Bettis takes pay cut, signs one-year deal

[miami_fan]

http://www.nfl.com/teams/story/PIT/7133162

PITTSBURGH (March 1, 2004) -- Jerome Bettis, the sixth-leading rusher in NFL history, agreed to take a significant pay cut to return to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Bettis and the Steelers worked out a one-year contract that will pay him $1 million, with the chance to earn an additional $1 million in incentives.

Bettis was to have made $3,757,000, plus a $750,000 roster bonus, as part of the $30 million, six-year contract he signed in 2001. That deal included a $6 million signing bonus, but there is no signing bonus in his newest agreement.

Bettis and agent Lamont Smith spent the last several weeks trying to work out a restructured deal that would keep the 32-year-old Bettis in Pittsburgh, where he is the No. 2 rusher in team history.

"I still think I can get it done. I still think I can play this game," Bettis said.

Bettis said late last season he was amenable to redoing his contract so he could finish his career in Pittsburgh, where he has gained 9,262 yards since being traded by St. Louis in 1996.

Bettis is the third Steelers player in the last two weeks to restructure his contract, joining offensive tackle Marvel Smith and linebacker Joey Porter. The Steelers were about $4.5 million over the salary cap in mid-February and needed to make adjustments to get under the cap by this week's deadline.

By reworking those contracts and cutting veteran cornerback Dewayne Washington and tight end Mark Bruener, the Steelers shaved more than $6.5 million off the cap and are approximately $2.75 million under the cap. They sought to clear the cap room to give them maneuverability as the NFL free agency signing period begins Wednesday, March 3.

Bettis' return not only gives him a chance to add to his career rushing total of 12,353 yards, it buys the Steelers time as they seek his replacement -- most likely in the April draft. They own the No. 11 pick and could very well use it on a running back, perhaps Virginia Tech's Kevin Jones.

Bettis, coming off a 666-yard season in 2002, began last season on the bench behind Amos Zereoue but regained his starting job at midseason and finished with 811 yards.

Bettis had two 100-yard games in the final month of the season, even though the Steelers -- the NFL's No. 1 rushing team only two years before -- finished next-to-last in rushing.

Zereoue, who ran for 433 yards and a 3.3 yards per carry average, is expected to be traded or released before training camp starts.

Bettis' late surge -- he had only 126 yards in the Steelers' first six games -- moved him past Thurman Thomas, Harris, Marcus Allen and Jim Brown and into sixth place in NFL career rushing. Though he is ahead of Harris among NFL rushers, Bettis trails him on the Steelers' list because 3,091 of Bettis' yards came with the Rams.

Bettis is 386 yards behind No. 5 Tony Dorsett and needs 907 yards to move into fourth place.



AP NEWS
The Associated Press News Service


Steeleres Fans: Help me out. Why wasn't Bettis starting at the begining of the season? Not being sacastic but as an outside observer it seemed like the change to Zereoue was just for the sake of making a change. Now they are making the decision to go back with Bettis at least part time

[Vince]

I'm not a Steelers fan, but I think the move to start Zereoue was because they thought he was their back of the future. He looked good in limited time in 2002, I believe.

[cthomer5000]

Bettis is done.

[albionmoonlight]

My old roommate is a Steelers Fan, so I followed the team a bit. I think that the thinking in Pitt was that 1.)Zereoue had been good in backup duty and, at some point, the team had to see if he was starter material and 2.) The Bus would be more valuable in December if he was not overused in September.

In some way, the experiment worked because they learned that Z was not the back of the future. Now, they have another rebuilding year ahead of them (IMO), but they know that running back is one of the places that they need to rebuild.

[Hurst2112]

Bettis is done.

...after this year.

[JeeberD]

The wheels on the Bus don't go round no more...

[stevew]

Man, we better draft a freaking RB. Bettis has been done for 2 years now.

[rkmsuf]

This is just charity on the Steelers case although Amos has displayed much suckitude also. I was really disappointed in that guy last year...

Unless they address the RB position draft Ward and Buress early in your fantasy drafts...

[stevew]

This front office started smoking crack a couple years ago. Right about the time they were talking about how "smart" the steelers were. Now they are capped out with mediocre players and holes everywhere. And I bet, for the 750th straight year, we take a lineman in the frigging draft. One time can we burn a #1 on a frickin QB? Just Once?

[Philliesfan980]

I think that Bettis could still be good if he got 10-12 a game. But it takes a special group of backs to do the "commitee" deal.

[Aylmar]

My old roommate is a Steelers Fan, so I followed the team a bit. I think that the thinking in Pitt was that 1.)Zereoue had been good in backup duty and, at some point, the team had to see if he was starter material and 2.) The Bus would be more valuable in December if he was not overused in September.

Add to this the fact that the team was tinkering with a more passing oriented attack (and therefore Zereoue seemed a better fit with his versatility) and you have it right. Amos had also shown flashes against teams like Baltimore during the 2001 & 2002 campaigns. He'd earned a shot at the starting job. When he faltered (mostly due to atrocious line play early on), Cowher went back to his safety valve...Bettis.

Bettis will be a backup this season. If they don't grab a running back in the 1st round (S. Jackson is the favorite, I think, if he's still around....else look at them taking K. Jones), then they'll certainly address RB in Rnd 2. In my mind, the only way they don't grab one of those two guys Rnd 1 is if a miracle happens and one of the big two QBs falls to them at #11 (highly unlikely).

Unless they can get someone very cheap, I would be suprised if the Steelers persue a running back in free agency (with the possible exception of a third down guy, a role I don't think they're confident that Verron can fill). They already have Bettis as insurance...and they're planning on drafting their back of the future. Add that to their need for a RT and LOLB, and there just isn't any cap room left...

[cthomer5000]

Man, we better draft a freaking RB. Bettis has been done for 2 years now.
oh yeah. The bus is up on cinder blocks at this point.

[Swaggs]

Blame it on Zereoue all you want, but the real problem was the offensive line.

They lost their All Pro Left Tackle Wayne Gandy to free agency prior to the season. Marvel Smith played RT well in '02 and was to move over to LT in '03, but was injured most of the season. RG Kendall Simmons was injured during preseason and took half the season to rebound. C Jeff Hartings was injured for most of the first half of the season. LG Alan Faneca played well, but had to play out of position at LT until Smith came back. And, Oliver Ross, who was supposed to be the only questionmark on the O-line was a failure and lost his spot to journeyman Todd Fordham.

Hartings and Faneca have both been Pro Bowlers in the very recent past and Smith and Simmons looked to be headed in the right direction prior to last season, so hopefully with a little luck and some good health, the Steelers running game will improve from within next season.