The Pittsburgh Steelers will begin their second OTA session of the 2013 season on Tuesday and below are a few of the things that we will be hoping to learn about the team this coming week.
Bueller?…Bueller?..Polamalu? – Last week the Steelers were only missing rookie wide receiver Markus Wheaton, who cannot participate until the mini camp because of Oregon State not yet graduating. There have been a few rumblings that safety Troy Polamalu might decide to stay back in California this week to continue his training and therapy on his calf, but there has yet to be confirmation on that.
Hamstrung Jones? – Rookie linebacker Jarvis Jones was slowed last week by a hamstring problem, so hopefully he will be able to increase his level of participation this week. Mental reps are all fine and good, but nothing beats going through the motions on the field. That being said, hamstring injuries can linger, so it will not be surprising to ar that he is limited for a second straight week.
Can Adams Turn Left? – Marcus Gilbert received the first crack at the left tackle spot in the first OTA session, but there has been quite a bit of speculation that Mike Adams will get a crack at the spot this week. We should know who lines up where by the end of the first Tuesday practice.
Catching Up With Dunn – There were conflicting reports last week about Reggie Dunn as it relates to his ability to field punts cleanly, so hopefully the media can report a little more in-depth on what they see during those drills.
Sign Here, Please – The Steelers still have yet to sign four of their nine draft picks, so I suspect both Nick Williams and Landry Jones will both get their deals done at some point during the upcoming week. That should leave only Jones and Le\’Veon Bell to get done after June 1st when the team will get another $5.5 million in cap room due to the release of Willie Colon earlier in the off-season.
Nose For The Woods? – Will Al Woods continue to receive reps at nose tackle, or was that just done during the first week to test his position flexibility? The Steelers have four nose tackles on the roster, and knowing that reps are limited enough as it is at this time of year, I found that news a little surprising.
Rookies In Shorts – Any and all reports about how the rookies are fitting in are always welcomed. Sure, it\’s only football in shorts, but it\’s always nice to hear whether or not the young players seem to be grasping things well.
An Apple A Day – Fortunately the Steelers came out of their first week OTA\’s without any serious injuries and we certainly hope that will be the case in week two.
As always, we will have the updates from the second week of OTA\’s as they happen, so make sure to check back in here often.
