Steelers CB Taylor staying

The 31-year defender can’t sign until Friday

Associated Press

PITTSBURGH

Ike Taylor is back with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

How many of the defending AFC champions’ free agents will join the veteran cornerback in training camp remains very much up in the air.

Taylor confirmed the deal on his Twitter page Wednesday morning, 24 hours before the team begins training camp in Latrobe.

“I would like to thank GOD The ROONEY family KEVIN COLBERT COACH TOMLIN MY SUPER AGENT JOEL SEGAL For getting this deal done,” Taylor posted.

The 31-year-old Taylor has developed into a mainstay in the Pittsburgh secondary during his eight-year career.

He finished 61 tackles and two tackles in 2010 while helping the Steelers lead the league in points against.

Under the new collective bargaining agreement, Taylor won’t be able to sign his contract until Friday and join the team on the practice field until Aug. 4.

By then the Steelers hope to have some sense of order following a chaotic scramble to get 90 players into camp following the lengthy work stoppage.

It will certainly be a busy few days. The team is expected to re-sign kicker Shaun Suisham, who made 14 of 15 field goals last year after replacing veteran Jeff Reed in midseason.

The future of other high-profile veterans, namely tackles Willie Colon and Jonathan Scott, is uncertain.

Pittsburgh will need to make some difficult decisions in order to get under the new cap of $120.4 million. The Steelers are approximately $10 million over the cap.

While veterans can’t sign until Friday, the team has been busy attempting to flesh out the roster.

The Steelers have invited 20 rookie free agents to camp, including former Wisconsin running back John Clay.

The team added punter Aaron Bates on Wednesday. He’ll join Jeremy Kapinos, signed last fall after Dan Sepulveda suffered the second major knee injury of his career. Sepulveda’s contract is up and his inability to stay healthy has been an issue.

A day after players were allowed inside team facilities following the end of the lockout, things were quiet on Wednesday at team headquarters.

Several undrafted rookies hung out in the lobby after putting in their paperwork waiting for a ride back to the team hotel.

Players will undergo conditioning tests today, with regular practice expected to start Friday at Saint Vincent College.

Pittsburgh opens the preseason on Aug. 12 at Washington.

Pittsburgh has 14 unrestricted free agents and two restricted free agents, but only one of those players (Taylor) started on offense or defense last season. Team prsident Art Rooney II said he had not yet spoken to commissioner Roger Goodell about any of the Steelers recent potential violations of the league’s personal-conduct policy, he did say that he expected to hear from Goodell soon.

Earlier this month, receiver Hines Ward was arrested on a drunken driving charge, and linebacker James Harrison was quoted in Men’s Journal magazine ripping Goodell in scathing fashion.