Jul 23, 2002 By Jim Wexell For The 4 min read

PITTSBURGH — Bill Cowher’s instincts tell him the NFL won’t suspend his right tackle, Marvel Smith, for a recent arrest in Tempe, Arizona, for possession of marijuana. But that doesn’t mean the coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers is happy. “He understands there will be consequences based on what took place,” Cowher said Monday at his pre-training camp press conference. “We are very disappointed in Marvel, but we’re ready to deal with whatever the consequences may be. I do not believe it’s going to end up with any suspension but there will certainly be some steps he will have to follow and we will definitely comply with the league with regards to that. Marvel will have a statement and we’re going to move on. Certainly it’s very disappointing. We certainly don’t condone that type of action.”

Cowher also talked about the team’s other Smith, as well as a couple of minor injuries that will result in tight end Mark Bruener and backup quarterback Charlie Batch opening camp on the Physically Unable to Perform list.

“Mark Bruener injured his foot last week running,” Cowher said. “We don’t anticipate it to be anything long term. We think he’ll be ready to go next week. Charlie Batch had minor surgery last week as well, as a result of training. We anticipate both those players [being] ready to go next week.”

Batch has been injury prone throughout his four-year NFL career, and then some. Back in 1993, Batch missed all but two games at Eastern Michigan with a kidney ailment. He missed all but two games of the 1996 college season with a fractured right ankle. A separated shoulder ended Batch’s injury-plagued pro career in Detroit last December. The previous year, Batch had suffered a fractured tibial plateau of his right knee, but Cowher said the recent knee injury is unrelated.

“It was a small cartilage that was floating around, a little piece that had torn off from him running,” Cowher said. “He was in here walking. The swelling’s almost gone. It was a very, very minor surgery that was done. He’s been in here the last week and a half and we anticipate him [being] ready to go probably early next week.”

Cowher also expects running back Amos Zereoue to receive the doctor’s clearance Tuesday. Zereoue was hospitalized three days in the spring with a liver problem and missed minicamp.

“We think he’ll be ready to go Thursday,” Cowher said. “And so, we should have 85 players in camp ready to go.”

Unless first-round pick Kendall Simmons or veteran defensive end Aaron Smith hold out. As of Monday morning, Simmons remained the team’s only rookie without a contract and Smith had yet to sign his restricted free agency tender of $1.22 million. He’s hoping it will help him gain a better long-term contract from the team.

“There’s a tender he can sign at any point if he is not satisfied with where the negotiations are,” Cowher said. “So, again, I’m going to be cautiously optimistic that both those players will be there by six o’clock on Wednesday evening.”

Cowher said of Smith: “We had a very good conversation at the end of minicamp in June,” but Cowher also has Plan B ready.

“I think Rodney Bailey will be the first one that we would move over to the left side,” he said. “So, we’ll move on from there. We’ll deal with the players that are there and prepare to move on without him.”

All players must report by 6 p.m. Wednesday. The run test will be held Thursday and the first practice will be held Friday. Afternoon practices, which normally begin at 3 p.m., are open to the public.