With so much raw talent and so many cuts to make, coach Tomlin needs to bring back the Steelers' greatest offensive utility player ever to don the Black and Gold. Seeing a glass half-full with fresh talent, Steelers coaches are faced with critical team-building decisions that span the upcoming 2008 season and beyond. The not-ready-for-primetime talent making up the Steelers offensive roster is half-empty of veteran playmakers, leaving room for none other than the "Slash".
Myron Cope first coined the nickname for Number 10, whose running, passing, receiving and even punting appeared in countless ESPN "Plays of the Week". Sure, Kordell Stewart left the team amongst some (cough) controversy, but let's let bygones be bygones. Also, let us forget about the midnight walks in the park, his sister's secret lovechild, and his refusal to play second-string WR slash QB.
Plus, he's available. Just last week, on the July 28, 2008 airing of ESPN's First Take, Jay Crawford sat down with Stewart to discuss the upcoming season's NFL quarterback controversies. Introducing the former Super Bowl starter, Crawford pitched Stewart's availability, "I also just found out, his hat is still in the ring. You (Kordell) have not officially retired, so if NFL coaches are listening, give him a ring."
A QB controversy, the Steelers do not need, but put Stewart in and opposing defenses will be forced to re-live the horrors of the trick-play gimmickry that former Steelers Offensive Coordinators have successfully delivered.
Current Offensive Coordinator Bruce Arians is not opposed to creative design and play calling, as evident in Punter Daniel Sepulveda's 32-yard pass to Najeh Davenport in the December 2007 win over the St. Louis Rams. Unfortunately, the punting / passing talents of Sepulveda will not be a contributing factor this year as a season-ending torn ACL has placed him on the injured reserve list.
With Jerome Bettis happily retired and Antwaan Randel El having moved on ( I told myself I wouldn't cry), the only player on the 2008 roster with any potetial for a good gadget play is Running Back Mewelde Moore (1 for 3 in passing with Minnesota) . Although Moore's career rushing / receiving yards are less than impressive, he is being given the opportunity to be the Steelers return man. Hopefully Moore will prove the skeptics wrong by bringing consistent big yard returns and sticky hands, but defensive lines might not be fooled if Moore only occasionally lines up with anyone other special teams.
Which brings us back to point - Coach Tomlin has a lot of budding talent who may not be ready to play this year, yet alone start. The veterans of the offense are the few tried and true players like Hines Ward, Willie Parker, and Heath Miller who will help Ben Roethlisberger find the end zone. Granted, Santonio Holmes will have his break out year, but with an offensive line that will require quite a bit of fine-tuning throughout the year, there is no room for marginal wide receivers or running backs.
If Kordell is truly still ready to play, it would take the NFL's greatest defensive utility player, Troy Polamalu, to stop the lethal offense. Let's kiss and makeup with Kordell Stewart and bring back the one-man Receiver / Running Back / Gadget Quarterback to slash his way through a rather difficult schedule, all while developing the young players into the future Super Bowl winning Steelers.
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