NFL coaches like to break their season into segments as a better way to give players a chance to regroup -- if needed -- to start over.
The Steelers begin the next stage of their offseason Tuesday when they open their mandatory three-day minicamp. After that, they're off for six weeks before opening training camp July 25.
After three weeks of OTAs, we've learned a little about what this team has and a little about what it does not. So now is a good time to take a look at where things stand entering the final stage of the offseason. When the Steelers return after this week, it will be at Saint Vincent College and things will start getting real.
Here's what we know right now:
• Le'Veon Bell won't be here this week. But he won't be the only star player skipping minicamp. Earl Thomas has said he won't attend Seattle's camp. And there are also questions regarding Aaron Donald, David Johnson and Julio Jones, among others.
Notice a trend there? They're all stars.
The difference between Bell and those other players is that he is not under contract -- at least not until he signs the franchise tag tender. The Steelers have until July 16th to negotiate a long-term deal with Bell. Those negotiations have been on hold while free agency and the draft were addressed.
But you can expect things to heat up again in the coming weeks.
• Yes, Ben Roethlisberger and Antonio Brown will take part in minicamp.
Roethlisberger attended the first OTA session, then stayed away until the final two. Brown attended the first two, then didn't come back again.
Both were told by head coach Mike Tomlin it was OK to stay away because the team had plenty of young players at their positions at whom the Steelers needed to take a look.
But things ramp up from here. Those extra practices will help in the long term with young players such as Mason Rudolph and James Washington, but they'll be expected to deal with the reps they get moving forward.
Roethlisberger will likely get the same treatment he's gotten the past two years at training camp. That will mean a full day of practice and a full day of rest every three days. But Brown will be a full go from here on out.
• The defensive backfield is young, crowded and talented.
Artie Burns and Sean Davis are going into their third year with the Steelers and second seasons as starters. And yet they are the most experienced players -- with the Steelers -- on the roster. Let that sink in for a moment.
This secondary has been completely made over in the course of three seasons. Can it come together quickly? Having veterans such as Joe Haden and Morgan Burnett helps. But these practice sessions are critical for that group as it continues to work on communication, which every player, to a man, admits has been an issue in the past.
• The T.J. Watt and Bud Dupree experiment continues. The duo worked almost exclusively on the opposite side of where they started at last season at outside linebacker.
But both have continued to call this an "experiment." How long until it goes from the experimental stage to just being the way things are?
• The Steelers seem to be happy with what they have at inside linebacker even if fans are not.
While Tyler Matakevich continues to hold down a starting spot next to Vince Williams, nobody expects that to continue. Jon Bostic was brought in for a reason. And Terrell Edmunds, Burnett and even Marcus Allen could push for time at those spots.
The Steelers haven't started putting in their dime defense yet. But that defense could be one they play a lot this season. It will be interesting to see how it is deployed and, more importantly, with whom they employ it.
But they know replacing Ryan Shazier won't be a one-man job, regardless of how they try to do it.
