Ed Bouchette: Some Late Training Camp Thoughts

Wednesday, August 24, 2005
By Ed Bouchette, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Entering the final day of training camp:

Bill Cowher said yesterday he would "entertain" keeping just two quarterbacks on the 53-man roster. Someone will pick up Charlie Batch if he's released. Brian St. Pierre may be another matter and, if no other team signs him, he can go on the practice squad the way he did to start the 2004 season. The presence of Antwaan Randle El, former Indiana U. starting quarterback, allows them to do that.

The reason they may go with two quarterbacks is they want to keep one more running back to get rookie Noah Herron on the team, and perhaps one more wide receiver. If they keep one extra at both positions, that means two quarterbacks and probably three tight ends instead of four.

Steelers coaches were surprised that Cleveland traded wide receiver Andre Davis to New England for a fifth-round draft choice. They called it a favor by Romeo Crennel to his old buddy with the Patriots. Had they waited, they believe the Browns could have gotten a pick in the second or third round for Davis.

Those same coaches do not believe anyone will offer anything to the Steelers for either Tommy Maddox or Charlie Batch in a trade. It's too late in the year, they said, for a quarterback to learn a team's offense well enough to operate it effectively.

At his news conference yesterday, Cowher said this about linebacker Alonzo Jackson: "Alonzo's been solid, nothing spectacular.'' Solid as in solid waste?

Tight end Matt Kranchick looks like he can be a wonderful target but he cannot block and that is what tight ends do here. So unless the Steelers start thinking of him as a wide receiver, he may have to go if they keep three tight ends instead of four.

Tick, tick, tick. That's the clock counting down on Hines Ward's contract extension talks, which will end by Sept. 11 one way or the other.

If Ward signs, it will put the Steelers in good shape for several years across the board. It will make signing Antwaan Randle El extremely difficult, because there's no way they're going to make Ward one of the highest-paid receivers in the game and follow by putting El where he wants to be. Plus, they have Cedrick Wilson for four years at a good price.

Here's the good news: Alan Faneca is signed through 2007, Marvel Smith through 2008, Joey Porter and Clark Haggans through 2007, James Farrior through 2008. They signed up Larry Foote, Chris Hoke and now Casey Hampton this year.

Troy Polamalu has three years left and, while Deshea Townsend and Willie Williams enter their final years, they have three young cornerbacks nipping at their heals anyway and should take over. Heath Miller signed a five-year deal. Ben Roethlisberger signed for six last year.

Oh, Big Ben. That's the one worth watching. If he has, say, two more sensational years, that six-year contract won't be worth the paper it's written on. Agent Leigh Steinberg will be demanding a new deal and if you think Hines Ward's negotiations were difficult, just wait until that one happens.

But they don't have to worry about that one, either, for at least another two years and maybe three. So, if they sign Ward, there will be labor peace in Steelers land. They will have players become free agents in March, but no one they either can't lose or haven't planned on losing.