Commentary
Maybe Flowers’ time with Steelers has come and gone LATROBE – Lee Flowers held court again yesterday. Nothing new about that. Flowers, the Steelers starting strong safety for the last four years, never met a notebook or microphone he didn’t like.
But this was different, as Flowers and his teammates gathered for Steelers training camp at St. Vincent College. There was no trash talking going on, no dissing Tampa Bay’s defense or disrespecting the Ravens or even blowing his own horn.
As much as he tried to change the subject, Flowers was peppered with questions about all the money the Rooneys have doled out to his teammates and whether there would be any left for him. Flowers and offensive tackle Wayne Gandy are Pittsburgh’s last two starters entering the last year of their contracts.
Didn’t Flowers feel slighted when player after player re-upped with the Steelers, while he was just out there waiting? Wasn’t there a time when he wondered if he had a long-term future with the Steelers?
If any of those issues bothered Flowers, he wasn’t letting on.
“Once I got on the road to Latrobe, I quit worrying about contracts,” Flowers said. “The money will be there, either here or come Feb. 11, when free agency kicks back in.”
Maybe that was the most significant thing he said all day. Maybe Lee Flowers’ time with the Steelers has come and gone. Is there significance in the fact that he already knows 2003’s first day of free agency? This could well be his last season in Pittsburgh.
Still, he wasn’t letting on.
Flowers was downright bubbly about the way his teammates have been treated by the Rooneys, who have written signing bonus checks totaling almost $70 million in the last 17 months.
“Mr. Rooney is trying to build a strong team for the next five or six years,” he said. “You can’t just keep letting players go.”
None of those checks, however, said, “pay to the order of Lee Flowers.”
“All of the guys who signed ahead of me deserved it,” Flowers said. “Me? My second contract was pretty good; I haven’t run out of money yet.”
It’s not surprising at all that Flowers has taken the high road in such matters. He always has been a team player and emerged as a team leader the last few years. Flowers also has long been a media favorite, quite frankly, because of his honesty. He has never been afraid of speaking his mind, even if it meant indicting a teammate or inciting an opponent.
As the Steelers got better last year, Flowers became louder. As they got better, more people started listening.
Maybe that’s how Flowers got stuck between a rock and a hard place. He’s always been a solid every-down player, but never one to make big flashy plays.
In four years as a starter, he made only two interceptions, only seven sacks.
Some fans began grumbling last season, when his comments began to get national publicity. “Why doesn’t he just shut up and make a play or two?” the fans asked.
But in those same four seasons, he has averaged over 100 tackles. And last year, in particular, Flowers had to cover for inside linebacker Earl Holmes, who didn’t have the speed to drop into pass coverage.
“Earl was still trying to learn a new position,” Flowers said, referring to Holmes’ move into Levon Kirkland’s role. “He didn’t have the opportunity to blitz all the time line Kendrell Bell did. His forte was stopping the run, not covering guys down the field.”
Exit Holmes, who signed with Cleveland. Enter James Farrior, who joined the Steelers from the Jets and is faster than Holmes.
“It helps me a lot because I don’t have to cover three gaps,” Flowers said. “He or John Fiala will take care of their two gaps and I’ll take care of my two gaps. I don’t know who is going to win that job, but we’ll be a better defense because of him.”
The Steelers didn’t sign Farrior or re-sign Fiala to make Flowers’ job easier. They signed them to make Pittsburgh’s defense better, but that might also be why they drafted strong safety Chris Hope in the third round and why they will try Mike Logan at strong safety during this camp.
Either of these players can make Flowers expendable. They don’t have to woo the media, either. Just make a few plays.
Sports editor Mike Ciarochi may be reached at mciarochi@heraldstandard.com