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Cowher talk persuaded Porter to report to Steelers camp
Porter
Chaz Palla/TRIBUNE-REVIEW
By The Associated Press
Friday, August 18, 2006
Pro Bowl linebacker Joey Porter, unhappy with his contract situation, said Thursday he considered not showing up for the Pittsburgh Steelers' training camp until a long talk with coach Bill Cowher persuaded him to report.
Porter is signed through 2007, making $4 million in salary and a roster bonus this season and $5.2 million in salary plus roster and signing bonuses next year. But he said he deserves a reworked contract after helping lead the Steelers to their Super Bowl victory last season.
"I definitely feel that I have outplayed the contract that I am under," Porter said Thursday night in an interview with the NFL Network. "The whole city of Pittsburgh knows what I bring, coach Cowher knows what I bring. We had a talk and it was 'I need you.' I was unhappy. There was no use me lying about it."
Porter said Cowher reassured him that the coach will remain with the team, though Porter did not say specifically if that meant until the end of the linebacker's contract. Cowher and the Steelers broke off their contract talks this week and, while also signed through 2007, Cowher has not said if he will return next year.
"He's one of the main reasons why I'm back here at camp," Porter said. "Contract-wise, I wasn't too happy with the situation that we're going into. But I talked to coach Cowher and, after me and him had our words, he said he's going to be here. So he had a big impact on me being here in camp this year."
Porter missed some of the team's voluntary workouts last spring, apparently because of his contract situation. After that, he needed arthroscopic knee surgery in May and missed the rest of the workouts.
"I didn't have to come out here and be nice to anybody, but me having a talk with coach Cowher and the relationship we have, I feel like I can suck it in, even though I'm not happy with the contract," Porter said. "I'll go out there for coach Cowher and play like I know how to play and just put it all in God's hands and see what happens next year."
Porter's 2007 salary terms are not salary cap-friendly to the Steelers — he would have a cap value of $6.6 million — and it is possible they will ask him to rework the deal. Porter apparently wanted to redo the contract this year, getting some of the money this season he was due next year.
Porter, a three-time Pro Bowl linebacker and one of the NFL's best-known defensive players, seemed surprised by the questions about his contract situation and declined to discuss it further with The Associated Press following the NFL Network interview.
"That's over with it, I'm here now and it's nothing I'm going to bring up or talk about," he said.
Porter also said the Steelers have been unaffected by the uncertainty created by Cowher's contract situation. The Steelers and Cowher announced Tuesday they have ended their talks, though the team hopes to revive them once the season ends.
However, Cowher has purchased a $2.5 million home in Raleigh, N.C., where his wife and youngest daughter apparently plan to live this season. That has created considerable speculation that Cowher will retire and not coach next season, even though, at age 50, he would be relatively young next year by NFL coaching standards.
"The team hasn't been affected at all. Most guys talk about it — 'What do you think? Do you think he's going to be here?,' " Porter said. "Coach Cowher is here now. Until we see otherwise, we're going to go out there and fight for coach like we always do. If something happens before the end of the season then we'll know, but, right now, coach Cowher is here and we're going to play like he's here."
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/steelers/s_466588.html
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/steelers/s_466636.html
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AJHawkfan
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http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06234/715278-66.stm
Townsend able to hold onto right cornerback spot
Tuesday, August 22, 2006
By Ed Bouchette, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
The competition, if there ever was any, to become the Steelers' right cornerback has ended. It goes to the man who held the office the past 2 1/2 seasons.
Young Bryant McFadden, who kept the Steelers' road to the Super Bowl alive with a slap to a Peyton Manning pass, did not so much fail to unseat Deshea Townsend, 30, as those efforts this summer reaffirmed just how good the veteran plays the position.
McFadden, entering his second season, is the kind of cornerback the Steelers have long sought -- young, fast, aggressive, around the ball and hard to beat. Yet they have just such a cornerback in Townsend. On many Steelers teams of the past, McFadden would be a starter, but not on this one.
"It's going to be hard to beat out Deshea," secondary coach Darren Perry said, diplomatically, yesterday.
It took the Steelers 5 1/2 seasons after they drafted Townsend in the fourth round to discover him. That's when their No. 3 cornerback finally earned a shot at starting, in the middle of the 2003 season when he replaced an injured Chad Scott at left cornerback. He remained there once Scott returned to health, then moved to right cornerback in 2004 after Dewayne Washington was released.
The competition that was supposed to surface at right cornerback this summer may have ended in mid-March, when the Steelers talked Townsend away from the New England Patriots. Townsend, an unrestricted free agent for less than a week, sat in the office of Patriots personnel boss Scott Pioli for two hours talking, with a New England contract and a pen sitting on the desk before him.
Townsend didn't do all his talking with Pioli, though. There was the telephone call from Bill Cowher, too.
"It was crazy," Townsend recounted. "I was sitting in the office with Scott Piolo. I had the contract in front of me. I was on the phone with my agent, on the phone with my wife. Then the Steelers called. They called my agent and I talked to coach Cowher while I was sitting in the office."
Townsend excused himself with Piolo and headed back to Pittsburgh, where he signed a four-year, $8 million contract to stay put.
"I took a little less to come back here," Townsend said. "I'm familiar with it here and there are a lot of guys I like to be around, and not have to worry about change. It worked out best for me."
Because of that, because of McFadden's play as a rookie and his expected natural improvement from there, because left corner Ike Taylor played so well in 2005, and because Ricardo Colclough has made good strides in his third camp, the Steelers have not been this good and deep at cornerback in years. The presence of Townsend, McFadden and Colclough is a reason why Taylor was not able to reach a contract extension for a sizable amount from the Steelers.
McFadden has the look of a good cornerback, yet he has been unable to unseat Townsend.
"Until it's my time not to be starting, I want to be starting," said Townsend in Yogi Berra speak.
McFadden became the club's No. 3 cornerback last season, and saved its Super Bowl run. The Steelers were ahead by three points but the Colts were 28 yards from a score with 1:01 left in their Jan. 15 playoff game when Peyton Manning put the ball on target to Reggie Wayne in the end zone. McFadden neatly tipped it away.
"Oh, he's good," Townsend said. "He's a good cover guy, he can tackle. Everything the Steelers look for they have right there in Bryant McFadden."
McFadden will have to play the role that Townsend did so well during much of his first 5 1/2 seasons, as the No. 3 cornerback. The way offenses deploy three and four wide receivers so often, McFadden won't want for playing time.
"That third corner, he's just like a starter," Perry said. "To have some depth right there, it's a luxury really."
Townsend can teach McFadden the art of patience. He was almost pigeonholed as a good No. 3 corner before Scott was injured in the middle of the '03 season, opening a full-time job that he kept when Scott returned to health.
"I just think I got lucky, a good situation," Townsend said. "A lot of times guys are forced into things and it leaves a certain perception with people."
He learned one thing above the rest during his previous eight seasons, something McFadden and Colclough can keep in mind.
"It's our job to cover," Townsend said. "If you keep their guy from catching the ball, they'll keep you out there some way."
(Ed Bouchette can be reached at [email protected] or 412-263-3878. )
Townsend able to hold onto right cornerback spot
Tuesday, August 22, 2006
By Ed Bouchette, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
The competition, if there ever was any, to become the Steelers' right cornerback has ended. It goes to the man who held the office the past 2 1/2 seasons.
Young Bryant McFadden, who kept the Steelers' road to the Super Bowl alive with a slap to a Peyton Manning pass, did not so much fail to unseat Deshea Townsend, 30, as those efforts this summer reaffirmed just how good the veteran plays the position.
McFadden, entering his second season, is the kind of cornerback the Steelers have long sought -- young, fast, aggressive, around the ball and hard to beat. Yet they have just such a cornerback in Townsend. On many Steelers teams of the past, McFadden would be a starter, but not on this one.
"It's going to be hard to beat out Deshea," secondary coach Darren Perry said, diplomatically, yesterday.
It took the Steelers 5 1/2 seasons after they drafted Townsend in the fourth round to discover him. That's when their No. 3 cornerback finally earned a shot at starting, in the middle of the 2003 season when he replaced an injured Chad Scott at left cornerback. He remained there once Scott returned to health, then moved to right cornerback in 2004 after Dewayne Washington was released.
The competition that was supposed to surface at right cornerback this summer may have ended in mid-March, when the Steelers talked Townsend away from the New England Patriots. Townsend, an unrestricted free agent for less than a week, sat in the office of Patriots personnel boss Scott Pioli for two hours talking, with a New England contract and a pen sitting on the desk before him.
Townsend didn't do all his talking with Pioli, though. There was the telephone call from Bill Cowher, too.
"It was crazy," Townsend recounted. "I was sitting in the office with Scott Piolo. I had the contract in front of me. I was on the phone with my agent, on the phone with my wife. Then the Steelers called. They called my agent and I talked to coach Cowher while I was sitting in the office."
Townsend excused himself with Piolo and headed back to Pittsburgh, where he signed a four-year, $8 million contract to stay put.
"I took a little less to come back here," Townsend said. "I'm familiar with it here and there are a lot of guys I like to be around, and not have to worry about change. It worked out best for me."
Because of that, because of McFadden's play as a rookie and his expected natural improvement from there, because left corner Ike Taylor played so well in 2005, and because Ricardo Colclough has made good strides in his third camp, the Steelers have not been this good and deep at cornerback in years. The presence of Townsend, McFadden and Colclough is a reason why Taylor was not able to reach a contract extension for a sizable amount from the Steelers.
McFadden has the look of a good cornerback, yet he has been unable to unseat Townsend.
"Until it's my time not to be starting, I want to be starting," said Townsend in Yogi Berra speak.
McFadden became the club's No. 3 cornerback last season, and saved its Super Bowl run. The Steelers were ahead by three points but the Colts were 28 yards from a score with 1:01 left in their Jan. 15 playoff game when Peyton Manning put the ball on target to Reggie Wayne in the end zone. McFadden neatly tipped it away.
"Oh, he's good," Townsend said. "He's a good cover guy, he can tackle. Everything the Steelers look for they have right there in Bryant McFadden."
McFadden will have to play the role that Townsend did so well during much of his first 5 1/2 seasons, as the No. 3 cornerback. The way offenses deploy three and four wide receivers so often, McFadden won't want for playing time.
"That third corner, he's just like a starter," Perry said. "To have some depth right there, it's a luxury really."
Townsend can teach McFadden the art of patience. He was almost pigeonholed as a good No. 3 corner before Scott was injured in the middle of the '03 season, opening a full-time job that he kept when Scott returned to health.
"I just think I got lucky, a good situation," Townsend said. "A lot of times guys are forced into things and it leaves a certain perception with people."
He learned one thing above the rest during his previous eight seasons, something McFadden and Colclough can keep in mind.
"It's our job to cover," Townsend said. "If you keep their guy from catching the ball, they'll keep you out there some way."
(Ed Bouchette can be reached at [email protected] or 412-263-3878. )
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Q&A: Ken Whisenhut / The Steelers' offensive coordinator makes the calls for QB during games
Tuesday, August 22, 2006
Ed Bouchette, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Football coaches and players talk about their game plan often, but what really is a game plan? How do coaches arrive at one and how do they choose their plays during the game? Ken Whisenhunt enters his third season as the Steelers' offensive coordinator. He sits in a booth upstairs in the stadium, joined by several other coaches, and calls the plays to the sideline. He talked recently with the Post-Gazette's Ed Bouchette to explain the procedure:
Q: How many plays do you "script" to start a game on offense?
Whisenhunt: I script about the first 10.
Q: Can you explain that process?
Whisenhunt: I get input from everybody during the course of the week -- the offensive staff and the quarterbacks. I get their top plays in each category -- first two plays of the game, play-action, drop back, third-down plays. And then we talk about it as a coaching staff. I rank the top 10 plays, what we think will be good. Sometimes it's easy, sometimes it's hard. It's not locked in for the first 10 plays of the game, it's more of an idea where you're going to go. The first 10 usually always are our first- and second-down plays. Then I'll categorize our third-down plays.
Q: So you have a group of plays you want to use at the outset of a game, but do you start the game with one definite play?
Whisenhunt: Yes. Usually, we predetermine what we want to run the first two plays of the game.
Q: No matter where the ball is?
Whisenhunt: No matter where the ball is. Now, there are certain situations -- if you get a big return into the red zone, you're not going to run one of those plays there or if you're tight on the goal line. We've been pretty good about consistently sticking with those plays.
Q: What's involved in putting together a game plan?
Whisenhunt: Well, the way we do it, which I think is the best way, all the coaches are in the room together. And we go through each section, whether it's first- and second-down runs, first- and second-down passes, third-down passes, play-action passes. In each category, we have a certain number of plays we're going to put into this week's game plan. It's a little bit flexible -- some weeks maybe more, some weeks maybe less. We discuss it and we put it on a big board and we come up with the plays. And that's what consists of our game plan.
Q: Do you choose certain plays out of your playbook for each situation to put into your game plan for that week?
Whisenhunt: The way we do it, we categorize plays -- third down and 2-5 yards, third down and 6-8, third down, 9-plus. Within that subcategory, we'll rank them how we like them. Then on Friday, I'll put them in situations for different downs and distances on different parts of the field. All the coaches have input on what they like.
Q: How do you pick one play to call?
Whisenhunt: If it's, for example, second and 8 and we have a category second and 7-10, we'll have plays listed for that and you just go down to the play you like. It may not be your first play ranked, because they may be doing something differently and you may have to go to your third or fourth play.
Q: What happens when your opponent's defense comes out in a different alignment in certain situations?
Whisenhunt: Usually, you don't get what you prepare for. A lot of times you get something different and you have to adjust. We have very good coaches who do a very good job of sideline adjustments. We're flexible, our offensive line is flexible, our players are flexible. Training camp allows you to do that.
Q: When you call the play upstairs, who do you relay it to?
Whisenhunt: Mark Whipple, [the quarterbacks coach] who gives it to the quarterback. I can't go straight from the booth to the quarterback.
Q: Who else on the staff hears you calling the play?
Whisenhunt: Everybody.
Q: Does Bill Cowher ever step in and reject one of your calls?
Whisenhunt: Oh, he has veto power and he has input. He has a very good feel for the game. In fact, some of the games where he's had input on a call during the course of the game has worked very well.
Q: Do you permit quarterback Ben Roethlisberger to audible to another play at the line of scrimmage?
Whisenhunt: In certain situations, yes. In certain ones, no. In certain ones we try to take care of that so we don't put too much on him. That will expand as he becomes more comfortable with the offense and that's what's occurring. That's what we've seen in the coaching sessions and that's what we've seen here in training camp.
Tuesday, August 22, 2006
Ed Bouchette, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Football coaches and players talk about their game plan often, but what really is a game plan? How do coaches arrive at one and how do they choose their plays during the game? Ken Whisenhunt enters his third season as the Steelers' offensive coordinator. He sits in a booth upstairs in the stadium, joined by several other coaches, and calls the plays to the sideline. He talked recently with the Post-Gazette's Ed Bouchette to explain the procedure:
Q: How many plays do you "script" to start a game on offense?
Whisenhunt: I script about the first 10.
Q: Can you explain that process?
Whisenhunt: I get input from everybody during the course of the week -- the offensive staff and the quarterbacks. I get their top plays in each category -- first two plays of the game, play-action, drop back, third-down plays. And then we talk about it as a coaching staff. I rank the top 10 plays, what we think will be good. Sometimes it's easy, sometimes it's hard. It's not locked in for the first 10 plays of the game, it's more of an idea where you're going to go. The first 10 usually always are our first- and second-down plays. Then I'll categorize our third-down plays.
Q: So you have a group of plays you want to use at the outset of a game, but do you start the game with one definite play?
Whisenhunt: Yes. Usually, we predetermine what we want to run the first two plays of the game.
Q: No matter where the ball is?
Whisenhunt: No matter where the ball is. Now, there are certain situations -- if you get a big return into the red zone, you're not going to run one of those plays there or if you're tight on the goal line. We've been pretty good about consistently sticking with those plays.
Q: What's involved in putting together a game plan?
Whisenhunt: Well, the way we do it, which I think is the best way, all the coaches are in the room together. And we go through each section, whether it's first- and second-down runs, first- and second-down passes, third-down passes, play-action passes. In each category, we have a certain number of plays we're going to put into this week's game plan. It's a little bit flexible -- some weeks maybe more, some weeks maybe less. We discuss it and we put it on a big board and we come up with the plays. And that's what consists of our game plan.
Q: Do you choose certain plays out of your playbook for each situation to put into your game plan for that week?
Whisenhunt: The way we do it, we categorize plays -- third down and 2-5 yards, third down and 6-8, third down, 9-plus. Within that subcategory, we'll rank them how we like them. Then on Friday, I'll put them in situations for different downs and distances on different parts of the field. All the coaches have input on what they like.
Q: How do you pick one play to call?
Whisenhunt: If it's, for example, second and 8 and we have a category second and 7-10, we'll have plays listed for that and you just go down to the play you like. It may not be your first play ranked, because they may be doing something differently and you may have to go to your third or fourth play.
Q: What happens when your opponent's defense comes out in a different alignment in certain situations?
Whisenhunt: Usually, you don't get what you prepare for. A lot of times you get something different and you have to adjust. We have very good coaches who do a very good job of sideline adjustments. We're flexible, our offensive line is flexible, our players are flexible. Training camp allows you to do that.
Q: When you call the play upstairs, who do you relay it to?
Whisenhunt: Mark Whipple, [the quarterbacks coach] who gives it to the quarterback. I can't go straight from the booth to the quarterback.
Q: Who else on the staff hears you calling the play?
Whisenhunt: Everybody.
Q: Does Bill Cowher ever step in and reject one of your calls?
Whisenhunt: Oh, he has veto power and he has input. He has a very good feel for the game. In fact, some of the games where he's had input on a call during the course of the game has worked very well.
Q: Do you permit quarterback Ben Roethlisberger to audible to another play at the line of scrimmage?
Whisenhunt: In certain situations, yes. In certain ones, no. In certain ones we try to take care of that so we don't put too much on him. That will expand as he becomes more comfortable with the offense and that's what's occurring. That's what we've seen in the coaching sessions and that's what we've seen here in training camp.
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AJHawkfan
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Ward wants to play Friday, but prefers to be 100 percent by the opener
Wednesday, August 23, 2006
By Ray Fittipaldo, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Hines Ward, Terrell Owens and Steve Smith, as three of the top receivers in the NFL, are used to star treatment. What they all could use now is a different kind of treatment -- a tonic for what ails their troublesome hamstring injuries.
Ward's nagging injury has not developed into the daily soap opera that Owens' has in Dallas, but it's getting to the point where it's beyond a minor problem. Ward tried to practice again yesterday -- one day after "tweaking" the hamstring in practice -- and the results were not what he was hoping for.
Ward went through individual drills with the rest of the receivers early in practice, but had to beg off on other work after the hamstring did not respond when he planted and tried to cut. He was visibly upset with the setback, and the only physical thing he did the rest of practice was some light jogging under the supervision of trainer John Norwig.
"I just have to be smart," Ward said. "It's about the regular season. I'm not concerned with anything else. I'm not going to step foot [out here] unless I'm 100 percent. I don't want to keep re-aggravating it. That's not going to get me anywhere."
Ward was injured during a practice Aug. 4. He rehabilitated the injury for more than two weeks before practicing for the first time Monday. He is frustrated because he has done everything the training staff has asked and more, and the injury has not responded the way he would like.
It seems highly unlikely that Ward will play Friday in Philadelphia given this latest setback. Ward had targeted the third preseason game as a comeback date because he wanted to play with his teammates and get on the same page. Ward categorized himself as "90 percent" after practice yesterday. If he does not play against the Eagles, he would not play in the final preseason game against the Carolina Panthers, either. That might be a good time to have a conversation with Smith, the superstar receiver for the Panthers, who is going through a similar hamstring injury.
"Norwig called down to North Carolina, and the same thing is going on with Steve Smith," Ward said. "They're trying to see what he's doing. It is frustrating because I'm doing everything they ask me to do. It's still not healing up the way I want it. The recovery time is not what I want. But it's a hamstring. It can go two weeks to four weeks. I just have to play it smart and not force it. I really wanted to play in this game. If it feels better tomorrow I'll give it a shot. If not, I just have to prepare for the regular season.
"I can walk, do everything. But when I come out here and plant and burst off, that's when I feel it. When you're feeling that it's not 100 percent ... I'm not going to force myself. If I keep coming out here and re-aggravating it, it will never get better."
While Ward is clearly bothered by the lack of progress, the coaching staff does not seem ready to push the panic button. Ward's injury is being called a strain. An MRI did not show a tear or even a slight pull. Coach Bill Cowher is telling the Super Bowl XL MVP to take the cautious approach, to let time aid in the healing.
"It's a very frustrating injury as you can see around the league," Cowher said. "It's very hard to put any kind of time frame for these things. He came out [Monday] and did some work. And I don't think he set himself back, but we just have to be careful. You don't want to re-injure it or set it back.
"We're going to take it day to day. I told him to just be patient and go through the process."
Offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt said it would not be a big deal if Ward had to miss the final two preseason games. Ward did not practice much last preseason because of his contract holdout, and it didn't have an impact on his level of play during the season.
"I think he's played enough games that I don't have a lot of concern about him," Whisenhunt said. "He didn't practice a lot last year in training camp and had a pretty good season. He's a pro. He knows how to get prepared. Even though we'd like to have him out there on the field, he'll be out there when the games start counting."
After yesterday's events, Ward seems to be on the same wavelength.
"It's still preseason," Ward said. "The regular season is what counts. I have to make sure I get it back to 100 percent so I can help contribute to the team."
(Ray Fittipaldo can be reached at [email protected] or 412-263-1230. )
Wednesday, August 23, 2006
By Ray Fittipaldo, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Hines Ward, Terrell Owens and Steve Smith, as three of the top receivers in the NFL, are used to star treatment. What they all could use now is a different kind of treatment -- a tonic for what ails their troublesome hamstring injuries.
Ward's nagging injury has not developed into the daily soap opera that Owens' has in Dallas, but it's getting to the point where it's beyond a minor problem. Ward tried to practice again yesterday -- one day after "tweaking" the hamstring in practice -- and the results were not what he was hoping for.
Ward went through individual drills with the rest of the receivers early in practice, but had to beg off on other work after the hamstring did not respond when he planted and tried to cut. He was visibly upset with the setback, and the only physical thing he did the rest of practice was some light jogging under the supervision of trainer John Norwig.
"I just have to be smart," Ward said. "It's about the regular season. I'm not concerned with anything else. I'm not going to step foot [out here] unless I'm 100 percent. I don't want to keep re-aggravating it. That's not going to get me anywhere."
Ward was injured during a practice Aug. 4. He rehabilitated the injury for more than two weeks before practicing for the first time Monday. He is frustrated because he has done everything the training staff has asked and more, and the injury has not responded the way he would like.
It seems highly unlikely that Ward will play Friday in Philadelphia given this latest setback. Ward had targeted the third preseason game as a comeback date because he wanted to play with his teammates and get on the same page. Ward categorized himself as "90 percent" after practice yesterday. If he does not play against the Eagles, he would not play in the final preseason game against the Carolina Panthers, either. That might be a good time to have a conversation with Smith, the superstar receiver for the Panthers, who is going through a similar hamstring injury.
"Norwig called down to North Carolina, and the same thing is going on with Steve Smith," Ward said. "They're trying to see what he's doing. It is frustrating because I'm doing everything they ask me to do. It's still not healing up the way I want it. The recovery time is not what I want. But it's a hamstring. It can go two weeks to four weeks. I just have to play it smart and not force it. I really wanted to play in this game. If it feels better tomorrow I'll give it a shot. If not, I just have to prepare for the regular season.
"I can walk, do everything. But when I come out here and plant and burst off, that's when I feel it. When you're feeling that it's not 100 percent ... I'm not going to force myself. If I keep coming out here and re-aggravating it, it will never get better."
While Ward is clearly bothered by the lack of progress, the coaching staff does not seem ready to push the panic button. Ward's injury is being called a strain. An MRI did not show a tear or even a slight pull. Coach Bill Cowher is telling the Super Bowl XL MVP to take the cautious approach, to let time aid in the healing.
"It's a very frustrating injury as you can see around the league," Cowher said. "It's very hard to put any kind of time frame for these things. He came out [Monday] and did some work. And I don't think he set himself back, but we just have to be careful. You don't want to re-injure it or set it back.
"We're going to take it day to day. I told him to just be patient and go through the process."
Offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt said it would not be a big deal if Ward had to miss the final two preseason games. Ward did not practice much last preseason because of his contract holdout, and it didn't have an impact on his level of play during the season.
"I think he's played enough games that I don't have a lot of concern about him," Whisenhunt said. "He didn't practice a lot last year in training camp and had a pretty good season. He's a pro. He knows how to get prepared. Even though we'd like to have him out there on the field, he'll be out there when the games start counting."
After yesterday's events, Ward seems to be on the same wavelength.
"It's still preseason," Ward said. "The regular season is what counts. I have to make sure I get it back to 100 percent so I can help contribute to the team."
(Ray Fittipaldo can be reached at [email protected] or 412-263-1230. )
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Ike: 'I'll be in Pittsburgh'
By Joe Starkey
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Wednesday, August 23, 2006
Remember these words from Steelers cornerback Ike Taylor:
"I'll be in Pittsburgh."
Taylor, 26, was speaking of next season and beyond, even though he can become an unrestricted free agent after this season and could potentially attract a big offer from another team.
Taylor is currently on a one-year, $1.57 million deal he signed as a restricted free agent and is believed to be seeking an eight-figure signing bonus on a new contract -- not a figure the Steelers likely would be willing to satisfy.
So, what makes Taylor certain he'll be here?
"Because I'm sure of myself, so I know I'll be in Pittsburgh," he said Tuesday. "I'll be here. I'll be in Pittsburgh."
OK, suppose another team comes around with, say, a $13 million signing bonus, along the lines of what Carolina gave rising star cornerback Ken Lucas last season, and the Steelers are offering less than $10 million?
"I'll be in Pittsburgh," Taylor said, smiling.
The Steelers generally do not negotiate contracts once the regular season begins. The opener is Sept. 7 against the Miami Dolphins.
Taylor's agent, Scott Smith, said he and the Steelers have had "a continuing dialogue for quite some time" and that he and Taylor are "committed to working hard until the final hour to get something done."
"I'm going to be cautiously optimistic," Smith said.
Steelers director of football operations Kevin Colbert declined comment.
Joe Starkey can be reached at [email protected]
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/steelers/s_467221.html
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Steelers find it's hard to replace a Bus
By Rick Starr
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Thursday, August 24, 2006
It's not easy to replace a runner called The Bus.
Steelers coach Bill Cowher said it might take a couple of running backs to fill Jerome Bettis' former role.
Bettis pounded the ball inside in short-yardage and goal-line situations and scored nine touchdowns in 110 carries during the Steelers' Super Bowl run last season.
"I can't say right now there's been one person, like we had with Jerome," Cowher said Wednesday at Steelers training camp at St. Vincent College. "I don't think that's a bad thing. That's the way it was last year. This year is a different year, and we'll go from there."
Running back Willie Parker will get first crack at goal-line duty when the Steelers (0-2) play the Philadelphia Eagles (1-2) in a preseason game Friday night at Lincoln Financial Field.
Cowher said Parker will play the first quarter with the starters -- and this time he won't run off the field in most short-yardage situations.
"Whatever the coach decides, I'm all for," Parker said. "Catching balls, short yardage, goal line, I'm all for it."
Although Parker was the starter, he scored only four rushing touchdowns last regular season while putting the team in scoring position numerous times with 1,202 rushing yards.
"I feel like I ran the ball up and down the field," he said. "That glory would be great. The more touchdowns you get, the more attention you get."
Cowher said the search for Bettis' replacement will carry into the season.
"That's going to have to be something that plays itself out," he said.
Fifth-year running back Verron Haynes also will have more opportunities in third-down situations, Cowher said.
Playing strictly a backup role, Haynes has scored three career touchdowns in 53 career games.
Running back Duce Staley, who gained 25 yards in 12 carries during the first two preseason games, could be left without a role.
Asked if Haynes' and Staley's roles remain up for debate, Cowher said, "I don't know if debate is the right word. We're looking at them. Verron's had a very good camp. And I think Duce is working himself back into running shape.
"Verron has proven to be a very, very good third-down back," Cowher said. "And I think with Willie being the starter, and having those other two guys, you can never have enough good running backs the way we play the game."
Staley's agent, Derrick Harrison, said he wasn't aware of Internet reports that the Steelers were attempting to trade his client.
"The Steelers haven't made us aware that's the case," Harrison said.
Asked about the trade talk after practice, Staley said, "No comment, other than it's like I keep saying. I want to keep playing here."
Steelers spokesman Dave Lockett said reports that Staley is about to be traded were not accurate.
Rick Starr can be reached at [email protected] or (724) 226-4691
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/steelers/s_467451.html
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Roethlisberger feels good at camp's conclusion
By The Tribune-Review
Thursday, August 24, 2006
One final walk-through drill today, and Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger gets his wish.
"That's what I can't wait for, to get home and sleep in my own bed," Roethlisberger said Wednesday after the Steelers held their final full practice of training camp at St. Vincent College.
Roethlisberger said he tried to use camp to answer all the questions about his state of mind and body following his motorcycle accident.
"I feel good," he said. "I feel my body's a lot better than it's been. I feel a lot lighter and a lot more agile."
After a sluggish start, he said camp ended on a high note.
"I think we really picked it up and started to jell a lot on offense, and we really came a long way," he said.
Roethlisberger completed his first five passes during no-contact drills, and he didn't misfire until tight end Heath Miller tipped a pass and safety Troy Polamalu came down with it in the end zone to a loud cheer from the hillside.
Steelers coach Bill Cowher said Roethlisberger might play less than the other starters Friday during the preseason game against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field.
Would he like to play more?
"Coach's call," the quarterback said.
Roethlisberger is 6 of 8 with one touchdown and no interceptions in the first two preseason games.
"I've been able to go out there, and I've probably done a lot less than most people thought," he said. "But the coaches feel comfortable in the way I've played. I feel comfortable. I don't feel (coach Cowher) is holding me out of anything."
- By Rick Starr
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/steelers/s_467452.html
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Inside the ropes
By The Tribune-Review
Thursday, August 24, 2006
FAST PACE: The Steelers held practice with an obvious sense of urgency -- to get it over for another year, then get the SUV packed for a fast getaway today. Coach Bill Cowher held a light afternoon practice (shorts and helmets) that lasted slightly under two hours in overcast conditions. A crowd of about 2,000 cheered a half-dozen times for touchdown catches and interceptions, then hung around until after dinner to collect autographs from the Super Bowl champs. Many players took extra time in the dining hall to chow down on the annual lobster and steak dinner, which signals the end of camp.
AIR COWHER: After running through kickoff return and coverage drills, the quarterbacks put on a show for fans on the surrounding hillsides. Starter Ben Roethlisberger completed 10-of-12 pass attempts for three touchdowns, including a 45-yard bomb to Nate Washington that drew a loud cheer. Backup Charlie Batch completed his first eight passes before linebacker Joey Porter had enough and broke up a pass intended for 6-foot-6 tight end Charlie Davis, the fifth-round draft pick from Purdue. While the consistency dropped off when Omar Jacobs and Shane Boyd threw the ball, all the quarterbacks took advantage of the defense which was limited to running alongside receivers in the no-contact practice.
HARDER THEY FALL: Nose guard Casey Hampton found out it isn't always a good idea to take off your helmet at practice. Hampton dropped his helmet in the grass and knelt to watch a special teams drill while supporting himself on his helmet with one arm. After alerting several players, safety Troy Polamalu walked up behind Hampton, kicked out the helmet, and caught the 325-pound Hampton by the shoulder pads as he was tipping over. Even Hampton had to laugh.
- By Rick Starr
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/steelers/s_467471.html
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Ward, Townsend will sit out Friday's game
Colclough gets chance to test his mettle
Thursday, August 24, 2006
John Heller, Post-Gazette
Deshea Townsend retained his starting cornerback job this week then had his thumb broken.
By Ed Bouchette
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
One key to a successful training camp, which ends at Saint Vincent College for the Steelers this morning, is a shortage of injuries. That's what Bill Cowher said yesterday not long after he listed the Steelers' latest physical malady: Cornerback Deshea Townsend has a broken right thumb.
Tied in with the information that Super Bowl MVP Hines Ward will miss his third preseason game tomorrow in Philadelphia, it was not the best day at training camp for injury news
It was not all bad, though, because Cowher and others issued optimistic opinions that neither injury should keep either player out long. And as injuries go, the Steelers will escape training camp with every other starter intact and no major injuries to any of the players who have a chance at making their 53-man roster.
Townsend, who had successfully held off a challenge from two young cornerbacks to retain his job on the right side, will probably miss the final two preseason games. The hope is he can start Sept. 7 in the opener against Miami. His thumb was broken when he intercepted a pass in practice Tuesday. He said at the time that his hand, packed in ice, was "sore" before x-rays showed the break.
"It's a good thing because no surgery was needed," Townsend said. "There will be a cast on my hand playing. It's my thumb, so I'll still be able to wrap up and grab, that's the good part."
In his absence, second-year player Bryant McFadden and third-year man Ricardo Colclough will share the duties at right cornerback. Cowher said he has not decided which one will start the game tomorrow. Secondary coach Darren Perry revealed that those two are competing for the No. 3 cornerback job, which McFadden held last season.
"We've been trying to give them equal reps through the whole preseason," Perry said. "We're still trying to get that third corner, so they're competing at that spot."
If Colclough somehow wins it, he will have backed up the statement Cowher made about him in March.
"I think it's a big year for him," the coach said five months ago.
Colclough was drafted high in the second round in 2004 after the Steelers traded a fourth-round pick to move higher in order to get him. He has played on special teams and returned kickoffs in two seasons, but played little at cornerback.
Yesterday, he was running with the first-team defense in place of Townsend, which probably means he'll get the start tomorrow.
"It's good to run with the first team," Colclough said. "As far as starting this weekend, I don't know. We'll see."
The Steelers knew Colclough would take time to develop because he played at obscure Tusculum. Still, second-round picks are expected to make a contribution, not counting special teams, by their third NFL season.
"He's had as good a camp that he's had since he's been here," Cowher said. "I remember telling him after the first week -- and he'd played well -- I told him he'd done this in the past and then gone into little lulls. Could he sustain it? I'll say this, to this point, he has sustained it.
"I'm not ready to say he's there. We've played two games in the preseason. But I do like the manner with which he's playing. He seems a very focused player, he's been a very consistent player, day in and day out on that practice field. He's been able to take it over to the games. Can he sustain that? Time will tell. But I do like where he's at right now."
A broken thumb by a starting cornerback might have sent the secondary coach into panic mode a few seasons ago, but Perry merely dials up the next cornerback these days.
"We're very fortunate to have four solid cornerbacks who can step in and play," Perry said. "That makes it a little bit easier to adjust and deal with it. Certainly, you never want to lose anybody, but we have some good vets, so we don't have to push the panic button."
Townsend also wore a cast on a broken hand during the 2004 playoffs.
"I'm sure it's going to be a little tough [with a broken thumb] catching the ball and grabbing people and all the jamming you do and so forth," Perry said. "Unlike other positions, it's a little tougher to play out there on an island when you have an ankle or a hand or something like that because so much is quickness, grabbing people, moving and so forth. It's not as easy to tough it out because you can get exposed out there.
"We don't expect Deshea to be out too long. We expect him to come back and those guys to step up in the meantime."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Next
Game: Steelers at Philadelphia Eagles.
When: 8 p.m. tomorrow.
TV: ESPN, WTAE.
Radio: WDVE-FM (102.5), WBGG-AM (970).
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Ed Bouchette can be reached at [email protected] or 412-263-3878. )
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06236/715926-66.stm
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UpNorthBuckeye
Hall of Fame
I probably missed it... but can someone tell me what happened to Mike Kudla?? Is he still trying to make the team?? Last thing Isaw was a couple weeks ago, he was going to sit out practice for a hamstring problem. I don't see him on the roster or anything.
If he is going to be relegated to the practice squad, I would rather see him get a chance to make a roster somewhere. I know he's a "tweener" due to his size but..... everytime I watch the Fiesta Bowl vs. ND I am knocked out by how good he was.
I hope he is getting a chance somewhere....
If he is going to be relegated to the practice squad, I would rather see him get a chance to make a roster somewhere. I know he's a "tweener" due to his size but..... everytime I watch the Fiesta Bowl vs. ND I am knocked out by how good he was.
I hope he is getting a chance somewhere....
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