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Thursday, June 13
Should Steelers fans be worried about Jerome Bettis' health and weight? If you listen to the alarmists, you'd have to believe at this point of the
offseason that "The Bus" has turned into a double-wide, given the reports of
his girth. But team officials don't seem nearly as concerned as do some
media members, and point out that Bettis is probably in no
worse shape now than he is during most springs. That said, there is little
doubt that the groin injury Bettis suffered in 2001 was far worse than
Pittsburgh officials ever revealed, as born out in the AFC championship
game.
And there is this reality as well: Bettis is 30 years old now, and all
the work he characteristically does in June and early July with his personal
trainer to prepare for the beginning of training camp becomes exceedingly
more difficult as one gets older. Players in the NFL usually go downhill
gradually but running backs, who have the lowest career expectancy in the
league, can wane from one day to the next. So, sure, there is legitimate
reason to be at least a little concerned about Bettis. And that concern is
exacerbated by the fact that his backup, Amos Zereoue, probably will be
sidelined until training camp because of physical problems.
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There's a good and bad to the Pittsburgh Steelers' offseason. Unlike years past when they helplessly watched their marquee free agents leave because of financial constraints, the Steelers have been able to re-sign most of their top players this offseason because of the revenue generated by Heinz Field. The negative this spring has been reflecting on a loss opportunity. Fans, along with some people in the organization, are still bumming over a Super Bowl berth they thought was secured when they earned the right to host their fourth AFC title game in eight seasons. But given their offseason moves, the Steelers could easily get the same opportunity next January.
The Steelers have signed just one new player (James Farrior) who is expected to step in as a starter, but they have arguably had the most impressive offseason. At practically every unit, Pittsburgh has re-signed a key member of squad that went 13-3 and won the AFC Central last season.
No disrespect to quarterback Kordell Stewart or running back Jerome Bettis, but everything starts with defensive for Pittsburgh. The Steelers just signed defensive end Kimo von Oelhoffen to a contract extension and will continue to play him up front with Casey Hampton and Aaron Smith in their 3-4 scheme.
Among the other beneficiaries of new contracts were linebackers Jason Gildon and Joey Porter as well as reserve John Fiala. The Steelers opted not to re-sign veteran Earl Holmes and released Mike Jones, but the addition of Farrior and presence of Kendrell Bell make their linebacking corps a stocked unit.
And as is the case up front and with the linebackers, Pittsburgh is set with its secondary. Cornerbacks Dewayne Washington and Chad Scott, re-signed during last year's offseason, will be backed up by Deshea Townsend, who received a new deal this spring. Lethon Flowers and Brent Alexander are set at the safety position.
Like last summer when the Steelers realized the Kent Graham experiment wasn't going to work, Stewart won't be looking over his shoulders following every questionable move. If there's a concern for Stewart, it's a matter of who'll be taking handoffs. Bettis had a Pro Bowl season despite playing just 11 games because of a groin injury. He's stated that he'll be ready to go once training camp rolls around, but his weight gain this offseason has generated a stir. Backup Amos Zereoue, another member of the recently re-signed club, is also a question mark because of a liver ailment. However, the Steelers still have Chris Fuamatu-Ma'afala, who carried the load in Bettis' absence last year. Regardless of who's healthy and gets the carries, they should get some running room following the re-signing of fullback Dan Kreider.
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STEELERS AT A GLANCE
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Jerome Bettis rushed for
1,072 yards last season. |
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2001 record: 13-3
Team rank: Defense (1st); offense (3rd)
Steelers team news |
The line play should be solid considering the re-signing of guards Oliver Ross and Alan Faneca. This will undoubtedly help Stewart find his newest target: wide receiver Terance Mathis (Falcons). In addition to Plaxico Burress and Hines Ward, passes are also expected to go in the direction of tight ends Mark Bruener and Matt Cushing, both re-signed in the offseason.
In the end, it tends to come down to field goal kicking -- a nightmare at times for the Steelers in 2001, especially in the championship game loss to New England. Kris Brown, also signed to a new deal last offseason, missed more field goals (14) than any other kicker last year. He became one of the few free agents Pittsburgh opted not to keep and instead replaced him with Todd Peterson (Chiefs).
For a complete list of all the players Pittsburgh has signed and lost so far this offseason, click here.
How they drafted
The Steelers might have caught a number of people off guard with a few of their picks, especially in the second round with Antwaan Randle-El, but it was hard to argue areas of pressing need given their depth in many spots. In the first round, they took guard Kendall Simmons. With Faneca at the left spot and Ross playing right guard,
Simmons is not projected to start, but NFL teams are increasingly learning that there's no such thing as too many able bodies on the line. El, who played quarterback at Indiana, is expected to be converted to wide receiver. Given their potential depth there, El seemingly was a reach unless they plan to use him on a number of gimmick plays. Perhaps their most intriguing pick occurred in the fourth round where they took linebacker Larry Foote. The Steelers have had great success with linebackers in the past decade (second-year pro Bell being the latest example) and their various schemes allow for playmakers to get a shot in the rotation.
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Fantasy Focus
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Entering 2001, Jerome Bettis had proven to be durable, only missing three games in eight seasons. However, Bettis injured his groin in the final third of the season and missed five games. He was also ineffective in the playoffs and re-injured his leg. Not being able to do any offseason conditioning, Bettis reported to a May minicamp out of shape. The Steelers plan to lighten his training camp load as he works back into shape. Those who decide to risk drafting Bettis might want to think about trading him before midseason. He might break down again in the second half of his 10th season. Click here for more fantasy football news.
-- Roger Rotter, Fantasy editor
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For a complete list of Pittsburgh's draft picks, click here.
Unfinished business
Some people believe that getting rid of Brown might have cured their woes in regards to scoring -- wrong. Brown's misses and blocked kicks didn't help the situation, but Pittsburgh's real problem was red-zone efficiency. The Steelers created a number of opportunities with their defense last year or simply marched up and down the field offensively -- until they go to the 20-yard line. Instead of drilling it in for a touchdown, they settled for field goal attempts (33 offensive TDs vs. 44 FG attempts). As the Rams have proven, defense is key, but you still need to score more points than your foe.
By adding Mathis as a possible threat on the sideline opposite of Burress and with Ward going across the middle, defenses would be caught in a quandary because of Stewart's and Bettis' running abilities.
Outlook for 2002
In the new AFC North, which also features Cincinnati, Cleveland and depleted Baltimore, the Steelers will undoubtedly go into the season as a division favorite and AFC Super Bowl contender. All eyes will be focused on Bettis and special teams, from the field goal unit and coverage standpoints. But if Pittsburgh's defense performs at the extremely high level that it did a year ago, the offense will be able to get by without scoring a ton of points most weeks.
James C. Black is the NFL team pages editor for ESPN.com.
