PITTSBURGH - Spring practice ended Thursday for the Pittsburgh Steelers, but Bill Cowher already is making plans for training camp. Call it a blueprint.

"It's not like we're building this big building and starting at floor three and just finishing this thing off," said Cowher. "We're back at the foundation. We're back at the bottom ground, building our way up."

It was Cowher's way of stressing that his Steelers are no longer a 15-1 team.

"The bottom line is, we were 1-1 in the postseason," he said. "We've got to do better than that. It doesn't mean there are any guarantees that you get to the postseason. We've got to go back up to training camp and create that foundation."

Training camp doesn't begin for another seven weeks at St. Vincent College in Latrobe, but Cowher warned players not to take it easy until July 31.

He's given players such as running back Jerome Bettis and nose tackle Casey Hampton weight goals and told the players to work on conditioning.

"This is not the time to relax," Cowher said. "They've had their off time. You can't do that. It's around the corner."

Cowher said Bettis is "not where he needs to be" but he believes that the running back will show up for his 13th NFL season in shape.

Hampton participated in the past four weeks of spring drills but did not take part in any team drills. He's still recovering from an ACL injury that knocked him out of the final 10 regular-season games and the playoffs last season.

He was replaced by Chris Hoke, who on Wednesday signed a two-year contract extension. The 29-year-old Hoke becomes only the third defensive lineman the Steelers will have locked up beyond the 2005 season.

"We're going to attempt to get as many people as we can signed to extensions and hopefully get our draft picks in on time," Cowher said.

Meanwhile, the Steelers haven't reached a deal with wide receiver Hines Ward, whose contract expires after the upcoming season.

Welding together an offensive line will likely be one of the Steelers' key tasks during training camp.

Pittsburgh lost right tackle Oliver Ross and right guard Keydrick Vincent in free agency. They'll be replaced by second-year pro Max Starks and former starter Kendall Simmons, who missed last season with a torn ACL.

The Steelers drafted Trai Essex out of Northwestern in the third round last year, but he only appeared for the three-day minicamp this spring. NFL rules prohibit players who have not graduated from attending organized team activities until the school's final exams have been completed.

Pro Bowl left guard Alan Faneca also missed most of the spring practices due to the birth of his first child on Friday, but Cowher said he's not worried.

Overall, Cowher said, the offseason has gone well.

"The work that's been done on the field has been very good. It's been focused work. There's been good energy," he said.