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06-19-2016, 03:20 PM
http://www.todayspigskin.com/afc/pittsburgh-steelers/tomlin-eyes-forward-steelers-training-camp/
Tomlin has eyes forward on Steelers training camp
ByJohn Perrotto
Posted on June 17, 2016
PITTSBURGH — One long Chris Boswell field goal and it was on to summer vacation for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The Steelers wrapped up their three-day minicamp Thursday. That came on the heels of a total of 10 days of OTAs the previous three-week and three-day rookie minicamp early last month.
The Steelers will reconvene July 28 for the beginning of training camp at St. Vincent College at Latrobe, Pa. After Boswell concluded Thursday’s drills with a 51-yard field goal, coach Mike Tomlin gathered the team and told the players he expects them to be in top shape when they reach camp.
“What they do from here on is probably going to define them from a conditioning standpoint in 2016,” Tomlin said. “That’s the one thing they can control. They have no control over what we ask them to do, but they do have great control over their overall readiness. So we challenge them in that area. I look forward to watching them work to that. Next move for us is Latrobe.”
The Steelers will gather with realistic hopes of making a Super Bowl run. They reached the AFC Divisional round of the playoffs last season and led the eventually Super Bowl champion Denver Broncos on the road with three minutes remaining before losing 23-16.
One player the Steelers are counting on being ready is running back Le’Veon Bell. The 2014 All-Pro was limited to six games last season after sitting out the first two weeks while serving a suspension for violating the NFL’s drug policy then sustaining a season-ending knee injury in Week 8 against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Bell was inactive for nearly five months following his surgery in November and said his weight rose to 230 pounds. He would not say exactly what he weighs now but indicated he is fairly close to his preferred 210.
“I still feel like I’m big enough to take hits and strong enough to take hits,” he said. “I got heavy, I did. I wasn’t going to stop eating. I just couldn’t run. I was definitely really upset that I couldn’t play football. I had to watch my team.”
Bell may not be cleared for full contact when camp begins as the Steelers want to ease him back into action. However, Bell said he already cleared his biggest concern when he was allowed to begin cutting on the knee in early May and felt no pain.
“I feel I’m back to my form that I was in last year, where like I’m breathing well, and being able to run long and just playing football for a long time without getting tired,” Bell said.
While Bell only took part in conditioning drills during minicamp, it was heartening for everyone to see him healthy again.
In fact, Tomlin has laid down a major challenge to Bell — to surpass the NFL-leading 1,485 rushing yards that Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson compiled in 2014 in his return from major knee surgery the previous year.
Tomlin also has high hopes for the rest of his team with training camp on the horizon, even if the Steelers just wrapped up the part of the year he refers to as “football in shorts.”
“If you waiting to hear the popping of pads or see contact, minicamp was not what that was about,” Tomlin said. “It wasn’t a time to go through the physical rigors that will come during training camp at Saint Vincent College. Instead it’s about cohesion, working on their skill set, and communication.
“What I am looking for is skill development relative to their positon. That’s what the long individual periods are about with their coaches. I saw improvement in that area in just about all positions as I walked around over the course of the offseason.
“I thought largely the communication was on the upswing over the course of the offseason,” Tomlin continued. “You could hear it, just as the ball was snapped, the way the guys communicate formally and informally, sharing information. To me, that shows understanding.”
Tomlin has eyes forward on Steelers training camp
ByJohn Perrotto
Posted on June 17, 2016
PITTSBURGH — One long Chris Boswell field goal and it was on to summer vacation for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The Steelers wrapped up their three-day minicamp Thursday. That came on the heels of a total of 10 days of OTAs the previous three-week and three-day rookie minicamp early last month.
The Steelers will reconvene July 28 for the beginning of training camp at St. Vincent College at Latrobe, Pa. After Boswell concluded Thursday’s drills with a 51-yard field goal, coach Mike Tomlin gathered the team and told the players he expects them to be in top shape when they reach camp.
“What they do from here on is probably going to define them from a conditioning standpoint in 2016,” Tomlin said. “That’s the one thing they can control. They have no control over what we ask them to do, but they do have great control over their overall readiness. So we challenge them in that area. I look forward to watching them work to that. Next move for us is Latrobe.”
The Steelers will gather with realistic hopes of making a Super Bowl run. They reached the AFC Divisional round of the playoffs last season and led the eventually Super Bowl champion Denver Broncos on the road with three minutes remaining before losing 23-16.
One player the Steelers are counting on being ready is running back Le’Veon Bell. The 2014 All-Pro was limited to six games last season after sitting out the first two weeks while serving a suspension for violating the NFL’s drug policy then sustaining a season-ending knee injury in Week 8 against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Bell was inactive for nearly five months following his surgery in November and said his weight rose to 230 pounds. He would not say exactly what he weighs now but indicated he is fairly close to his preferred 210.
“I still feel like I’m big enough to take hits and strong enough to take hits,” he said. “I got heavy, I did. I wasn’t going to stop eating. I just couldn’t run. I was definitely really upset that I couldn’t play football. I had to watch my team.”
Bell may not be cleared for full contact when camp begins as the Steelers want to ease him back into action. However, Bell said he already cleared his biggest concern when he was allowed to begin cutting on the knee in early May and felt no pain.
“I feel I’m back to my form that I was in last year, where like I’m breathing well, and being able to run long and just playing football for a long time without getting tired,” Bell said.
While Bell only took part in conditioning drills during minicamp, it was heartening for everyone to see him healthy again.
In fact, Tomlin has laid down a major challenge to Bell — to surpass the NFL-leading 1,485 rushing yards that Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson compiled in 2014 in his return from major knee surgery the previous year.
Tomlin also has high hopes for the rest of his team with training camp on the horizon, even if the Steelers just wrapped up the part of the year he refers to as “football in shorts.”
“If you waiting to hear the popping of pads or see contact, minicamp was not what that was about,” Tomlin said. “It wasn’t a time to go through the physical rigors that will come during training camp at Saint Vincent College. Instead it’s about cohesion, working on their skill set, and communication.
“What I am looking for is skill development relative to their positon. That’s what the long individual periods are about with their coaches. I saw improvement in that area in just about all positions as I walked around over the course of the offseason.
“I thought largely the communication was on the upswing over the course of the offseason,” Tomlin continued. “You could hear it, just as the ball was snapped, the way the guys communicate formally and informally, sharing information. To me, that shows understanding.”