There were not very many big backs out there this year?

No, there weren't very many big backs out there. They were mostly around 210 (lbs), small guys. This guy and about two or three other guys were the only big ones out there.

What do you like about him?

Cedric is a good player. He has been a very productive back there. They had a two back system where he played with another guy a lot and split time but he is very effective once you get down into the red zone. He is a powerful back. He can catch the ball. He is not a burner. He doesn't have Willie Parker speed but he breaks tackles and makes yards after contact. He is a good solid player.

Is he a pile mover?

Yes, he'll move the pile. He makes yards after contact. You get him down in the red zone and he doesn't have to run that far. He has been really productive on the goal line for them and if things work out like they did with Jerome (Bettis) last year he may be the guy to fill that role.

You guys got a lot of offensive players this year. Were you doing a lot politicing back there?

No, not really. That is just the way they fell I guess. But it is an unusual amount of offensive players for us. We were trying to replace some of the things we need I guess. No, we weren't doing much politicing.

Will he be looked at as a backup fullback?

No. He is a running back. He hasn't played fullback as far as I know. All the film I have seen he has always been a running back. He plays between 220 and 225 pounds so he really isn't a 245 -250 pound guy to stick him in there as a fullback. We signed a couple of fullbacks as free agents so we are going into camp this year with probably more fullbacks than we have since I have been here. We usually go in there with just two fullbacks and a tight end or something but right now we have four guys on the roster in the fullback spot. He will strictly be a running back.

Any reason for all the fullbacks?

No we always had a guy like a Matt Cushing, where we used a tight end as a fullback. We have some room this year because of the players that are in Europe, you are granted more room on the squad and so we just thought that fullback was a spot where we needed another guy. It will take some of the load off Danny (Kreider) so he doesn't have to take so many snaps at training camp.

Does Duce (Staley) get first crack at Bettis' role?

Yes, but Verron Haynes is still in the mix. Don't forget about Verron. Verron is a very good short-yardage runner and a goal-line guy. When we would have goal line practices at training camp, Verron stuck it up there pretty good and has done some good things.  Willie is the guy coming into camp and you have Duce and Verron so they all will get a shot at that role.

Is Verron capable of doing both 3rd down and short yardage runs?

Yes. Sure, don't count him out, but we are hoping that Duce does. You are hoping that you have Willie and Duce will take that role that Jerome had and Verron will be your third down guy. And we'll see where this guy fits in. It's going to be his chance to move one of those guys out.

Did you get away from some fullback formations last year?

It's about the same as we have done in the past. We have been one back a lot in the past too. No I think it was about the same. Not a whole lot of difference but what we probably did was go in with just one back and then use one of those tight ends as a fullback. We would line up in what would look like a two back formation but with a tight end playing fullback.

Why did he slip to the end of the 7th round?

Probably speed. Like I said he is not a real fast guy that's probably why he slipped down there a little bit because he has been very productive. The other things are that there have been a lot of those backs if you look at the draft this year that have kind of slipped this year. There is a back from Arizona that is pretty good. There is one from Utah out there that is pretty good and they haven't been taken yet. What the reason is, I don't know.

Can you compare him to Noah Herron?

I think that Cedric is probably a little bit stronger. He is more use to running out of the I-formation and Noah wasn't. Noah did a good job for us. But Noah was one of those guys that ran out of that college spread formation that everybody is using and this guy has run more out of the things that we are going to ask him to do out of the I-formation and the pro style offense.

Would you like to get a veteran running back before camp?

I know what you are eluding to. I don't know what we are going to do. I'm the wrong guy to ask. Don't ask me that question. You are going to have to ask someone else that question.

What are you thoughts on not getting LenDale White?

I think that he is a very good player. He fell because of a lot of rumors were out about him and that is why he fell so low. He is a first round back. If you get somebody like that didn't have any of those types of problems would have been great but that's all passed now. He is a great player. We had him in here. We talked to him. He was very intelligent. He knows football and he did a good job in his interview here.

Is he much of a receiver out of the backfield?

They don't throw to him a lot but they have thrown to him and he has good hands. In his workout in Indy he showed that he can catch the football. He has pretty good hands. And if you look here we don't throw the ball deep down the field to backs. We are going to throw a screen or a check-down and see if you can run after the catch.