Pittsburgh Steelers

Steelers safety Troy Polamalu may not be back to OTAs after this week, but that bit of variety seems to fit the 11-year pro as well as his No. 43 does. He spoke with the media after the Steelers' first OTA session Tuesday, and mentioned how he's still doing offseason workouts with Marv Marinovich. Along with him, though, he added a new physical therapist, and aimed on working out the scar tissue in his often-injured calf, the one that caused him to miss more than half the 2012 season. Today on BTSC: Less talk, more work Bell's body fat 'Football in shorts' Starks Bolts The 'Other' Safety 2008 a bad draft Jones doesn't test well Polamalu 'best shape since college He said it was the first injury in his previous 10 years that could have been avoided. "If you don't attack the problem of scar tissue, then you're just going to continue to have problems," he said. "So this year, I've really focused on that, found a great physical therapist, obviously continued to work with my trainer. So everything has evolved there and evolved nicely." Tomlin not impressed with 'football in shorts' You best be hitting people and wearing long pants if you want to impress Steelers coach Mike Tomlin Whether Polamalu comes back for the team's second OTAs session, scheduled for May 28-30, is beside the point. Polamalu noted how "life gets stale," and working out in the same manner each year only intensifies that stale feeling in his body. He showed up as a leader - a title he still hasn't fully warmed up to - and he's working to mentor and teach rookie safety Shamarko Thomas. As long as he keeps working on that balky calf, and he can be on the field for more than 400 snaps this season, it makes no difference whether he attends OTAs. Follow @NealCoolong

Steelers coach Mike Tomlin is getting more brief and more blunt in his comments. It's getting to the point he's not even saying them himself. Veteran cornerback Ike Taylor, in speaking to the media, paraphrased Tomlin after the Steelers finished their first day of OTAs, "Less talk and more work." Tomlin leads by example. He isn't talking at all, he's sending his message to the media through the team. It's a bold strategy, Cotton. But it's a smart one. The Steelers have nothing to talk about right now. They collapsed down the stretch of the 2012 season, failing to qualify for the playoffs for the second time since Tomlin took over in 2007. There's nothing to discuss. Hard work, on the other hand...that's something the Steelers can control. Part of the reason some of the collapse down the stretch happened was due to the lack of Taylor, one of the team's best defenders over the last several years, and a key driving force to a defensive turnaround after a slow start to last year. He was injured in Week 13 against Baltimore and did not play again the rest of the year. The depleted Steelers secondary was shredded by Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo and carved by by Chargers QB Phillip Rivers on third downs in losses to Dallas and San Diego - for argument's sake. As it is, the team needs work to improve, not talk. If Taylor has to send Tomlin's message through the media, then so be it. Follow @NealCoolong

Did you know that up to six million Americans may be at risk for anaphylaxis – a severe allergic reaction that happens quickly and may cause death? One of the greatest RB’s of all-time, former Steelers RB Jerome Bettis knows personally the role that having severe allergies can cause in everyday life – he lives [...]... Source: Steelers Gab The post Video: Matt Loede Talks W/ Steelers Great Jerome Bettis About His New “Playbook” appeared first on Pittsburgh Steelers Blog - NFL - PlanetSteelers.com.

Ike Taylor interview after Day 1 of OTAs about the sour taste of an 8-8 season, his thoughts on Cortez Allen, and seeing all of the new faces in the locker room.

The San Diego Chargers needed an offensive tackle. Max Starks needed a job. It just made sense for them to get together. So it’s no surprise that Starks agreed to terms with the Chargers today. Starks told Josina Anderson of ESPN that he has accepted a one-year contract offer. The 31-year-old Starks has played in… Source: ProFootballTalk » Pittsburgh Steelers The post Chargers, Max Starks agree to one-year deal appeared first on Pittsburgh Steelers Blog - NFL - PlanetSteelers.com.

On Monday, I posted a few things that I was hoping we would learn from the Pittsburgh Steelers first OTA session of the 2013 season that got underway on Tuesday and one of those items concerned rookie undrafted free agent wide receiver Reggie Dunn, and more specifically, his ability to return punts. It just so happens that Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette posted about Dunn in his Tuesday online chat and apparently the Utah kickoff return extraordinaire has yet to master the skill of catching punts. "I'm told Dunn, while a great kick returner, has not mastered the job of catching Read more [...]

Pittsburgh Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin interview after day 1 of OTAs about the excitement of seeing the players on the field and feeling energized by some of the new faces.... Source: Pittsburgh Steelers : Videos The post Coach Tomlin – OTAs appeared first on Pittsburgh Steelers Blog - NFL - PlanetSteelers.com.

The heat and humidity on Tuesday made it feel like the first day of training camp, but on this spring day it was the beginning of OTAs (organized team activities) that had the Steelers sweating it ...

... Source: Behind the Steel Curtain - All Posts The post Le’Veon Bell says he has seven percent body fat appeared first on Pittsburgh Steelers Blog - NFL - PlanetSteelers.com.

USA Today Sports With a two major phases of the offseason in the books, we’re starting to get an idea of what each team’s finalized 2013 product will look like. The Pittsburgh Steelers are a team that had a rough start to the offseason in free agency, but then followed it up with a very solid draft, and now they’re in the process of ‘retooling.’ Because of this, many people are already questioning if there’s enough talent on the roster for this team to compete for the AFC North crown. I don’t really know how, this is even a question? The Steelers aren’t the favorites to win the division by any means, but at the same time, there isn’t a powerhouse team in the North, either. The Baltimore Ravens and Cincinnati Bengals will be good, but head and shoulders above the Steelers? No way. Pittsburgh plays a proven brand of football under Mike Tomlin and long-time defensive coordinator Dick Lebeau, and as long as Ben Roethlisberger is still under center, they’re going to be just fine. Maybe they’re not a top-tier AFC team, but they’ll be in contention for the division title and a playoff spot. While the team has experienced a couple of blows this offseason, the nucleus of the club is still intact. That starts with Big Ben, and now it’s expanding out to new key rookies like linebacker Jarvis Jones and running back Le’Veon Bell. This team is not in great shape by any means, but there’s no good reason to think they won’t give the Bengals and Ravens a run for their money in 2013. The champion will likely be determined by the the winner of the head-to-head divisional matchups, and all of those games are rivalry games. Anything can happen in rivalry games. Follow Andrew Fisher on Twitter