The Steelers are close to wrapping up their offseason program, with Day 2 of minicamp in the books at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex.
Coach Mike Tomlin continues to be pleased with the progress he is seeing and how players are responding to what they are putting in front of them.
"Another really good day of work," said Tomlin. "We're focused a lot on situations, a lot of possession down ball today, third and fourth down. Double back and hit some more two-minute. The drill was cleaner today, but that's a reasonable expectation. We kind of introduced some of that yesterday and it was an opportunity for us to show growth over the last 24 hours. We'll do it again tomorrow."
The Steelers will put a bow on minicamp on Thursday, and some of the work that has been accomplished over the last month might not be noticeable to the naked eye, but they are things Tomlin puts a lot of value on.
"Really excited about this work in general," said Tomlin. "It's a point of emphasis for us to kind of put an exclamation point on our offseason and that's really in some specific, yet subtle areas.
"What are we doing pre-snap in terms of pace offensively? What is our snap readiness defensively versus some of that? You've got to be careful sometimes in a practice setting in the cooperative work. You'll wait on one another and that's not how the game is played within stadiums. Tempo and pace have been a focus this week among some other things. And I'm just pleased with the overall attention that the guys are giving the agendas."
Possibly the most valuable aspect of the offseason program has been players getting acclimated with some of the new coaches on the staff, including quarterbacks coach Tom Arth. Quarterback Justin Fields said Arth is the most detail-oriented coach he has ever worked with, and Tomlin shared the same sentiment.
"I like the energy and detail that he brings," said Tomlin. "I've known Tom for quite a while, him having a regional connect, being at Akron and so forth. He does a really good job with the guys. He's doing a nice job of managing the group and presenting some new things to them. But we're just starting to scratch the surface on some of that stuff. We're just at the very beginning stages."
Receivers coach Zach Azzanni is also new to the staff, and his approach is one that Tomlin compares to Arth.
"Same thing. Energy detail, a variety of drill work that can be somewhat unfamiliar yet challenging," said Tomlin. "I like all of that. It's about developing skills relative to their positions. He comes up with unique ways to do that."
And the one new addition on offense who is making the biggest impact is offensive coordinator Arthur Smith. Smith said this week when he got the call from Tomlin about joining the staff he was thrilled for the opportunity.
And likewise, Tomlin was thrilled to add the experienced Smith.
"I've competed against him over the years…Atlanta, Tennessee," said Tomlin. "We had a lot of mutual connects from his time in Washington. I know what he puts into the job, professionally speaking. And, he has quality tape.
"I've competed against him in stadium. Not a lot of unknowns regarding his capabilities."
