The Pittsburgh Steelers continue to entertain and ink free agents, despite being the owners of a razor-thin salary cap margin. On Tuesday, the Steelers signed CB Brice McCain to a one-year, $730,000 contract. McCain also received a $65,000 signing bonus. The former Houston Texan will only count $635,000 against the teams salary cap in 2014 after being designated as a minimum salary benefit player.
McCain was drafted by Houston in the sixth-round of the 2009 NFL Draft. He played collegiately at the University of Utah, where he was a two-time All-Mountain West Conference selection (2007, 2008). He tallied 103 career tackles and three interceptions. In five seasons with the Texans, McCain played in 72 games, starting 10. He has five career interceptions and one defensive touchdown. A 5-foot, 9-inch, 185-pound corner, McCain will be used primarily as a nickel cornerback and special teams contributor.
In another attempt to shore up their depleted wide receiver corps, the Steelers will meet with WR Darrius Heyward-Bey on Wednesday. A former first-round draft pick of the Oakland Raiders in 2009, Heyward-Bey played four seasons in Oakland before being released prior to the 2013 season. The University of Maryland product signed a one-year contract with the Indianapolis Colts last offseason and played in all 16 games for them in 2013. In his career, Heyward-Bey has tallied 169 catches for 2,380 yards and 12 touchdowns. His best season came in 2011, when he caught 64 passes for 975 yards and four touchdowns for the Raiders. In a 2012 game against the Steelers, Heyward-Bey caught 2 passes for 14 yards and a touchdown.
Heyward-Bey was one of the most controversial first-round draft picks in recent memory, being selected seventh overall by the Raiders, despite being universally considered no better than a second-round pick. Wide receivers drafted after Heyward-Bey in that draft included Michael Crabtree (10th overall, San Francisco), Jeremy Maclin (19th overall, Philadelphia), Percy Harvin (22nd overall, Minnesota) and Hakeem Nicks (29th overall, New York Giants).
