Five things we learned about the three-week organized team activities that the Pittsburgh Steelers wrapped up Thursday:

1. Good health

Ask any coach, and he or she likely will tell you the most important thing about OTAs is getting through it without incurring any significant injuries.

Unlike last season, the Steelers got through their nine voluntary workouts (plus a trip to Topgolf) unscathed.

In 2018, tackle Jerald Hawkins and tight end Jake McGee suffered season-ending injuries on the same day. Hawkins (quadriceps tear) had a chance to be the top backup at both tackle spots until his injury. Matt Feiler took over the role and became the starter when Marcus Gilbert was injured. This year, Hawkins is on the fringe of the tackle competition and is trying to hang on to a 53-man roster spot.

McGee had a chance to be the team’s third tight end prior to his injury, and he was not re-signed for this season.

This year, nobody was carted off the practice field. In fact, the Steelers got a pair of starters back who were resting minor ailments back onto the field: safety Sean Davis and defensive end Stephon Tuitt.

Expect a full and healthy roster when the Steelers reconvene Tuesday for their mandatory three-day minicamp.

2. Stars show up

The story of the 2018 OTAs centered on who didn’t attend the workouts more than who did. Ben Roethlisberger reported for the first one, then skipped the next seven. Antonio Brown showed up for the first two, then took off after realizing Roethlisberger wouldn’t be around to throw him passes. And then there was Le’Veon Bell, who skipped OTAs for the second year in a row.

This year, Roethlisberger was at the facility for every workout even if he didn’t practice in every session. The rest of the starters were on hand, too, with two exceptions. Guard David DeCastro skipped the voluntary workouts after his wife gave birth to the couple’s second child. Cornerback Joe Haden wasn’t around for the final two weeks of practice, which gave on-the-bubble corner Artie Burns a chance to get snaps with the first-team defense as he tries to secure a roster spot.

Barring something unexpected, the Steelers will have all 91 players on their roster participating at minicamp next week.

3. Creative playbook

The Steelers can’t replace Brown’s production with one player, and judging by the way OTAs played out, they are tweaking the offense to get more players involved.

One of the experiments involved putting two running backs on the field. Starter James Conner lined up in the backfield, and second-year runner Jaylen Samuels moved around in the formation, sometimes lining up in the slot, sometimes going wide. Given Samuels’ college background as a tight end, he could be an X-factor in the offense this year.

Tight end Vance McDonald also could have expanded role as the Steelers spread the ball to more of their skill players while building the playbook.

4. Washington monumental

Receiver James Washington arrived at OTAs about 15 pounds lighter than last season, and he used his lighter frame to catch just about every pass thrown to him over the nine OTA sessions.

It was a performance reminiscent of last spring and summer, when Washington emerged as one of the stars of OTAs and training camp. For some reason, Washington was unable to carry it over into the regular season until the final month of the year.

With Brown forcing a trade to Oakland, Washington moved up a spot in the pecking order, and the second-year receiver showed at OTAs that he is intent on winning the No. 2 job on merit.

5. The real deal

From the moment he stepped on the field at rookie minicamp, linebacker Devin Bush has displayed the speed, agility and smarts the Steelers were seeking when they traded up 10 spots in the first round to draft him.

Coaches have put a lot of responsibility on Bush, mixing him into the inside linebacker rotation with the first team. Bush has met the challenge so far, with veteran teammates admiring how he has grasped the playbook so quickly.

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