Linebacker LaMarr Woodley plans on being a regular at OTAs this spring, something he sees as an important step in preparing for the 2010 season.
"It's great to be back here with the guys after the mini-camp and get a chance to see some of the rookies again and work toward a championship this year," said Woodley. "It's just back to football. I have been waiting to get back to this ever since the last game in Miami when I found out we weren't in the playoffs. I have been itching to get back here. I still have a chip on my shoulder from not getting to the playoffs, losing those five games, losing the games we shouldn't have. That still bothers me."
One thing that Woodley isn't let bother him is the fact that he is in the last year of his contract and the current uncertainty in the NFL labor situation could make things complicated
"You control the things you can control," said Woodley. "Things that you can't control - don't worry about it. I am just worried about coming out here and playing with my team this year. I am not going to be skipping OTAs or anything like that. That sets me back, sets me back from helping the team get better or helping me out individually."
Woodley would like nothing more than to have a contract in place before the season starts, but it isn't something that is consuming his thoughts.
"It would be nice, but it's not something on my mind every day that I am worried about," said Woodley. "My thing is to come out here and get better, come out here and help my team win, get back to the playoffs and hopefully the Super Bowl."
One thing Woodley has noticed early on in the offseason is the work that his teammates did to improve and to make sure they don't finish the 2010 season with the same disappointment they did the year before finding themselves missing the playoffs.
"Guys did what they had to do individually as far as getting better, working out during the offseason," said Woodley. "Now we come here as a team you can see guys really did a lot of work during the offseason getting better to help this team out."
