Timmons, the team's first-round draft pick in Mike Tomlin's first year as coach in 2007, will join forces with their second pick from last season, linebacker LaMarr Woodley, to impact a pass rush that managed just 36 sacks last season.

Those are the fewest since Dick LeBeau returned as the team's defensive coordinator in 2004. Timmons, drafted as an outside linebacker, has been converted to inside and is competing with Larry Foote at the mack position, where Foote has started the past four years.

Timmons has put on a display of lightning quickness and brute force through the first week of training camp. It culminated in a night practice Friday in which he went unblocked in a blitz-pickup drill by various running backs.

Privately, the coaches have been thrilled with how he's looked through the first week, particularly since he added seven pounds to 243 and lost no quickness. They are more cautious with their public words because they don't want him to think he's arrived yet.

"There's been a leap in terms of knowledge of the defense," linebackers coach Keith Butler said. "And there are some things you just can't coach, of course. We see that, but he has a long way to go."

Foote certainly knows that defense -- he hasn't missed a start in four years. But he also knows what's behind him and has said it's inevitable for Timmons to take his spot.

"The coaches haven't addressed it to me in that manner," Foote said. "I just perceive that and I just knew that, soon as they put him behind me."

Unlike Timmons, there's no pretense with Woodley getting a starting job. They made no offer to their longtime starting left outside linebacker, Clark Haggans, and he signed as an unrestricted free agent with the Cardinals. Woodley moved right into that spot.

Last season, Woodley played only 80 defensive snaps yet had four sacks, then added two more in a playoff loss to Jacksonville. Teammates have predicted he'll get at least 10 -- no Steeler has double figures since Joey Porter racked up 10.5 in 2005.

"I like LaMarr's pass rush," said Pro Bowl right outside linebacker James Harrison, the team MVP last season and leading sacker with 8.5. "He has a good speed rush and has a lot of strength and weight to go around the corner.

"He complements me and I complement him. It's going to get to a point where, just by me and him rushing, offenses may have to keep two backs in just to keep us off the edges, and that helps out our covering DBs and inside linebackers. Everything rolls downhill."

The addition of Woodley on the outside and Timmons on the inside should give offenses much more to think about as LeBeau wields them in his zone-blitz defense.

CAMP CALENDAR: Players reported to Saint Vincent College in Latrobe July 27. They have an evening practice Aug. 5 on campus. All other practices that are open to the public start at 2:55 p.m. No scrimmages are scheduled. The last practice at camp is Aug. 17.

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