Last week, the Steelers released Najeh Davenport, a 245-pound running back who was signed to replace the ineffective Duce Staley in 2006. Staley was signed two years earlier to take over for the soon-to-be-retiring Jerome Bettis (he's from Detroit, you know). The common theme among the three backs? They were all big, plodding bruisers who could move the pile and excelled in short-yardage situations.

But as Pittsburgh heads into 2008, Gary Russell is the "heaviest" runner of those destined for the final 53, and he weighs 215 pounds (according to NFL.com). Rookie Rashard Mendenhall is 210, and Willie Parker and Mewelde Moore are listed at 209. But it's Moore, signed this offseason to a three-year, $4.95 million deal, who could be the key component to the new-fangled running game.

Not so much for his ability to actually run the ball, but because of his many other talents.

Typically, when the Steelers release a player, the process goes something like this: head coach Mike Tomlin explains that "it's a numbers game," and thanks the player for their hard work, commitment, etc.; player cleans out his locker and turns in his playbook; player immediately calls his agent; player signs with the Pittsburgh West within 48 hours.

Which is why recently unemployed running back Najeh Davenport probably wasn't too concerned about finding another gig. He told Sirius NFL Radio earlier this week that he would target the Cardinals and Lions as potential new employers, but he might want to think about casting a wider net during the job search.

"Cardinals GM Rod Graves said via text message this morning that the Cardinals have no interest."

So that's that. A running game that ranked 26th in the league last season has no need for a back who was eighth in value per play and 18th in total value. And Davenport's also a willing blocker and a good receiver. Interesting.

Actually, it's more complicated than that -- according to Rotoworld:

Najeh said he'd target the Lions and Cardinals as suitors, but his off-field past will work against him. The Cards also aren't in position to sign players other than their rookies. It's too bad, because this could've been a nice fit.

There's still Detroit, a team in need of a veteran running back who doesn't stink, and then there's Chicago: a team in need of a running back, period (although second-rounder Matt Forte has, roughly, a 10 million percent chance to be an improvement over Cedric Benson).

There are a lot of things that ESPN can be rightfully slammed for--Who's Now will live in our nightmares for years to come. But there is one summer series worthy of praise. Not only is the My Wish series good TV, it's also a great experience for the kids who get to fulfill their dreams..

If you're a Steelers fan and you haven't seen the story of paralyzed teenager Akeem Havens' day as a Steeler, it's well worth checking out. After watching him score a touchdown, maybe Willie Parker should be worried.

Maybe Bruce Arians is on to something.

As has been noted several times, the Steelers offensive coordinator doesn't like fullbacks. It was one of the reasons that the Steelers drafted tight end Matt Spaeth last year, and it was why Dan Kreider was phased out for Carey Davis--a more versatile fullback who isn't the blocker Kreider is.

But what hasn't really been explained is whether Arians' preference for tight ends is paying off. According to stats compiled by Stats Inc., it is.

Last year, Willie Parker was a better running back when he ran out of two tight end sets, and Ben Roethlisberger was a better passer as well. Whether it's because of Spaeth, or because the two tight end sets gave teams more to worry about, the Steelers were a better team when they left their fullbacks standing on the sideline.

It looks like Dan Kreider's days as a Steeler are officially done.

The writing had been on the wall ever since the Steelers didn't make him a contract offer of any sort when he became an unrestricted free agent. But now the Lancaster New Era is reporting that Kreider is going to sign a contract with the St. Louis Rams, even if his chances of making the Rams roster are pretty remote.

By saying goodbye to Kreider, Pittsburgh appears ready to go into next season with only Carey Davis on the roster as a true fullback. New offensive coordinator Bruce Arians has de-emphasized fullbacks in general, and he seems to prefer guys like Davis--a runner and a blocker, instead of Kreider's pulling guard in a fullback's body approach.

A day after they cut Najeh Davenport because of the team's glut of running backs, the Steelers had a scout at ex-Lions' running back Kevin Jones' workout.

There's something said for being thorough, as the Steelers now have another scouting report on Jones to stick into his file. But beyond that, I can't think of any logical explanation for why the Steelers would bother to show up, when 28 other teams didn't.

Jones would be no better than the team's No. 3 running back (behind Willie Parker and Rashard Mendenhall) if he signed, and because Mewelde Moore will return punts, Jones would likely not even dress on gamedays. Even if he's struggling to find a job, some team should be able to do better than that.

There are instances where the Steelers have taken unwanted guys and turned them into something--Charlie Batch is a great example. But in Jones' case, it's hard to think of any reason the Steelers would be interested. Hopefully Steelers scouts are even more thorough when it comes to scouting offensive linemen.

Former Detroit Lions running back Kevin Jones, a free agent recovering from a serious knee injury, invited the entire NFL to a workout Saturday. Only four teams showed up.

Among those four teams -- the Lions, Dolphins, Packers and Steelers -- the best option might be for Jones to sign a deal to return to Detroit, assuming the Lions offer him one. In Miami, Green Bay and Pittsburgh he'd have almost no shot of rising any higher than third on the depth chart, and third-string running backs who don't play special teams don't have much job security.

In Detroit he'd at least have a shot at the starting job, although the Lions don't seem particularly interested in bringing him back -- they've even given away his jersey number.

Jones once looked like one of the league's up-and-coming young running backs, rushing for 1,133 yards and 4.7 yards a carry as a rookie. Since then he's never had even 700 yards or four yards a carry. At age 25, there's a chance that he's done.

The Steelers have decided to drop the Dookie.

Najeh Davenport, the team's second-leading rusher last season, has been released, NFL.com's Adam Schefter is reporting.

Schefter and Pro Football Talk had previously reported that the Steelers were shopping to trade Davenport, but not surprisingly, no team was willing to send even a conditional draft pick to Pittsburgh for a backup tailback. Right now, Ron Dayne, Shaun Alexander, Kevin Jones and Travis Henry are all available as free agents, so it would have made no sense for someone to spend a pick on Davenport--who the Steelers picked up when the Packers waived him two years ago. Nothing Davenport has done in the past two years has really removed him from being that guy who's not that far from being waived at any point. The reality if that running backs, especially backup backs, don't have much job security.

.

With Hines Ward and Santonio Holmes set as the Steelers starters and Nate Washington and Limas Sweed set as the team's No. 3 and No. 4 receivers, one of the toughest battles during training camp will be for the fifth and likely final wide receiver spot.

A lot of times jobs are said to be wide open, but in reality, there's a clear favorite who has to lose the job. In this case, it's hard to say who's the favorite. The case for Reid is that he's (supposed to be) a quality returner. And his speed and shiftiness makes him potentially useful as a slot receiver who can work underneath and turn little screens into decent gains.

On the downside, Reid has looked overwhelmed by the pro game. A great college punt returner, he's struggled with injuries and fumbles as a pro.

Baker has the size (6-foot-3, 206 pounds) to be a red zone target, and he has a history of getting better as he gets acclimated to a new level of competition. He made significant improvement during his time at Florida, peaking as a senior.

Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Terry Bradshaw, who said last week that he used steroids when he played for the Steelers, has now clarified his comments. The New York Daily News reports:

"I'm not bodybuilding here," Bradshaw said, laughing about the confusion that stemmed from the interview. "They were not those kind of steroids. They were anti-inflammatories."

This is tricky because in medicine, the word "steroid" just refers to a general class of chemical substances. But in sports, saying "we did steroids," as Bradshaw said last week on Dan Patrick's radio show, is almost always meant to refer to anabolic steroids, which were widely used in the NFL duing Bradshaw's playing days and have since been banned by every major sports league.

Bradshaw would be wise to choose his words more carefully -- especially considering how prevalent "those kind of steroids" were on the 1970s Steelers.