PITTSBURGH -- After nearly a month of offseason workouts as the new Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator, Randy Fichtner is digging his quarterback situation.

He has a franchise quarterback who wants to play another three to five years at a high level and a draft pick who needs time to develop but has major ability.

That's why Fichtner doesn't plan to micromanage his quarterback room led by Ben Roethlisberger and including third-round pick Mason Rudolph, who is going through a healthy rookie transition.

Still, Fichtner is mostly impressed by what he sees.

"Mason has been everything we’ve asked," Fichtner said. "Throws obviously a nice ball. The physical tools are all there. Obviously, mentally and learning is an acquired taste that comes through reps, physical reps and in-helmet perspectives, things that you’re not going to get and it’s not going to happen overnight. I just thank God every day we have the opportunity to have a franchise quarterback.”

That franchise quarterback has worked with Fichtner for much of the last decade. Fichtner has served as a wide receivers coach and quarterbacks coach since joining the franchise in 2007. Fichtner is close with his quarterback, and he doesn't expect that to change, instead hoping their working relationship will result in on-field chemistry.

Roethlisberger said he isn't putting a label on Fichtner's play-calling style but simply calls him a "winner."

"The relationship has always been respect first," Fichtner said. "He knows I’m going to give him an honest day’s work, whether I’m the quarterback, the offensive coordinator, or both, or whether I’m just his friend and I’m not here. I’m going to be his friend for a long time, and that’s not going to change, whether we win ugly or great. We have a communication line, there’s respect there, and we’ll move forward.”

Fichtner is also tasked with maximizing the skill set of second-year quarterback Josh Dobbs and helping veteran Landry Jones improve.

Now that Fichtner has to finalize his first playbook as an NFL coordinator -- he last coordinated an offense at Memphis in the mid-2000s -- he's taking inquiries.

Sort of.

“Occasionally Nate my son will show me some things that all of a sudden a niece sent from Ohio about a specific play they used on PlayStation and I ought to do it," Fichtner said. "So, I ought to do it."