lamberts-lost-tooth
06-11-2006, 09:31 AM
Replacing Randle El no easy task
By Joe Starkey
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Sunday, June 11, 2006
Washington Redskins receiver Antwaan Randle El - looks strange in print, doesn't it? - keeps the Steelers close to his heart.
So close, in fact, that he was referring to them as "we" during his charity golf event Friday at Nevillewood.
Somebody asked Randle El which absence left by a former Steelers player this offseason - Kimo von Oelhoffen, Jerome Bettis, Chris Hope or himself - would most affect the team.
"You have to ask (the Steelers)," he said, laughing. "We lost key people, but we have some guys still there who certainly can get it done."
He's right on both counts. The Steelers did lose important players and vital veteran leadership, but they retained enough of both to be a bona fide contender in the AFC.
The two biggest losses were Hope and Randle El, the punt returner.
Randle El the receiver can be replaced, though he improved dramatically in four years and was integral to the team's playoff success (think of the touchdown catch at Indianapolis).
Randle El the returner is another story, though the Steelers can't be accused of ignoring the issue of replacing him. They made an inspired move by drafting Florida State return man Willie Reid in the third round. All you need to know is that Reid broke Deion Sanders' single-season punt return record at Florida State.
Still, Randle El's just plain different when it comes to darting around in tight spaces. We're talking about the only player in college football history who passed for 6,000 yards and rushed for 3,000 -- and he didn't do it in a rinky-dink league (he played quarterback for Indiana in the Big Ten).
Nobody in Steelers history -- not Louis Lipps or Rod Woodson -- had four punt-return touchdowns in his career. Randle El did. Last season, he was the only player in the NFL to return two for TDs.
Simply put, he changed games (think of the win at Minnesota), giving the Steelers an advantage most teams didn't have.
Punt return average has been declining across the NFL, to the point where the league-wide average last season (8.10) was the lowest in nearly 30 years. That spurred a run on return men in this year's draft and was part of the reason the Redskins lavished Randle El with a seven-year, $31 million contract that included $11.5 million in bonuses.
The Steelers believe they got a steal in Reid, who was fourth in the country in punt return average (17.5) last year and tied for first in TDs (three).
Watching him in the Orange Bowl was kind of like watching Randle El. Every time a ball was kicked in the air, you got the feeling it could be returned very quickly in the opposite direction. Reid busted one for an Orange Bowl-record 87 yards.
You could say that, because of their well-fortified depth chart, the Steelers were positioned to make a "luxury pick" in the third round. I'd call it a necessity pick, even if first-rounder Santonio Holmes also could return punts.
It'll be a bit unnerving with a rookie back there, but Reid, who says he has run the 40-yard dash in 4.28 seconds on a track, already has imagined taking one to the house at Heinz Field.
Somebody needs to bring a sign that says, "Free Willie."
"You have to picture in your head what you'll do before it happens," Reid said. "So, hopefully, I can bring one back for the Steeler crowd and have the crowd go crazy -- and they'll love me."
He'll have to earn their love. Randle El sure did.
By Joe Starkey
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Sunday, June 11, 2006
Washington Redskins receiver Antwaan Randle El - looks strange in print, doesn't it? - keeps the Steelers close to his heart.
So close, in fact, that he was referring to them as "we" during his charity golf event Friday at Nevillewood.
Somebody asked Randle El which absence left by a former Steelers player this offseason - Kimo von Oelhoffen, Jerome Bettis, Chris Hope or himself - would most affect the team.
"You have to ask (the Steelers)," he said, laughing. "We lost key people, but we have some guys still there who certainly can get it done."
He's right on both counts. The Steelers did lose important players and vital veteran leadership, but they retained enough of both to be a bona fide contender in the AFC.
The two biggest losses were Hope and Randle El, the punt returner.
Randle El the receiver can be replaced, though he improved dramatically in four years and was integral to the team's playoff success (think of the touchdown catch at Indianapolis).
Randle El the returner is another story, though the Steelers can't be accused of ignoring the issue of replacing him. They made an inspired move by drafting Florida State return man Willie Reid in the third round. All you need to know is that Reid broke Deion Sanders' single-season punt return record at Florida State.
Still, Randle El's just plain different when it comes to darting around in tight spaces. We're talking about the only player in college football history who passed for 6,000 yards and rushed for 3,000 -- and he didn't do it in a rinky-dink league (he played quarterback for Indiana in the Big Ten).
Nobody in Steelers history -- not Louis Lipps or Rod Woodson -- had four punt-return touchdowns in his career. Randle El did. Last season, he was the only player in the NFL to return two for TDs.
Simply put, he changed games (think of the win at Minnesota), giving the Steelers an advantage most teams didn't have.
Punt return average has been declining across the NFL, to the point where the league-wide average last season (8.10) was the lowest in nearly 30 years. That spurred a run on return men in this year's draft and was part of the reason the Redskins lavished Randle El with a seven-year, $31 million contract that included $11.5 million in bonuses.
The Steelers believe they got a steal in Reid, who was fourth in the country in punt return average (17.5) last year and tied for first in TDs (three).
Watching him in the Orange Bowl was kind of like watching Randle El. Every time a ball was kicked in the air, you got the feeling it could be returned very quickly in the opposite direction. Reid busted one for an Orange Bowl-record 87 yards.
You could say that, because of their well-fortified depth chart, the Steelers were positioned to make a "luxury pick" in the third round. I'd call it a necessity pick, even if first-rounder Santonio Holmes also could return punts.
It'll be a bit unnerving with a rookie back there, but Reid, who says he has run the 40-yard dash in 4.28 seconds on a track, already has imagined taking one to the house at Heinz Field.
Somebody needs to bring a sign that says, "Free Willie."
"You have to picture in your head what you'll do before it happens," Reid said. "So, hopefully, I can bring one back for the Steeler crowd and have the crowd go crazy -- and they'll love me."
He'll have to earn their love. Randle El sure did.