LATROBE - The Pittsburgh Steelers' tight ends caught 22 passes last season. This year, they catch that many in a morning practice.

"It's really no big thing," said quarterback Charlie Batch. "Right now, that's the way our defense plays them. It allows us to work those routes."

The Steelers - from Batch to offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt to tight end Jerame Tuman - downplay the increased workload. But the production is difficult to ignore.

"(Matt) Kranchick caught one. Tuman caught one. Heath (Miller) caught one," Whisenhunt said after Wednesday morning's workout. And Whisenhunt was only talking about the final segment of practice, the team scrimmage.

"But they're not game-planning us on defense," he said. "So this is the way it's starting out. Our quarterbacks are making the reads as they come open."

The Steelers have invested heavily at the position.

They drafted Miller in the first round. Last year's sixth-round pick, Kranchick, seems to have improved. And last year's late-season addition, Walter Rasby, is a blocking star in one-on-one drills. Marco Battaglia, a free-agent acquisition this year, ended Wednesday's practice with a catch and long run.

Since Mark Bruener's rookie year in 1995, Steelers tight ends have combined to make more than 24 catches only once - in 1999.

Miller, who caught an ACC record 144 passes during at Virginia, could top that mark by himself this year.

"He's doing great," said Tuman. "He's a very intelligent kid and he's a real good guy. And he's a good athlete. He'll definitely help us out."

Miller was asked to predict his production, but he answered like he was born to play for the Steelers.

"Well, we have a number of weapons on offense and it all starts with the running game," said the 6-foot-5 rookie. "It's what we have to establish first and then we'll just play off of that."

Tuman remains the starter as he enters his seventh season. He's added some muscle and shaved his head, which, if nothing else, makes him look more menacing off the field.

Tuman was the target of the first play of training camp. He dived to catch a short pass from Ben Roethlisberger, but it doesn't mean Tuman expects to improve on his nine catches from last season. He expects much of the same with the position's overall production.

"Here's the way it goes," he said. "They're not focused on trying to get the ball to the tight ends. Early in camp you see a lot more of it because of the progression of our plays that go in and you'll see a lot more passes going to the tight end. As we get further into camp and we get our whole playbook in, you'll see it spread around probably a little more back to normal.

"I don't see them trying to concentrate on one particular guy. I really believe they're trying to get the ball to the open guy and that's how we're going to play it."

Notes:

Roethlisberger was kicked by running back Jerome Bettis in the calf during Thursday's practice and sustained what he termed "a charley horse." Coach Bill Cowher said "it was all right." Roethlisberger didn't miss any snaps. ... Running back Duce Staley missed his second consecutive practice with a swollen knee and isn't expected to return until Saturday. "He's fine. He had a little bit of it drained yesterday, but he's fine. Nothing that we haven't done in the past. We'll monitor that and he'll be back out here Saturday," Cowher said. ... Reserve defensive end Travis Kirschke will be out until next week with a sore back.