Don’t waste first-round picks

“Big Ben rolls out of the pocket and eludes not one, but two men. Sprinting to the sidelines,… “Big Ben rolls out of the pocket and eludes not one, but two men. Sprinting to the sidelines, he eyes the field, sees his man, and connects with his big target, rookie Heath Miller, for a gain of 17 yards!”

This fabricated play call by the voice of the Steelers’ and Panthers’, Bill Hillgrove, is what many fans imagined would be heard quite frequently when the Steelers took Miller first in the 2005 NFL draft. Unfortunately for Ben and the Steelers’ passing game, he just so happens to be a tight end.

“Miller Time” has arrived in the ‘Burgh, but with no disrespect to the former Virginia Cavalier, the Steelers have seldom used tight ends as favored quarterback targets. Those who may have illusions of Miller being the next Tony Gonzalez are just kidding themselves. Recall, for example, that only one year ago – in a season that produced 15 regular-season wins for the Steelers – starting fullback Dan Kreider caught more balls (10) than starting end Jerame Tuman (9). Therefore, I do not feel it is a stretch to say that Miller will not be among the team’s leading receivers in 2005, and that the passing game will struggle as a result.

Miller’s collegiate statistics seem to suggest that he is more than qualified to make an immediate impact this season. As a sophomore in 2003, Miller led the Cavaliers in receiving with 70 receptions for 835 yards and six touchdowns.

Last season, his numbers slipped a bit because of frequent double-teams, yet he still caught 41 passes for 541 yards and five touchdowns. Miller became the first player in ACC history to win the Mackey Award as the nation’s best tight end and also established new conference career records for receptions, touchdown catches and yards gained by a tight end.

Considering his accolades and 6-foot, 5-inch, 256-pound frame, there is reason to hope that Miller could progress into the next Gonzalez, Heap or Antonio Gates. That said, Miller’s credentials and stature remind me of another much touted tight end, which the Steelers took in the first round of the 1995 NFL draft. Mark Bruener was his name.

Lest you forget, Mark Bruener entered the 1995 preseason with the same lofty expectations as Miller. Even his physique at the time (6-4, 258 pounds) nearly matched that of Miller. Bruener similarly came to Pittsburgh with a long list of honors from his playing days at the University of Washington; after one season in Pittsburgh, he seemed to merit those awards.

Not only did he catch 26 passes for 238 yards and three touchdowns in his rookie season, but he also helped the Steelers earn a trip to Super Bowl XXX. Sadly, his accomplishments that season would never be equaled again in Pittsburgh.

Bruener’s statistics of 26 receptions and 238 yards would both be career highs. In 2003, his last season with the team, he only caught a measly two passes for 12 yards and one touchdown. In fairness, Bruener played with the Steelers during an era of quarterback instability; a time which saw Mike Tomczak, Kent Graham, Tommy Maddox and the volatile Kordell Stewart all take turns as the starting quarterback. Bruener was also subject to the Steelers’ famous “run first, pass second” philosophy, in which he succeeded in opening up holes for back Jerome Bettis. Nonetheless, if Heath Miller learns anything from Bruener’s tenure, it should be to have low expectations with regards to catching passes.

The 2004 Steelers enjoyed great defensive and offensive success, but still only managed to throw to Tuman nine times for 89 yards. The question then arises, how many more passes will Miller catch on a team likely to be on the losing end of more games this season?

When you consider the fact that offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt was the former tight ends coach, and that he also previously played the position, it is not improbable that the Steelers’ traditional use of the tight end could change. Even so, the Steelers haven’t had a tight end catch 20 passes in a season since Bruener’s rookie season (1995), and a tight end hasn’t led Pittsburgh in receiving since 1993, when Eric Green caught 63 passes.

Getting the tight end more involved this season is essential for the Steelers and even more significant this year as a result of the loss of Plaxico Burress to free agency. In 2002, Burress caught 78 passes for 1,325 yards and 21 touchdowns. Although his numbers were down last season (35 receptions for 698 yards and 5 touchdowns), he possessed that deep-ball threat which kept opposing defenses honest. The long-bomb threat also drew many of the double teams off Ward, allowing him to thrive.

The team now lacks a legitimate deep threat. Unless Miller can step it up, the double teams on Ward will return and the Steelers will be without a big receiving target.

Whisenhunt was recently questioned on Steelers.com as to whether or not plays will be designed for Miller. He replied, “Right now, it is hard to say how successful he is going to be as a receiver at this level. I don’t think you can design until you can actually see what he can do for you on the field.”

This is hardly a vote of confidence.

When questioned further if the team has aspirations to utilize Miller in such a way as the Raven’s Todd Heap, Whisenhunt simply responded, “I hope we can progress to that.”

Perhaps I’m too pessimistic; it’s still just the preseason after all. But forgive me for not being overly excited about Miller’s preseason statistics (2 catches for nine yards). If this is a sign of things to come, then the Steelers offense and Ben Roethlisberger are in for a long season. All we can do is hope that the team will rebuff their past and current preseason trends, and in the words of the ever-articulate Keyshawn Johnson, “Throw Heath the damn ball.”

Joe Balestrino is a staff writer for The Pitt News. E-mail him at balest@pitt.edu.