Peter Diana, Post-Gazette Duce Staley runs with the football in a Steelers' minicamp workout. Click photo for larger image. Related articles Steelers Notebook: Porter expects to jaw at White House visit

The man who replaced Jerome Bettis in 2004 will try to do it again in 2006 without setting his sights lower than they were two years ago. Duce Staley covets the job Bettis performed last year as the Steelers' designated touchdown runner without giving up hope that he might reclaim the starting job he once owned.

That starting position now belongs to Willie Parker, who won it in training camp in August while Staley and Bettis were injured, then put it under lock and key by rushing for 1,202 yards in the regular season and a Super Bowl-record 75-yard sprint to a touchdown.

Staley, 31, promised a "friendly battle, friendly competition" between him and Parker, although it would take an injury to Parker for Staley to supplant him. The real competition could come between Staley and Verron Haynes to fill the Bus role. As Bettis did in each of his last two seasons, Staley agreed to a salary pay cut of $1 million to return this year.

When head coach Bill Cowher or his backfield coach Dick Hoak are asked about Staley's ability to replace Bettis, each mentions Haynes as a worthy candidate for the job as well.

"I think Verron Haynes is a guy that you can't overlook," said Cowher, who expressed surprise that he did not draw more interest this year as an unrestricted free agent. "I think Verron is a guy that has been waiting in the wings. You watch even last year in some of those games when we took Jerome out, he wasn't too bad. We're going to let that thing unfold. I don't have any preconceived thoughts going in."

Said Hoak, "Duce still has to battle Verron."

The Steelers, who have run more often in each of the past two seasons than any NFL team, tried to acquire a big back two weeks ago in the draft. They were interested in Southern California's LenDale White and talked about a trade with Atlanta for T.J. Duckett. When the Falcons demanded a 2007 third-round draft choice for Duckett, the Steelers passed and drafted 233-pound Cedric Humes of Virginia Tech on the seventh round.

Staley said his knee that prompted surgery in August is "better, a lot better" and he has run through four full practices the past two days of minicamp.

"I thought I could have played some last year and did play some."

Staley had a bullish start to his Steelers career when he rushed for 707 yards in his first seven games in 2004. A hamstring injury ruined the second half of that season and then came the surgery to remove part of his meniscus last summer. He dressed for only five regular-season games, but he did help them pull out victories at midseason against Green Bay and Cleveland.

Parker's ankle was sprained in Green Bay and, with Bettis out also with an injury, Staley replaced him and rushed for 76 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries in a 20-10 victory. He started against Cleveland the following week and ran 17 times for 64 yards in a 34-21 victory.

When Bettis and Staley were healthy, Staley approached Cowher and told him he would have no trouble from him if he were to dress Bettis and not him for games, that Bettis was in his final season and deserved it. Now he would like to play that role.

"Taking over Bussy's role, that's cool," Staley said. "I'm comfortable with that."

There's also his old leadership role available.

"I was a leader, regardless, on and off the field last year," Staley said. "That's one thing I definitely take pride in doing. We have a bunch of leaders. Jerome definitely will be missed in his leadership role, but he knows there are leadership guys left behind."

Haynes, entering his fifth season with the Steelers, believes he could fulfill both of those roles as well.

"I'd be remiss if I didn't say I want to play more," Haynes said. "That's what I'm here for -- to compete, to get better and play and improve myself.

"Coming into the league, I always thought of myself as an every-down back. After the Bus was kind of wrapped up last year and Willie did his thing, at the end of the game I went in there and they stacked the box, 10, 11 people in there. They knew we were going to run and I still was able to manage to get yardage. I consider myself one of those backs who can stay on the field every down."

Hoak said that if Haynes were to become their No. 2 back behind Parker, he still could hold down his job on passing downs.

"We're all out here competing," Haynes said.