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Thursday, September 06, 2001

A bad defense isn't all that doomed the St. Louis Rams last season. Bad attitudes kept them from winning a second consecutive Super Bowl.

Defensive end Kevin Carter and cornerback Todd Lyght, who were coming off Pro Bowl seasons in 1999, weren't happy with their contracts and allowed their dismay to turn into a lack of effort that angered not just management, but also their teammates. That's why no one cared when Carter was traded to the Tennessee Titans after the season and Lyght signed with the Detroit Lions.

All of that is relevant this morning because the Steelers seem ready to start the season Sunday in Jacksonville with their two best defensive players -- linebackers Earl Holmes and Jason Gildon -- in contract limbo. If Holmes and Gildon pull a Carter and a Lyght, the team will be finished. It won't matter how well the rest of the defense plays or if Kordell Stewart masters Mike Mularkey's new offense or if Jerome Bettis runs for 1,500 yards.

Holmes clearly has been troubled by the lack of progress in his contract talks, which, if team policy holds, will end at kickoff Sunday and not resume until after the season when he, like Gildon, becomes a free agent. You can see that when he is asked about it. Since arriving at training camp seven weeks ago, he has tried hard to avoid the subject. He's probably feeling a little unloved after leading the Steelers in tackles the past two seasons.

Gildon's disappointment hasn't been so obvious, although he admitted yesterday the situation has been a distraction. "When you get here and see some of the other moves they've made, it's hard for it not to be a distraction," he said. The Steelers gave big, new deals to Bettis, Chad Scott and Dewayne Washington. Gildon is happy for them, but he wouldn't be human if he wasn't wondering: Where's mine? Wasn't I the only player on the team to make the Pro Bowl last season?

The good news is Holmes and Gildon are too smart and too proud to pout on the field.

"My thing is the team," Holmes said. "I'm a guy trying to win a championship.

"I've seen guys come and go here. Maybe I'll leave one day, too. But I'm not thinking about free agency or how this might be my last year in Pittsburgh. I'm just thinking about how we have a chance to make some things happen now. I think we have a chance to play in January. I'm not going to do anything to blow that."

Said Gildon: "I guess if you're only interested in getting paid and you don't have a contract, you might not have the same motivation. But to me, there's more to the game than just collecting a paycheck. It's fun and it's challenging and we enjoy what we do. ... I didn't think about holding out of training camp. I showed up on time and did my work. I'm planning on having another great season."

Penguins General Manager Craig Patrick long has believed players play better in the final year of their contract because they are motivated to get a big, new deal. That doesn't appear to be the Steelers' strategy with Holmes and Gildon -- it's more likely they prioritized signing Bettis, Scott and Washington and ran out of money under the salary cap before they could meet the linebackers' sizable demands -- but if a little added motivation comes out of the situation, they won't complain.

Holmes, especially, has millions and millions of reasons to play his best football. He's a ferocious tackler and would be a terrific addition to almost any NFL team as a middle linebacker. If he plays well and stays healthy, he'll be one of the two or three most sought-after free agents once he gets to the open market.

Gildon, who has been with the Steelers since 1994, longer than anyone on the team, doesn't figure to have as many options no matter how well he plays. It's not because he isn't a fine player. He had 131/2 sacks last season, the most by an NFL linebacker. But he's best suited to play outside linebacker in a 3-4 defense and only the Steelers play it. In a 4-3, he would have more pass coverage responsibility, which isn't his strength. Or he would have to add about 30 pounds and play defensive end.

"As a guy who's been around here my whole career, I'd love to finish it up here," Gildon said.

The guess here is he will be back next season. He won't get the money he wants, but he will realize the Steelers are the best team for him.

It's hard to be as optimistic about Holmes coming back. He figures to join the list of prominent defensive free agents -- Carnell Lake, Rod Woodson, Chad Brown -- to leave.

It won't be like Carter and Lyght, though.

It won't be because Holmes sulked or did something to make the Steelers want to let him go. It will be because they can't afford him.

Ron Cook can be reached at rcook@post-gazette.com.