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Steelers' guard needs six weeks to recover

Wednesday, June 11, 2003

By Ed Bouchette, Post-Gazette Sports Writer

Another crack has developed in a revamped offensive line, a problem the Steelers hope is temporary.

	Kendall Simmons works with a sleeve on his damaged left elbow Monday on the first day of minicamp. (Matt Freed, Post-Gazette)

Guard Kendall Simmons will have surgery on his left elbow this morning for an unspecified problem that was discovered Sunday during an MRI. The elbow should be healed by the start of training camp July 25, but he might not be able to participate in both practices when the Steelers go to two-a-days at St. Vincent College.

Dr. James Bradley of UPMC will perform the arthroscopic surgery with an estimated six-week healing process. Metz also said Simmons might visit Dr. James Andrews in Birmingham, Ala., for a second opinion on a shoulder ailment discovered by the MRI. Simmons was told his shoulder injury likely will require surgery but he can wait until after the season to get it done.

Simmons, the Steelers' first-round draft choice in 2002 from Auburn, was the team's rookie of the year. He started 14 games at right guard, missing two later in the season because of a minor knee injury. He helped form a solid nucleus in the line that includes center Jeff Hartings and All-Pro left guard Alan Faneca.

If all goes well, the elbow surgery should have little effect on Simmons except to keep him out of the weight room for a while.

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The Steelers do not need more problems in their line. There will be changes at both tackle positions this season, and the depth on the line is not as good as it was last season. Because left tackle Wayne Gandy signed with New Orleans as a free agent, the Steelers decided to move Marvel Smith into that spot from right tackle. Oliver Ross likely will become the new starter at right tackle.

Smith has played well but also has been a notorious slow starter each season at right tackle, where he has started 40 games since the Steelers made him their second-round pick in the 2000 draft. There's no guarantee he can make a quick, smooth adjustment to the left side. He played left tackle at Arizona State but noted that college is a different ballgame.

"In a way it helped because I did it, but it's at a completely different level," Smith said. "Coming into the NFL, I had to change my game completely to adapt to playing on the right side and knowing what I needed to do to be successful. Now I know what I need to do. It's a matter of getting repetitions."

Smith has taken advantage of the past month to develop a rapport with Faneca. Gandy and Faneca worked so well together that they made adjustments on the fly without saying a word to each other.

"Everything was unspoken," Faneca said. "Wayne and I literally did not talk. We knew what we were doing and how we were doing it. It'll take a little time because, everybody likes to say, it takes time for us to get used to each other."

Faneca is a little concerned about a lack of line depth and said, "Hopefully, no injuries occur" before he learned about Simmons' surgery.

"We might be a little weaker than we were last year, having Oliver [start] because he filled in greatly anywhere and everywhere we needed him -- guard and tackle, both sides. That hurts us a little not having him there."

Concerned about their depth, the Steelers last week signed Calvin Collins, 29, a six-year veteran center/guard who did not play last season after being cut Sept. 1 by the Houston Texans.

As it stands, newcomer Todd Fordham would be the top backup at tackle, Keydrick Vincent would be the No. 1 backup at guard and Chukky Okobi would back up center.

Halfback Jerome Bettis said at least the remodeling at tackle is being done by experienced players.

"I'm not worried because they're making changes with veteran guys, not young guys," Bettis said. "The problem is, when you have a young guy, not only is chemistry important but there's a learning process. Now, everybody knows what they're doing, it's just matter of getting their chemistry together."