They are called OTAs, organized team activities to be specific. They are10 days of football work, even though it's football in shorts.
But don't think for a minute that just because there is no live hitting and the players aren't in pads, that OTAs don't matter.
They do. They matter to the players. The matter to the coaches. And most importantly, they matter to Coach Mike Tomlin, who shared his take on OTAs in advance of them kicking off on Tuesday.
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Phase Two of the Steelers offseason workout program is underway.
Tomlin on what he likes about OTAs:**
"To me, its two things. It's an opportunity to teach and lay a foundation for our football team and the information that we provide our guys for 2016. It's also an opportunity for our guys to show their level of conditioning and work on that level of conditioning."
Tomlin on how valuable OTAs are for the younger players:
"It's an invaluable teaching tool because they're learning without consequence. And that's a good thing. When we get to Latrobe and we're carrying our pads, they'll learn with consequences and that's a totally different thing. So these are valuable reps and hopefully they take advantage of it so they'll be able to play sure and fast and in the manner in which they need to play when we get to Latrobe and there is competition."Tomin on what he hopes to accomplish when OTAs wrap:
"That we are a highly conditioned group, ready to attack the journey. That's always my goal. It'll be unchanged because I think that's what the OTAs and the spring are about; the giving and receiving of information and the good physical conditioning foundation for your group."
*Don't miss SNR's live coverage of OTA's from the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex between 10 a.m.-12 noon on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday of this week. Listen live on the Steelers Official Mobile App or on Steelers.com.
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