STEELERS Pittsburgh does little to upgrade secondary team

Top pick Troy Polamalu has a chance to contribute immediately.
PITTSBURGH (AP) -- Big changes were expected in a Pittsburgh Steelers secondary that was one of the NFL's best two seasons ago and one of its worst last year.
There were changes: All the defensive backs got a year older.
So much for an overhaul. Except for the addition of rookie safety Troy Polamalu, the Steelers' secondary is nearly the same as it has been for three years.
The question as training camp opens today is whether all that experience is a liability or an asset.
The cornerbacks who were targeted so frequently, Dewayne Washington and Chad Scott, return as starters. So do the top two free safeties, starter Brent Alexander and backup Chris Hope.
The only key figure missing from a secondary that allowed more than 300 yards passing in each of the Steelers' last three games is strong safety Lee Flowers. Singled out for his inability to cover downfield in man-to-man situations, he was allowed to sign with Denver.
Polamalu, the Steelers' first-round draft choice, is almost certain to replace Flowers, although Mike Logan goes into camp listed as the starter.
Secondary needs to improve
It's certainly not the shake-up anticipated following a season that saw the Steelers slip from No. 4 in pass defense to No. 20, but contract issues all but prevented that. Washington and Scott each signed $20 million-plus contracts that included substantial bonuses only two years ago, and casting off either one would have resulted in a huge salary cap hit.
As a result, coach Bill Cowher heads to camp hoping an offseason of schematic adjustments and the addition of a young and talented defender can prevent the repeated breakdowns that marked last season.
Oh, yes, the prevent defense is being reformatted, too, with the five-man nickel back group expected to be used more than the six-man dime group.
"This is a veteran team, but I don't think it's an old team," Cowher said.
No doubt he didn't spend much time during the offseason rehashing the grim figures from last season: 403 yards passing by Oakland's Rich Gannon, 294 yards by Atlanta's Michael Vick, 336 yards by Baltimore's Jeff Blake, 429 yards by Cleveland's Kelly Holcomb, 338 yards by Tennessee's Steve McNair.
Or these figures: eight games of 30 or more points allowed, compared to zero in 2001. As a result, a Steelers defense that was No. 1 overall in 2001 dropped to No. 7 even while being the best in the league against the run.
Not getting younger
However, the numbers of most concern to the Steelers report to St. Vincent College in Latrobe are these: nine regulars and two other key contributors are 30 or older.
That's an indication the window of opportunity may close soon on this current group of Steelers, following losses in the AFC championship game in the 2001 season and the divisional playoffs last season. Among the plus-30 group are quarterback Tommy Maddox, running back Jerome Bettis, tight ends Mark Bruener and Jay Riemersma, center Jeff Hartings, Washington and Alexander. Scott will be 29 when the season starts.
What the Steelers don't know is whether they've reached their prime years or are past their prime.
Improved competition
One thing is certain: the Steelers won't go into this season as the overwhelming favorite to win the AFC, as they were a year ago when they returned nearly intact from 2001. They're favored in the AFC North, but the Browns appear to be a lot closer in talent than they were at the start of last season.
"That is fine," Cowher said, referring to the lack of hype compared to a year ago. "There is enough experience with this football team. ... If you have never been there, it is hard to draw on something you have no experience with. We have guys who have been there and recognize what perspective is all about."
The players must report by 6 p.m. today, but won't work out until Sunday, the first day camp is open to the public. The running drills Cowher traditionally uses to open camp will be Saturday.