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Friday, February 18, 2000
On the surface, that looks like a pretty rotten job that Kevin Colbert accepted yesterday. Director of football operations for the Steelers? Rotten doesn't even begin to describe it these days. Colbert comes to a team that not only went 6-15 in its past 21 games but also is so flush against the salary cap that it's able to sign only Cincinnati Bengals castoffs as free agents. He gets a quarterback who no longer appears capable of winning in the NFL. And he gets Bill Cowher.
But appearances can be deceiving. The truth is this is a great time for Colbert to jump on board with the Steelers. He can only be a hero here. The team has no place to go but up. It can't get worse. It can't possibly get worse than a home loss to the Cleveland Browns.
Look at this way:
If the Steelers are resurrected, Cowher will be the genius and deservedly so. Despite Dan Rooney's bleatings again yesterday about "Steelers' decisions" and "Steelers' draft picks," Cowher is the man calling the shots with Rooney looking closely over his shoulder. That makes Cowher the man on the spot. That's the price he paid for waging and winning a power struggle with Tom Donahoe. There is a dominant personality in every relationship. It's safe to say that will be Cowher in his relationship with Colbert.
But if Cowher can make winners of these Steelers with Colbert's help, there will be plenty of glory for everyone, including Colbert. If nothing else, Colbert will have proved he can work with the notoriously difficult Cowher. Donahoe had that unique ability for a long time. It led, in part, to the Seattle Seahawks offering him a multimillion-dollar contract in 1998.
If only Donahoe knew then what he knows now ...
And if the Steelers fail, as just about everybody who watched Kordell Stewart and his weak offensive line and poor receivers the past two seasons expects, Cowher will take the fall, not Colbert. Cowher will be fired, not Colbert. Presumably, Colbert then would have some input into the hiring of a new coach. By then, the Steelers will be playing in their new stadium. By then, Rooney will have revised his archaic approach to the salary cap and free agency. If he doesn't, he'll risk drowning in the fans' venom when he goes swimming in all of that personal-seat-license money.
Colbert's new job doesn't sound so bad now, does it?
That isn't to say he won't be judged like Donahoe or any other personnel man. Hopefully, he won't endorse the drafting of a Jamain Stephens or the signing of a Donnell Woolford as a free agent. But don't expect major changes with the Steelers any time soon. Colbert believes in building with the draft and filling in with free agents. (It's no wonder Rooney hired him). He also believes in Stewart.
"I think Kordell Stewart can win for this organization. I'd never advocate giving up on him at this point. He's too young. He has too much talent."
Colbert clearly wants to make it work with Cowher. Whether he'll be intimidated by him remains to be seen. But he talked as if he's not afraid of the challenge. He has worked for some strong-willed people -- Don Shula in Miami and Wayne Fontes and Bobby Ross in Detroit.
"Any kind of controversy that existed here before was before," Colbert said. "I've learned everywhere I've been that you have to have communication, that you have to have everyone working together. If you don't have that, you don't have a chance.
"I've met twice with Bill. He was very enthusiastic and very open to my ideas. We can't wait to get going and do what we have to do to get this team back to a championship level."
Later, when asked again about the possible difficulties of co-existing with Cowher, Colbert said, "I told Coach the only problem he'll have with me is that I'll be giving him too much to do as far as evaluating personnel. We'll definitely work hand in hand ...
"Sometimes, I'll have to give in. Sometimes, a scout will. Sometimes, one of us will have to stand up for something we really believe in. The main thing is you've got to get it right."
It's nice to think Cowher and Colbert will be successful. Like Cowher, Colbert is "a Pittsburgher" -- to quote Rooney -- who made it big. He grew up on the North Side and went to North Catholic High School and Robert Morris College. He married a nice girl from Beaver Falls, Janis Karczewski. They have three nice children. They still have family here.
This isn't a rotten job for Colbert by any means.
It's his dream job.
Kordell, Cowher and all.
Ron Cook can be reached at rcook@post-gazette.com.
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