Haggans out 4 weeks after surgery on hand

Haggans was expected to start after signing contract.
PITTSBURGH (AP) -- Clark Haggans must wait at least a month longer than expected to replace Pittsburgh Steelers career sacks leader Jason Gildon at inside linebacker.
Haggans needed surgery last week to repair a broken right hand sustained during a weightlifting accident and will miss at least the first four weeks of training camp. Two pins were placed in the hand during the operation.
The Steelers hope to get Haggans back by Aug. 19, or two days before they play the Houston Texans in the third of their four exhibition games.
"Giving him two weeks before the season starts, hopefully he'll be able to get his timing back," coach Bill Cowher said Monday. "He'll be able to run ... he'll be able to do a lot of things conditioning-wise that should allow him to not have to worry about that."
Locked up Haggans
The Steelers initially wanted to replace Gildon with Colts free agent linebacker Marcus Washington, but he signed with the Redskins for much more money than Pittsburgh offered. The Steelers then signed the 6-foot-4, 243-pound Haggans to a $10.2 million, four-year contract extension that included a $3 million signing bonus.
Once they locked up Haggans, the Steelers released Gildon, a longtime starter who set their career sacks record of 77 last season. Gildon subsequently signed with the Buffalo Bills.
Haggans has started four games in four NFL seasons, two last year after inside linebacker Joey Porter was shot the weekend before the NFL season started. Haggans had 11 tackles, one sack and a forced fumble during those two starts.
Coincidentally, Haggans and Porter both played at Colorado State and attended the Rams' game against Colorado on the night Porter was shot while standing outside a Denver nightclub. After Porter returned, Haggans played mostly on special teams the rest of the season.
Until Haggans is ready, 2003 second-round draft pick Alonzo Jackson will get substantial work with the starting defense, and rookie Nathaniel Adibi from Virginia Tech will also get more practice time.
"It's going to expedite their progress," Cowher said. "They're going to be forced to get a lot of repetition. We're going to throw them in there, and, hopefully in the long run, it's going to help us."
Jackson, from Florida State, never got off the bench after the first two games last season.
"It was just a numbers thing," Cowher said. "I didn't have the luxury of carrying eight linebackers. I know he was disappointed after he played the first couple of games, but when Joey came back, it did not allow us to carry him."