1 (03:52):
Yeah, I think that's important for fans to understand that
when a guy hits free agency, you're not scrambling around here,
Hey who's this guy? Right? Have you got to a
dossier on these players that you can fall back on
while you continue the present evaluation process as well.
Speaker 2 (04:07):
That is correct, and and we'll start that process down here.
By the time they get to the National Football League,
we will evaluate our players like I mentioned, in the preseason,
looking at them and practicing in the games, and then
we'll send we'll we'll have guys out at preseason games
to start the evaluation process there as well, and then
once the season starts. We're evaluating these players every year.
(04:28):
My scouts will have a team every you know, every year,
and you're evaluating every player that's on the football team.
And then by the time they get to free agency,
you know him really well. And if you don't know
him really well, someone on my staff does because I
saw him year one, two, three, l he's a free agent.
But it's not just like, oh my god, who's who's available.
These guys have been broke down and vetted to the
(04:49):
best that we can do, depending on a number of staff.
Speaker 1 (04:52):
And it has to be heartening to be able to
find things that are gonna help the football team, whether
it is at Patrick Queen and Isaac Ciamala, Deshaun Elliott,
to help the team and move forward.
Speaker 2 (05:01):
No doubt, those players have been great for us. They
were great signings. You had to get to know them
first as well, make sure they fit. Are they Pittsburgh Steelers?
As Omar were always acts, is that guy Pittsburgh Steeler?
If nothing, keep it moving, because whether you're the strengths
or weaknesses in our classes or why these free agent classes,
it's a matter where they can fit with us, and
they're gonna help us win and fit in our locker room.
Speaker 1 (05:22):
Yeah, Sheldon, thanks very much of the time. Really appreciate it. Yes,
thank you.
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