▁Although ▁Parker ▁would ▁play ▁sp aring ly ▁his ▁ro ok ie ▁season , ▁he ▁would ▁become ▁a ▁major ▁component ▁of ▁the ▁off ense ▁in ▁the ▁future . ▁The ▁team ▁also ▁signed ▁veter an ▁pun ter ▁Chris ▁Gard ock i ▁( re le asing ▁long time ▁pun ter ▁Josh ▁Miller ▁in ▁the ▁process ), ▁who ▁up ▁to ▁that ▁point ▁was ▁best ▁remembered ▁by ▁Ste el ers ▁fans ▁for ▁f li pping ▁head ▁coach ▁Bill ▁Cow her ▁the ▁finger ▁twice ▁on ▁live ▁TV ▁after ▁being ▁le ve led ▁by ▁Jo ey ▁Por ter ▁while ▁Gard ock i ▁was ▁with ▁the ▁Cleveland ▁Brow ns . ▁( P orter ▁would ▁be ▁pen al ized ▁for ▁rough ing ▁the ▁pun ter .) ▁Gard ock i ▁was ▁f ined ▁$ 5 , 0 0 0 ▁for ▁the ▁incident , ▁and ▁his ▁signing ▁by ▁the ▁team ▁made ▁him ▁the ▁only ▁player ▁to ▁have ▁played ▁for ▁Cow her ▁and ▁give ▁him ▁an ▁ex ple t ive ▁in ▁public . ▁ ▁The ▁most ▁notable ▁releases ▁made ▁in ▁the ▁off season ▁included ▁re le asing ▁veter an ▁def ensive ▁players ▁Jason ▁G ild on ▁and ▁D ew ay ne ▁Washington , ▁who ▁both ▁would ▁subsequently ▁sign ▁with ▁the ▁Jackson ville ▁J agu ars ▁and ▁would ▁both ▁play ▁against ▁the ▁Ste el ers ▁in ▁Week ▁ 1 3 . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁personnel ▁department , ▁the ▁Ste el ers ▁went ▁back ▁to ▁the ▁future ▁with ▁the ▁return ▁of ▁" Me an ▁Joe " ▁Gre ene ▁and ▁Dick ▁Le Be au ▁to ▁the ▁organization .