He plans to change how he uses both linebackers Kendrell Bell and Joey Porter on passing downs.

Last season, Bell did not play on third downs in their dime defense. He came off the field. That did not prevent him from earning NFL rookie defensive player of the year, nor from making the Pro Bowl. He also tied Porter with nine sacks, second behind Jason Gildon's 12. That's more than any inside linebacker in Steelers history.

Bell will get more opportunities to sack the quarterback this year because not only will he play on third downs, he will move to the top pass-rushing position on the team -- at right end in the four-man line. That's a job Porter has held the past two seasons.

Porter will move to the middle linebacker spot in that dime passing defense. That's a job Earl Holmes and Levon Kirkland have handled in the past. It's also one Greg Lloyd played, moving from his right outside linebacker position -- where Porter plays in their Okie defense -- to the middle in passing situations.

Cowher and his defensive coordinator, Tim Lewis, naturally want Bell on the field at all times. But they don't believe he could handle the pass coverage duties that are required of the middle linebacker in their dime. That player also must call all the plays, and they don't want Bell doing that either.

Porter is a better coverage linebacker. The move could cut down on Porter's sacks and it will increase the opportunities Bell has of rushing the quarterback. Both players have accepted the idea.

"Whatever they want me to do to try to help the team win," Porter said, "whether it's covering or rushing. Wherever they put me, I'll have to get the job done."

Porter is working on a one-year, $1.227 million contract tendered him as a restricted free agent. The Steelers would like to negotiate a longer deal with him, but if they can't they have no strong candidate to step in for him in 2003. However, if Bell shows he can play the position in the dime defense, he could move to outside linebacker fulltime if they lose Porter and find no one to replace him.

That's not why they are making the move, though. They want to keep both linebackers on the field on passing downs, in addition to Pro Bowler Jason Gildon. In their dime defense, the two outside linebackers move to end to join two tackles to form what in essence is a 4-1-6 alignment.

However, they also have a 3-2 in which the right outside linebacker steps behind one of the tackles. Porter and Bell would play next to each other behind the line in that defense.

"We'd like to think if you have Kendrell and Joey standing up, both those guys can drop and both those guys can rush," Cowher said.

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