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OSUsushichic
Fired up! Ready to go!
I'm sad to hear that Kudla was cut. Here's hoping he can land a spot on someone's roster.
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AJHawkfan
Wanna make $14 the hard way?
From Profootballtalk.com, so take with a grain of salt. Some good observations and interesting points here though.
http://www.profootballtalk.com/rumormill.htm
POSTED 12:22 a.m. EDT, August 16, 2006
PFT TEN-PACK: STEELERS CAMP
It was a wild day in Latrobe on Monday, and (as always) we've emerged from the experience with 10 of our trademark takes on what we saw and heard during our time in Steelers camp.
It's never nine or eight or 11. But always ten. What a strange coincidence. . . .
1. Up Close and Personal.
The most intriguing aspect of Steelers practice is the proximity of the press to the players. As seen in some of the photos snapped with the official PFT Sprint phone (scroll down for more), we were close enough to smell stuff that, well, we would have rather not smelled.
The media is stationed in a strip of grass between the team's two primary practice fields, through which the players repeatedly migrate, at varying speeds. It was a huge difference from Ravens camp, where the media stands along a sideline that abuts the fan viewing area -- and results in the members of the media blocking the view of the folks who buy the tickets and the jerseys. At Latrobe, the media is as close as the media can get to the action.
2. "Hello, Santurdio."
At one point on Monday, the Poobah got a little too close to the action. Early in the practice session, the receivers were running different patterns, one man at a time. They would move methodically through each pattern, one after another, and then they all would switch to a different route.
When it was time for the out patterns, the guys were catching the ball, heading out of bounds . . .
And coming right for me.
In fact, yours truly nearly got flattened by the guy whom we lovingly call Santurdio.
Seriously. Holmes was coming right at me, stumbled a little, and brushed by my shirt. If he'd known who I was and what we've said about him, he could have knocked me out cold and it would have looked like an accident.
3. Tough Decisions at Receiver.
When the time comes for the Steelers to trim the roster, some of the toughest cuts might come at the wideout position. Hines Ward, Cedrick Wilson, Santurdio, and Willie Reid are locks. After that, it's a toss-up. Nate Washington is having a solid camp, and Walter Young is the biggest target by far (unfortunately, he at times moves like it, too). Veterans Quincy Morgan and Lee Mays could be in trouble when Turk time comes along.
4. Omar Could Be Going Homar.
Last year, Omar Jacobs was a dark horse Heisman candidate at Bowling Green. In April of this year, he was a fifth-round draft pick.
Now, he's in danger of getting cut.
Shane Boyd got more reps than Jacobs in the first preseason game, and word is that he's having trouble picking up the offense. Though some in the organization view Jacobs as a better long-term prospect, the thinking is that Coach Chin prefers Boyd. Since there's a chance that Cowher won't be around to reap the benefits of Omar's upside, Jacobs could be finished in the 'Burgh before he even gets started.
And if you think that the Steelers won't dump a fifth-round pick, run that one by Fred Gibson, a fourth-round receiver who was sent packing last season.
5. "Hey, It's LenDale."
We got an eyeful of running back Duce Staley before he put on his shoulder pads prior to practice. And one thing was clear to us.
Duce likes pie.
Seriously, he's a big boy. And not in a good way. We wouldn't be surprised to see him lose his roster spot to rookie Cedric Humes.
Alternatively, we'd be on the phone with the Jets right now to swing a deal. If, after all, Staley stands close enough to well-apportioned coach Eric Mangini, they might not notice the size of Duce's caboose.
Another benefit to moving Staley would be that it bumps Verron Haynes up a notch on the depth chart. We're hearing that Haynes is getting frustrated with his status. The only problem is that there's no way the team can justify running Staley at No. 3, given his $1.5 million salary for 2006. Thus, if Haynes goes up, Duce goes out.
Our guess? Staley won't be with the Steelers on September 10.
6. We Are The Champions.
Though we'd never been to a Steelers practice, we got the impression that the team is very loose but at the same time very confident in their approach to the 2006 season. Where the Ravens training camp practice we attended on July 29 seemed to be very structured and regimented, the Steelers practice was more chaotic than controlled. The players got to where they were supposed to go and knew what they were supposed to do, but there was plenty of standing around, knees on the ground, and butts on helmets.
It could be that the rosters are too big, or that the burgeoning offseason workout programs are making it less important to squeeze the maximum out of every preseason practice session. Still, to the extent that NFL training camps have a reputation for presenting extreme physical challenges, we just didn't see it in Latrobe.
Will it be a problem? Who knows. One league source has told us that there was a sense of complacency during the team's performance in the first preseason game at Arizona. But there's still plenty of time to snap out of it.
7. Harrison Is Ready To Start.
Though it's possible that third-year linebacker James Harrison will get a chance to play if/when one of the starting linebackers gets hurt, we're thinking after getting a look at the team that it's time for Harrison to be a starting linebacker.
Of course, for Harrison to get there one of the current starters would have to be knocked to the bench . . . or to the curb.
It might not happen this year, but it's coming. Harrison is too good, and is getting better. Plus, the incumbents are getting older every year -- James Farrior is in his tenth season, Joey Porter is in high eighth, and Clark Haggans is in his seventh.
8. Garocki Could Be In Trouble.
We heard some talk at camp -- and we later confirmed -- that veteran punter Chris Gardocki could be in danger of losing his job. Though the only other competition in camp is Mike Barr, don't rule out the Steelers hitting the waiver wire for a punter if they're not happy with Gardocki's play.
Gardocki entered the NFL way back in 1991, and he has punted for the Bears, Colts, and Browns. He was added to the Steelers roster in 2004, enabling the team to part ways with veteran Josh Miller.
9. Ben Looks Fine. (More Than Fine, Actually.)
The star of Steelers training camp, without question, is quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. And he clearly is the leader of the offense, especially with Hines Ward nursing a hamstring injury that put him out of practice early in individual drills.
The motorcycle injury is a distant memory. Hell, it's like the thing never even happened. (Contrast that with Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer, who genuinely seems to be messed up in the head regarding the possibility that he'll re-injure himself on the field.)
One thing that impressed us was that Roethlisberger rounded up the wideouts and the quarterbacks after practice and ran through some quarter-speed, four-receiver sets for roughly 15 minutes. There was a lot of short passing and timing patterns, reminding us of the quick-release attack that the Patriots have perfected over the past few years.
After practice, members of the "real" media (and, you know, us) waited for Ben to come over and chat, but he specifically avoided the press, hopping into an oversized golf cart after signing a few autographs, and disappearing.
10. Learning On The Job.
The highlight of the day in Latrobe was hanging around with Peter King of Sports Illustrated. The guy is a machine -- he worked the NBC game on Sunday night, polished off his MMQB column in the wee hours from the Queen City, flew to Pittsburgh early Monday morning, and then drove to Latrobe.
Meanwhile, he was wrapping up a story for the magazine regarding new NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell on a Monday afternoon deadline, hobnobbing with Dan Rooney and Art Rooney, snagging an impromptu one-on-one with Coach Chin after he peeled off of his short session with the media, talking with any assistant coach who crossed his path, and getting ready for a Monday night trek to Seattle.
And we were humbled by the fact that, with all of the stuff that he was doing, Peter spent plenty of time talking to yours truly about football, and about the business. I picked up more from watching him and talking to him than I've learned during six years doing this, and hopefully the PFT readers will be the eventual beneficiaries of our on-the-job training session.
http://www.profootballtalk.com/rumormill.htm
POSTED 12:22 a.m. EDT, August 16, 2006
PFT TEN-PACK: STEELERS CAMP
It was a wild day in Latrobe on Monday, and (as always) we've emerged from the experience with 10 of our trademark takes on what we saw and heard during our time in Steelers camp.
It's never nine or eight or 11. But always ten. What a strange coincidence. . . .
1. Up Close and Personal.
The most intriguing aspect of Steelers practice is the proximity of the press to the players. As seen in some of the photos snapped with the official PFT Sprint phone (scroll down for more), we were close enough to smell stuff that, well, we would have rather not smelled.
The media is stationed in a strip of grass between the team's two primary practice fields, through which the players repeatedly migrate, at varying speeds. It was a huge difference from Ravens camp, where the media stands along a sideline that abuts the fan viewing area -- and results in the members of the media blocking the view of the folks who buy the tickets and the jerseys. At Latrobe, the media is as close as the media can get to the action.
2. "Hello, Santurdio."
At one point on Monday, the Poobah got a little too close to the action. Early in the practice session, the receivers were running different patterns, one man at a time. They would move methodically through each pattern, one after another, and then they all would switch to a different route.
When it was time for the out patterns, the guys were catching the ball, heading out of bounds . . .
And coming right for me.
In fact, yours truly nearly got flattened by the guy whom we lovingly call Santurdio.
Seriously. Holmes was coming right at me, stumbled a little, and brushed by my shirt. If he'd known who I was and what we've said about him, he could have knocked me out cold and it would have looked like an accident.
3. Tough Decisions at Receiver.
When the time comes for the Steelers to trim the roster, some of the toughest cuts might come at the wideout position. Hines Ward, Cedrick Wilson, Santurdio, and Willie Reid are locks. After that, it's a toss-up. Nate Washington is having a solid camp, and Walter Young is the biggest target by far (unfortunately, he at times moves like it, too). Veterans Quincy Morgan and Lee Mays could be in trouble when Turk time comes along.
4. Omar Could Be Going Homar.
Last year, Omar Jacobs was a dark horse Heisman candidate at Bowling Green. In April of this year, he was a fifth-round draft pick.
Now, he's in danger of getting cut.
Shane Boyd got more reps than Jacobs in the first preseason game, and word is that he's having trouble picking up the offense. Though some in the organization view Jacobs as a better long-term prospect, the thinking is that Coach Chin prefers Boyd. Since there's a chance that Cowher won't be around to reap the benefits of Omar's upside, Jacobs could be finished in the 'Burgh before he even gets started.
And if you think that the Steelers won't dump a fifth-round pick, run that one by Fred Gibson, a fourth-round receiver who was sent packing last season.
5. "Hey, It's LenDale."
We got an eyeful of running back Duce Staley before he put on his shoulder pads prior to practice. And one thing was clear to us.
Duce likes pie.
Seriously, he's a big boy. And not in a good way. We wouldn't be surprised to see him lose his roster spot to rookie Cedric Humes.
Alternatively, we'd be on the phone with the Jets right now to swing a deal. If, after all, Staley stands close enough to well-apportioned coach Eric Mangini, they might not notice the size of Duce's caboose.
Another benefit to moving Staley would be that it bumps Verron Haynes up a notch on the depth chart. We're hearing that Haynes is getting frustrated with his status. The only problem is that there's no way the team can justify running Staley at No. 3, given his $1.5 million salary for 2006. Thus, if Haynes goes up, Duce goes out.
Our guess? Staley won't be with the Steelers on September 10.
6. We Are The Champions.
Though we'd never been to a Steelers practice, we got the impression that the team is very loose but at the same time very confident in their approach to the 2006 season. Where the Ravens training camp practice we attended on July 29 seemed to be very structured and regimented, the Steelers practice was more chaotic than controlled. The players got to where they were supposed to go and knew what they were supposed to do, but there was plenty of standing around, knees on the ground, and butts on helmets.
It could be that the rosters are too big, or that the burgeoning offseason workout programs are making it less important to squeeze the maximum out of every preseason practice session. Still, to the extent that NFL training camps have a reputation for presenting extreme physical challenges, we just didn't see it in Latrobe.
Will it be a problem? Who knows. One league source has told us that there was a sense of complacency during the team's performance in the first preseason game at Arizona. But there's still plenty of time to snap out of it.
7. Harrison Is Ready To Start.
Though it's possible that third-year linebacker James Harrison will get a chance to play if/when one of the starting linebackers gets hurt, we're thinking after getting a look at the team that it's time for Harrison to be a starting linebacker.
Of course, for Harrison to get there one of the current starters would have to be knocked to the bench . . . or to the curb.
It might not happen this year, but it's coming. Harrison is too good, and is getting better. Plus, the incumbents are getting older every year -- James Farrior is in his tenth season, Joey Porter is in high eighth, and Clark Haggans is in his seventh.
8. Garocki Could Be In Trouble.
We heard some talk at camp -- and we later confirmed -- that veteran punter Chris Gardocki could be in danger of losing his job. Though the only other competition in camp is Mike Barr, don't rule out the Steelers hitting the waiver wire for a punter if they're not happy with Gardocki's play.
Gardocki entered the NFL way back in 1991, and he has punted for the Bears, Colts, and Browns. He was added to the Steelers roster in 2004, enabling the team to part ways with veteran Josh Miller.
9. Ben Looks Fine. (More Than Fine, Actually.)
The star of Steelers training camp, without question, is quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. And he clearly is the leader of the offense, especially with Hines Ward nursing a hamstring injury that put him out of practice early in individual drills.
The motorcycle injury is a distant memory. Hell, it's like the thing never even happened. (Contrast that with Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer, who genuinely seems to be messed up in the head regarding the possibility that he'll re-injure himself on the field.)
One thing that impressed us was that Roethlisberger rounded up the wideouts and the quarterbacks after practice and ran through some quarter-speed, four-receiver sets for roughly 15 minutes. There was a lot of short passing and timing patterns, reminding us of the quick-release attack that the Patriots have perfected over the past few years.
After practice, members of the "real" media (and, you know, us) waited for Ben to come over and chat, but he specifically avoided the press, hopping into an oversized golf cart after signing a few autographs, and disappearing.
10. Learning On The Job.
The highlight of the day in Latrobe was hanging around with Peter King of Sports Illustrated. The guy is a machine -- he worked the NBC game on Sunday night, polished off his MMQB column in the wee hours from the Queen City, flew to Pittsburgh early Monday morning, and then drove to Latrobe.
Meanwhile, he was wrapping up a story for the magazine regarding new NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell on a Monday afternoon deadline, hobnobbing with Dan Rooney and Art Rooney, snagging an impromptu one-on-one with Coach Chin after he peeled off of his short session with the media, talking with any assistant coach who crossed his path, and getting ready for a Monday night trek to Seattle.
And we were humbled by the fact that, with all of the stuff that he was doing, Peter spent plenty of time talking to yours truly about football, and about the business. I picked up more from watching him and talking to him than I've learned during six years doing this, and hopefully the PFT readers will be the eventual beneficiaries of our on-the-job training session.
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AJHawkfan
Wanna make $14 the hard way?
Dan Kreider relishes his unsung role as a standout blocker
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06229/714195-66.stm
Thursday, August 17, 2006
By Ed Bouchette, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
There's not a team in the NFL that runs more than the Steelers; not in each of the past two seasons and none in total since coach Bill Cowher took over in 1992. This occurred, even though they manacle one of their backs.
You will find no rule that the Steelers' fullback cannot run with the ball, nor one that prohibits him from catching it. It's more a team policy, or coaching philosophy: You can't throw to the offensive guard and you won't throw it to the fullback, who also will not run with the ball.
The fullback in the Steelers' old offense, back when they won their first four Super Bowls, was Franco Harris, their most prolific runner and the player with the biggest reception in NFL history, nicknamed Immaculate.
The fullback in the Steelers' new offense, the one they used to win their fifth Super Bowl, is Dan Kreider. He carried three times last season. He caught seven passes, none immaculate.
It seems a paradox for the NFL's most productive ground game to have as its one constant in the backfield a runner who does not run. Since his rookie season in 2000, Kreider has lined up next to four starting halfbacks: Jerome Bettis, Amos Zereoue, Duce Staley and Willie Parker. He stood behind four starting quarterbacks: Kordell Stewart, Kent Graham, Tommy Maddox and Ben Roethlisberger, not counting the occasional start by Charlie Batch.
During that time, Kreider never had more than seven rushing attempts in one season. He caught 18 passes when he was overused in 2002, but his next-busiest season was 2004 when he caught 10. His most exhausting game as a runner happened Sept. 21, 2003 when he carried three times in Cincinnati for 13 yards. Add two receptions in that game for 7 yards, and it is the most he has touched the ball in one game, five times.
Yet not only does Kreider, 29, not complain, he relishes his role. And what is that? He blocks, mostly as the lead man for the halfback. He does it so well that few notice, including those who vote for fullbacks for the Pro Bowl. Like blocking tight ends, it's not the kind of thing that lands you on the cover of Sports Illustrated. But it helped deliver the Steelers a Super Bowl victory and plenty of yards rushing.
The Steelers consider Kreider, who stands 5 feet 11 and weighs 255 pounds, to be the best blocking fullback in the NFL, and that's good enough for him and them.
"I've always played this game to win," Kreider said. "I've always known my role on this team, and that is to be a lead blocker. Anytime you can concentrate on one thing, you can excel at it. I feel like if I can concentrate on blocking and be the lead blocker and we can run the ball successfully, I feel like that's a success for me. I don't worry about all those extras."
It has long been a joke that a Kreider carry is considered a gadget play, and now it's official. Kreider is one option on a slant play the Steelers list in a special section of their playbook.
"It's down on the trick plays as like Slant 14," Kreider said, laughing.
Yet to show how well he performs as a blocker, Kreider is the only undrafted player to win the team's rookie of the year award in the 22 times it has been presented, and he had only two carries that year. He began that season, 2000, on the Steelers' practice squad and got his chance because starter Jon Witman was in the throes of an occupational hazard for fullbacks, back problems.
Kreider has not experienced those difficulties nor the other common fullback troubles with the neck and/or shoulders. It's what often happens when your job requires you to constantly run 3 to 5 yards and slam your body into another large mass.
"Once you do it, you have a better appreciation for what he does," said tight end Heath Miller, who gave Kreider a Bo Derek-10 for his blocking ability. "It's a lot different when the guy you're blocking is 5 yards off the ball and has a run and go."
That craft displayed by Kreider, who grew up in Lancaster County Amish country, has become the horse and buggy of college football. NFL scouts have more trouble finding good blocking fullbacks because they're disappearing from the college game.
"Colleges are going more to the spread offense," said Kevin Colbert, the Steelers' director of football operations. "It's just the way college football is now. There are more multiple-receiver formations, so really the tight end and the fullback positions are becoming extinct."
That could prompt eventual extinction in the pro game, too, because of a lack of supply. But there might be a team or two such as the Steelers who will insist on picking through the thin talent for that one person they feel can handle the job, which comes with these bottom-line instructions from Kreider:
"It's a challenging position. You just have to go in there hard and hope for the best."
(Ed Bouchette can be reached at [email protected] or 412-263-3878. )
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06229/714195-66.stm
Thursday, August 17, 2006
By Ed Bouchette, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
There's not a team in the NFL that runs more than the Steelers; not in each of the past two seasons and none in total since coach Bill Cowher took over in 1992. This occurred, even though they manacle one of their backs.
You will find no rule that the Steelers' fullback cannot run with the ball, nor one that prohibits him from catching it. It's more a team policy, or coaching philosophy: You can't throw to the offensive guard and you won't throw it to the fullback, who also will not run with the ball.
The fullback in the Steelers' old offense, back when they won their first four Super Bowls, was Franco Harris, their most prolific runner and the player with the biggest reception in NFL history, nicknamed Immaculate.
The fullback in the Steelers' new offense, the one they used to win their fifth Super Bowl, is Dan Kreider. He carried three times last season. He caught seven passes, none immaculate.
It seems a paradox for the NFL's most productive ground game to have as its one constant in the backfield a runner who does not run. Since his rookie season in 2000, Kreider has lined up next to four starting halfbacks: Jerome Bettis, Amos Zereoue, Duce Staley and Willie Parker. He stood behind four starting quarterbacks: Kordell Stewart, Kent Graham, Tommy Maddox and Ben Roethlisberger, not counting the occasional start by Charlie Batch.
During that time, Kreider never had more than seven rushing attempts in one season. He caught 18 passes when he was overused in 2002, but his next-busiest season was 2004 when he caught 10. His most exhausting game as a runner happened Sept. 21, 2003 when he carried three times in Cincinnati for 13 yards. Add two receptions in that game for 7 yards, and it is the most he has touched the ball in one game, five times.
Yet not only does Kreider, 29, not complain, he relishes his role. And what is that? He blocks, mostly as the lead man for the halfback. He does it so well that few notice, including those who vote for fullbacks for the Pro Bowl. Like blocking tight ends, it's not the kind of thing that lands you on the cover of Sports Illustrated. But it helped deliver the Steelers a Super Bowl victory and plenty of yards rushing.
The Steelers consider Kreider, who stands 5 feet 11 and weighs 255 pounds, to be the best blocking fullback in the NFL, and that's good enough for him and them.
"I've always played this game to win," Kreider said. "I've always known my role on this team, and that is to be a lead blocker. Anytime you can concentrate on one thing, you can excel at it. I feel like if I can concentrate on blocking and be the lead blocker and we can run the ball successfully, I feel like that's a success for me. I don't worry about all those extras."
It has long been a joke that a Kreider carry is considered a gadget play, and now it's official. Kreider is one option on a slant play the Steelers list in a special section of their playbook.
"It's down on the trick plays as like Slant 14," Kreider said, laughing.
Yet to show how well he performs as a blocker, Kreider is the only undrafted player to win the team's rookie of the year award in the 22 times it has been presented, and he had only two carries that year. He began that season, 2000, on the Steelers' practice squad and got his chance because starter Jon Witman was in the throes of an occupational hazard for fullbacks, back problems.
Kreider has not experienced those difficulties nor the other common fullback troubles with the neck and/or shoulders. It's what often happens when your job requires you to constantly run 3 to 5 yards and slam your body into another large mass.
"Once you do it, you have a better appreciation for what he does," said tight end Heath Miller, who gave Kreider a Bo Derek-10 for his blocking ability. "It's a lot different when the guy you're blocking is 5 yards off the ball and has a run and go."
That craft displayed by Kreider, who grew up in Lancaster County Amish country, has become the horse and buggy of college football. NFL scouts have more trouble finding good blocking fullbacks because they're disappearing from the college game.
"Colleges are going more to the spread offense," said Kevin Colbert, the Steelers' director of football operations. "It's just the way college football is now. There are more multiple-receiver formations, so really the tight end and the fullback positions are becoming extinct."
That could prompt eventual extinction in the pro game, too, because of a lack of supply. But there might be a team or two such as the Steelers who will insist on picking through the thin talent for that one person they feel can handle the job, which comes with these bottom-line instructions from Kreider:
"It's a challenging position. You just have to go in there hard and hope for the best."
(Ed Bouchette can be reached at [email protected] or 412-263-3878. )
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AJHawkfan
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Steelers Notebook: Big Ben injures thumb in practice
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06229/714194-66.stm
Thursday, August 17, 2006
By Ed Bouchette, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Ben Roethlisberger's first hit came Saturday in Arizona. His first injury came yesterday in practice.
No defender was to blame, and the injury to his hand or thumb did not appear to be serious. The quarterback hit another player on his follow-through after throwing a pass near the end of afternoon practice.
"I think he hit his thumb on the next-to-last play on a shoulder pad," coach Bill Cowher said. "We'll look at that, assess it and I'll probably have more information tomorrow."
Roethlisberger shook his right hand after he hit it. The incident is a normal one involving quarterbacks in practice, although on rare occasions they come away with a broken bone in their hand.
Okobi feels good, confident
Dr. Joseph Maroon removed the pain in Chukky Okobi's neck, and the center promised yesterday that no one will move him aside as the backup and heir apparent to Jeff Hartings while he recuperates.
Okobi will find out soon when he can resume working out and how much time he might miss, but he has spent the past two days on the sideline at training camp itching to get back.
Maroon last week removed a piece of herniated disk that had lodged against a nerve in Okobi's neck. Before the surgery, Cowher speculated Okobi's season and/or career was threatened. Today, Okobi does not believe his job is threatened, even though rookie center Marvin Philip, by most accounts, has done well.
"I'll put it like this," Okobi said. "This is year six for me. The scouting department, the coaches, they've had a lot more time to evaluate me. I would think they have a pretty high opinion of me as a player.
"Marvin's a good player. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been drafted if he wasn't. But I wouldn't anticipate in a matter of weeks he could erase everything I've done over the last five, six years."
Okobi will visit the doctor Monday, when he hopes to have a timetable for his recovery and when he can resume working out.
"Hopefully, it will be sooner than you think," Okobi said.
He does not know when the disk herniated or when it became lodged against the nerve.
"It was bothering me pretty much every day I practiced out here. When I went to bed at night, I'd have problems. I just couldn't get comfortable."
Simmons dabbles with center
With Okobi out indefinitely, starting guard Kendall Simmons continues to take a few snaps at center each practice as offensive line coach Russ Grimm, who played the position at Pitt before he became a famous Washington Redskins Hogs guard, watches.
Simmons is doing so in case of an emergency, but Simmons could see himself playing the position some day, even though it is a position he never has played at any level.
"Right now, I'm just picking Jeff's brain and just asking Russ a lot of questions and trying to learn as much as possible because you never know what might happen. I hope Jeff plays as long as he can because it makes our jobs a lot easier around here when you have a guy who knows the offense inside and out."
Calling out the line blocking, the center's job, would be the most difficult transition, Simmons said.
"You can't be lax in there. You have to be the general of the line."
Learning the snap, he said, has been a snap, and he's confident if something happens to Hartings before Okobi returns, he could handle the center's job capably.
"If it happens, it happens. I know we can keep it going if it does."
Injury update
Wide receiver Sean Morey joined the list of injured. He wore a soft cast on his left wrist, injured Tuesday while blocking.
"He may be out here tomorrow, he may play Saturday," Cowher said. "Right now, we don't think there's anything serious."
Wide receiver Hines Ward and tight end Jerame Tuman missed both practices with hamstring injuries. Running back Duce Staley was given the day off. Wide receiver Isaac West (knee) missed both practices, as did linebacker Clint Kriewaldt (unspecified).
Cowher received a big cheer after practice because he extended curfew by two hours on a night in which there were no meetings.
Cowher likes status quo
The annual call for a shortened preseason has been sounded in some corners again this month. Cowher believes in the status quo.
"I'm a big, big proponent of four games," he said of the preseason schedule. "I think you can control your own football teams in terms of starters and how much they need to play. But you need four games to let young players, No. 1, get acclimated to the speed of the game, because they're going to have to play sooner. Also, you have backups who have to step in when [injured players] go down. I think if you shorten the preseason, I think the quality of play you'll find in the course of 16 weeks will not be as good because your backups will not be prepared to play.
"If you shorten the preseason, most of that time you're going to get your regulars ready to play. ... You're going to have injuries, that's part of the game of football. But, at the same time, I'd rather have an injury happen in the preseason, so I can get younger players a chance to play and not at the expense of maybe losing a game."
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06229/714194-66.stm
Thursday, August 17, 2006
By Ed Bouchette, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Ben Roethlisberger's first hit came Saturday in Arizona. His first injury came yesterday in practice.
No defender was to blame, and the injury to his hand or thumb did not appear to be serious. The quarterback hit another player on his follow-through after throwing a pass near the end of afternoon practice.
"I think he hit his thumb on the next-to-last play on a shoulder pad," coach Bill Cowher said. "We'll look at that, assess it and I'll probably have more information tomorrow."
Roethlisberger shook his right hand after he hit it. The incident is a normal one involving quarterbacks in practice, although on rare occasions they come away with a broken bone in their hand.
Okobi feels good, confident
Dr. Joseph Maroon removed the pain in Chukky Okobi's neck, and the center promised yesterday that no one will move him aside as the backup and heir apparent to Jeff Hartings while he recuperates.
Okobi will find out soon when he can resume working out and how much time he might miss, but he has spent the past two days on the sideline at training camp itching to get back.
Maroon last week removed a piece of herniated disk that had lodged against a nerve in Okobi's neck. Before the surgery, Cowher speculated Okobi's season and/or career was threatened. Today, Okobi does not believe his job is threatened, even though rookie center Marvin Philip, by most accounts, has done well.
"I'll put it like this," Okobi said. "This is year six for me. The scouting department, the coaches, they've had a lot more time to evaluate me. I would think they have a pretty high opinion of me as a player.
"Marvin's a good player. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been drafted if he wasn't. But I wouldn't anticipate in a matter of weeks he could erase everything I've done over the last five, six years."
Okobi will visit the doctor Monday, when he hopes to have a timetable for his recovery and when he can resume working out.
"Hopefully, it will be sooner than you think," Okobi said.
He does not know when the disk herniated or when it became lodged against the nerve.
"It was bothering me pretty much every day I practiced out here. When I went to bed at night, I'd have problems. I just couldn't get comfortable."
Simmons dabbles with center
With Okobi out indefinitely, starting guard Kendall Simmons continues to take a few snaps at center each practice as offensive line coach Russ Grimm, who played the position at Pitt before he became a famous Washington Redskins Hogs guard, watches.
Simmons is doing so in case of an emergency, but Simmons could see himself playing the position some day, even though it is a position he never has played at any level.
"Right now, I'm just picking Jeff's brain and just asking Russ a lot of questions and trying to learn as much as possible because you never know what might happen. I hope Jeff plays as long as he can because it makes our jobs a lot easier around here when you have a guy who knows the offense inside and out."
Calling out the line blocking, the center's job, would be the most difficult transition, Simmons said.
"You can't be lax in there. You have to be the general of the line."
Learning the snap, he said, has been a snap, and he's confident if something happens to Hartings before Okobi returns, he could handle the center's job capably.
"If it happens, it happens. I know we can keep it going if it does."
Injury update
Wide receiver Sean Morey joined the list of injured. He wore a soft cast on his left wrist, injured Tuesday while blocking.
"He may be out here tomorrow, he may play Saturday," Cowher said. "Right now, we don't think there's anything serious."
Wide receiver Hines Ward and tight end Jerame Tuman missed both practices with hamstring injuries. Running back Duce Staley was given the day off. Wide receiver Isaac West (knee) missed both practices, as did linebacker Clint Kriewaldt (unspecified).
Cowher received a big cheer after practice because he extended curfew by two hours on a night in which there were no meetings.
Cowher likes status quo
The annual call for a shortened preseason has been sounded in some corners again this month. Cowher believes in the status quo.
"I'm a big, big proponent of four games," he said of the preseason schedule. "I think you can control your own football teams in terms of starters and how much they need to play. But you need four games to let young players, No. 1, get acclimated to the speed of the game, because they're going to have to play sooner. Also, you have backups who have to step in when [injured players] go down. I think if you shorten the preseason, I think the quality of play you'll find in the course of 16 weeks will not be as good because your backups will not be prepared to play.
"If you shorten the preseason, most of that time you're going to get your regulars ready to play. ... You're going to have injuries, that's part of the game of football. But, at the same time, I'd rather have an injury happen in the preseason, so I can get younger players a chance to play and not at the expense of maybe losing a game."
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Personally I'm shocked Joey Porter was the one to respond.
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/steelers/s_466409.html
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/steelers/s_466409.html
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Staley gets crack at short-yardage job
Staley
Chaz Palla/TRIBUNE-REVIEW file photo
By Rick Starr
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Friday, August 18, 2006
While it will be just another preseason warmup for most Steelers veterans, Saturday's game against the Minnesota Vikings at Heinz Field could change running back Duce Staley's future.
Starter Willie Parker will open the show at running back, but Staley also will play behind the first offensive line, Steelers coach Bill Cowher said.
Cowher said he wants a clearer picture of where the 31-year-old, 242-pound Staley fits into a running attack in need of a short-yardage replacement for Jerome Bettis.
"We've got to give him a chance to run behind the good offensive line, just to get a sense of where he's at," Cowher said Thursday at training camp at St. Vincent College.
"Willie is going to play a short period of time. I want to get Duce in there with that first (offensive line) group," the coach said.
Staley said after practice that he won't attach any sense of urgency to the game.
"I don't know about that," Staley said when asked if this was a chance to take over Bettis' role. "I'm just going out and trying to get better each game. That's what I'm trying to do in this game against the Vikings."
Staley was deactivated 11 times last season and did not play during the playoffs while recovering from knee surgery. He was inactive for six games in 2004 due to a hamstring injury.
Staley showed a burst of speed while taking the first two handoffs with the first team during yesterday's practice.
"I'm just polishing my game," he said. "For me, it's almost like starting over.
"You never know about injuries going into the season. You just have to have faith in yourself and faith in God, and I definitely have both."
Staley, who had three 1,000-yard rushing seasons for the Philadelphia Eagles, has scored only two touchdowns since arriving as the Steelers' top free-agent acquisition prior to the 2004 season.
Cowher gave Staley a day off from practice Wednesday to rest and get his leg strength back.
"All you can do is prepare as much as possible, and, hopefully, I'll have a good game," Staley said.
The Steelers don't have a long list of options if Staley can't fill their needs.
Fifth-year veteran Verron Haynes, who re-signed during the offseason, has been productive as a third-down back and on special teams. He rushed for a 3.7-yard average and scored his first three NFL touchdowns on 74 carries last season.
"Verron Haynes has had an excellent camp, but now we'll give Duce a chance to run behind that first line," Cowher said. "So there's a good chance we'll probably see him first (before Haynes in the lineup)."
Seventh-round draft pick Cedric Humes, a 233-pound weightlifter out of Virginia Tech, is still learning the system. He fumbled in a goal-line situation in Saturday's preseason opener. Cowher said Humes will get the chance to earn a roster spot in the second half of the final three preseason games.
"It's definitely open. There isn't anything secure yet," Humes said. "They need someone to step up and make plays, make catches and make blocks.
"We still help each other out, but there's always going to be that competition between us."
Steelers running backs coach Dick Hoak said he's been impressed by free-agent John Kuhn, a 255-pound fullback who finished his Shippensburg (Pa.) career as the Division II all-time leading rusher.
Although Kuhn said he's more concerned with improving his blocking, he ran twice for 15 yards in the preseason opener, including an 11-yard burst up the middle.
Rick Starr can be reached at [email protected] or (724) 226-4691.
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/steelers/s_466630.html
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