Steelers have many needs, much to do in offseason
PITTSBURGH (AP) – It’s Super Bowl week, though it’s difficult to tell that at the Pittsburgh Steelers’ training complex. The coaches are in the middle of a two-week vacation. The players have long since scattered across the country. Coach Bill Cowher still attends games, but only those of his high school basketball-playing daughters.
Back in training camp, when they were the AFC’s team to beat, this was supposed to be the week they have waited for since they last won a Super Bowl 23 years ago. Instead, it’s just another bitingly cold off-week in this Steelers’ season that wasn’t.
“I’m still wishing we were in the fight, still wishing we were getting ready to play again,” said quarterback Tommy Maddox, who still isn’t quite over the second-round overtime loss to Tennessee.
But, coming off yet another postseason disappointment, that doesn’t mean the rest of the Steelers’ offseason will be a study in tedium. Unlike a year ago, when they had few free agents, few glaring needs and few holes to fill after they lost to New England in the AFC title game, there should be plenty of activity from now until September.
The biggest changes may occur in a secondary that seems to be badly in need of an overhaul, either through free agency, the draft or both. It’s a shakeup that could see cornerback Chad Scott switched to safety and free safety Brent Alexander and cornerback Dewayne Washington sent to the bench.
Cowher and director of football operations Kevin Colbert face numerous other questions, too:
– Where will quarterback Kordell Stewart go, and who will replace him?
With his $6 million-plus contract and $7-million plus cap value, Stewart is as good as gone. The big question is whether any team will give up a player or two for one who could be gone in a year; Stewart can become a free agent after the 2003 season.
The Steelers apparently want to keep Charlie Batch, this time as the No. 2 quarterback instead of No. 3. Batch seems willing to stay in his hometown, but still must negotiate contract terms.
– What about Jerome Bettis?
One of the most reliable running backs in team history and one of the top 10 rushers in NFL history, Bettis is at the crossroads of his Pittsburgh career. If he loses weight and proves he’s over the knee injury that troubled him from midseason on, the Steelers may keep him.
If he can’t do all of the above, the Steelers may let him go and bring in someone else to challenge Amos Zereoue to be the No. 1 back.
And, if you don’t think the Steelers can’t bear to part with Bettis, consider this: They let Franco Harris go in 1984, just when he was closing in on Jim Brown’s NFL career rushing record.
– Who will play left tackle?
Wayne Gandy wants to return, but the Steelers apparently prefer to go in a different direction. One reason they re-signed Oliver Ross last year was for this very reason.
– Will owner Dan Rooney pay out millions more to keep this team intact, just as he did last year?
The answer almost certainly is no. Rooney spent more than $60 million in signing bonuses the last two offseasons without getting a Super Bowl trip in return. Now, the checkbook is likely to stay closed for a while, especially with most of the key starters already signed longterm.
– Will the Steelers go into next season with the same overconfidence that may have contributed to their dismal 1-3 start this season?
If they look at their 2003 schedule, they won’t. This season, their longest trip was to New Orleans. Next season, they’ll go to Denver, San Francisco, Seattle, Kansas City and the New York Jets. At home, they get the Rams, Raiders, Chargers and Titans, plus their newly rediscovered big rival, the Browns.
– Will they tinker with ways to keep star linebacker Kendrell Bell on the field on third downs?
Cowher’s quick reply: “I’m open to everything and anything.”
– Will they draft a running back?
Not until they’re certain they’ve got the secondary they want. After allowing nearly 1,100 yards passing in their final three games, the Steelers have a visible weakness they must address immediately, and they know it.
– Who will replace linebackers coach Mike Archer?
Cowher would like to bring back former defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau, recently fired as the Bengals’ coach, as a defensive assistant. If that happens, LeBeau might bring along former Steelers defensive back Darren Perry as the secondary coach. Secondary coach Willy Robinson then would shift to the linebackers.