The Steelers signed their seventh free agent on Wednesday, agreeing to a one-year deal with five-year veteran WR Darrius Heyward-Bey. The speedy receiver played for the Indianapolis Colts last season, starting 11 games and catching 29 passes for 309 yards and one touchdown.
Heyward-Bey was chosen by the Oakland Raiders with the No. 7 overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft. It was a very controversial draft pick for Oakland, who were intrigued by the 4.23 40-yard dash the Maryland product ran at the NFL Combine. Heyward-Bey never lived up to his potential for the Raiders, starting 52 games and posting 140 catches for 2,071 yards and 11 touchdowns in four seasons. The Raiders released him prior to last season, and he signed on with the Colts.
Heyward-Bey joins a rebuilt wide receiver corps in Pittsburgh that will include Pro Bowler Antonio Brown, second-year WR Markus Wheaton, newly-signed WR Lance Moore and Rochester (Pa.) High School product Derek Moye. Moye saw very limited action in 2013, but has the size to be a potential red-zone target. The Steelers still seem set on using a high draft pick in the 2014 NFL Draft on a young wide receiver. Heyward-Bey still has the speed that intrigued late Raiders owner Al Davis, but he has never been able to catch the ball consistently enough to be considered any more than a part-time contributor. In 2013, he was given a chance to become a vital part of an Indianapolis passing attack led by Pro Bowl QB Andrew Luck. After dropping nine passes through the first ten weeks of the season, the Colts phased him out. He spent the rest of 2013 on the kick and punt return coverage teams for Indianapolis.
After the signings of Heyward-Bey and CB Brice McCain on Monday, the Steelers do not seem to have any more flexibility under the salary cap. However, they have managed to work the last two signings in despite being less than $1 million away from the cap, so at this point it wouldn’t be surprising to see them make another move. The Steelers will receive another $8 million in salary cap relief on June 2, when the release of OLB LaMarr Woodley becomes official. With DE Brett Keisel still on the market and no sign of any interest from other teams, Pittsburgh could potentially bring the veteran defensive end back once that money frees up.
