Gardocki is being pressed by Barr for punting job

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Chris Gardocki has his work cut out to beat out challenger Mike Barr.

LATROBE, Pa. (AP) — All but three of the Pittsburgh Steelers' starters are back from their Super Bowl championship team, one of the main reasons why they are expected to contend for another title this season.

That doesn't mean all of those starters' jobs are safe.

Chris Gardocki, a punter so reliable he never has had one of his 1,112 punts in the NFL blocked, would seem to be safe from competition. Coach Bill Cowher covets players who perform their jobs with a minimum of errors and are productive in big games.

No problems there for Gardocki, who averaged 48.7 yards on six punts in the Super Bowl and had an excellent run during the playoffs. His 37.2 yards per punt net average ranked fourth.

Despite his consistency and durability, the 36-year-old Gardocki is being pushed in training camp by Mike Barr, a former Rutgers punter who is nine years younger but has been unable to find work in the NFL. He was cut by Pittsburgh each of the last two seasons and was released by the Washington Redskins and New York Jets in 2003.

Barr challenging Gardocki

This camp may be different.

Barr has frequently out-kicked Gardocki during practice and, for a team that doesn't have much salary camp room, offers more financial flexibility. Gardocki would make $1,088,000 this season, with a salary cap value of $1.3 million, or about $1 million more than Barr's cap value would be.

"I feel like, yes, this could be it," Barr said Monday. "I feel confident in my game right now. I feel like I'm ready to be a professional athlete."

Also, teams always worry about keeping a player such as a quarterback, kicker or a punter, one who relies almost exclusively on an accurate arm or leg, a year too long. The question is whether Cowher is reluctant to cut a player as dependable as Gardocki for one with no NFL track record.

"I like Mike Barr," Cowher said. "He's got a very powerful leg. He's also done a good job holding. There's no question he's a guy that we'll take a strong look at."

Two years ago, Cowher pushed the Steelers to sign Gardocki, even though predecessor Josh Miller was better statistically. Miller ranked fourth in the league last year with a 45.1 average for the New England Patriots; Gardocki was 23rd with a 41.8 average.

Barr has good game

Barr averaged 49 yards on three punts Saturday at Arizona, the best average in the league so far for a punter with multiple attempts. Gardocki had a 59-yard thump on his only attempt, but it was returned for 28 yards by the Cardinals.

"I've had situational punts, I've gotten the team out of trouble, I've pinned teams down deep inside 10," said Barr, whose 40.2 average is the best in Rutgers history. "I've handled every situational punt well. I've got a lot of confidence in myself in those kicks, and I've got a lot of reps doing it."

Gardocki has long been one of the NFL's best punters, though he wasn't last season, at least not statistically. His net average of 34.7 yards was 29th in the league, even though he was 11th in punts placed inside the 20-yard line.

Barr has punted the last three springs in NFL Europe, averaging 37.8 yards (2006), 39.4 (2005) and 38.9 (2004). However, European playing fields are not always comparable to those in NFL stadiums.

"That's the minor leagues to me," Barr said. "I want to be the No. 1 guy in a big time league."

Tuesday, August 15, 2006