Temporary inconvenience, permanent improvement.  Or so we hope. 

Dan Sepulveda damaged his ACL yesterday.  A punter isn't the quarterback or a running back or an offensive lineman, but Dan was expected to end all punting woes for the Steelers. 

He did some of that last year.  They actually had traded up to get to him in last year's draft.  He was able to drop a punt inside the 10 and get it to stop close.  He had a booming leg that might just get the opposition to chase after those deep punts rather than circle under and return them.

Still, last year wasn't a terrific year for Sepulveda.  Until now, I thought he was just getting used to the pro game.  Maybe he was just not always on his game.  Come to find out, his ACL has been an issue since he first hurt it in 2006.  He had an operation on it and came back to play four months later.  It hasn't been the same since.

Perhaps the operation he's about to get will be the answer.  He says it really never was quite right after the first operation.  Although the MRI's always indicated the structure was good.  Hopefully, this one will take better.  And he won't be rushed back into action. 

This does add an issue to a team that already had issues.  Another bad thing for an already bad special teams unit was far from what they needed.  It could be that his replacement will make it easier for the Steelers to cover punts.  Last year they were lousy at it.  Paul Ernster has been signed off of waivers from Detroit.  His numbers are unspectacular.  He's kicked in the NFL before, so he should be able to get the basics done. 

With the roster limitations of the new season, only 80 are in camp, the Steelers chose to use just one punter in camp.  One would hope that the other teams were using two.  And that before the beginning of the season, a decent one presents himself. 

In '06, Ernster kicked for Denver.  One of the other skills he possesses is kickoffs.  He had 19 touchbacks on his kickoffs that year.  The Steelers have never had a kicker who could put the ball in the end zone consistently.  It would be a benefit to the Steelers to have someone who could kick deep on kickoffs.  Then Jeff Reed could just do the placement kicks.

The Steelers have never treated kicking like it was important.  When they finally spent draft picks to get a good punter, they got one that may be damaged.  Perhaps this operation will solve his trouble for years to come.