National Football League

Even during draft, ex-Steelers keep returning

Published Apr. 24, 2010 11:19 p.m. ET

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The NFL draft is supposed to be about the new. New players. New hope for downtrodden teams. The unofficial start to a new season.

Apparently the Pittsburgh Steelers didn't get the message. On the final day of the NFL's inaugural three-day draft, they brought back yet another familiar face for what already is being called the 2010 Steelers Reunion Tour.

Bryant McFadden, a starting cornerback in the Super Bowl team 15 months ago but a flop after signing with Arizona, became the latest ex-Steeler to be brought back by Pittsburgh. He was reacquired Saturday at a modest cost, a fifth-round pick, and the Steelers also gained a sixth-round pick they used on Central Michigan wide receiver Antonio Brown.

A number of longtime Steelers players - Joey Porter, Dan Kreider, Clark Haggans, Sean Morey among them - made the move West to play for former Pittsburgh offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt's Cardinals. McFadden is the first to make the return trip.

``It's a shocking feeling ... It was unexpected,'' McFadden said. ``A got a few phone calls (Friday) and my eyes got opened about the situation. ... It's kind of like 'wow.' ``

McFadden, who was due $4.75 million next season, agreed to a three-year contract despite not making an interception last season. The Steelers didn't want both projected starting cornerbacks, Ike Taylor and McFadden, playing out their contracts in the same season.

They were expected to land a cornerback during the draft, but certainly not this cornerback.

``He played on two world championship teams here,'' coach Mike Tomlin said. ``We know the player, and we know the person. We followed that in several instances during the offseason, guys who understand what it means to be a Pittsburgh Steeler.''

Once known as a franchise that never brought back players once they left, the Steelers have re-signed wide receiver Antwaan Randle El and inside linebacker Larry Foote and traded for McFadden and quarterback Byron Leftwich since early March. Foote, McFadden and Leftwich also played on the Steelers' Super Bowl-winning team during the 2008 season.

``I thought our reunion would be eight or nine years down the line,'' McFadden said. ``I guess it's coming a little early.''

Hmm, what's next, Jerome Bettis making a comeback?

No, the Bus won't be returning, but the Steelers now have the Diesel.

The most intriguing of their seven picks Saturday was sixth-rounder Jonathan Dwyer, a productive runner at Georgia Tech in need of polishing. Seen as a possible second- or third-round pick by some scouts, Dwyer experienced one of the steepest freefalls of any draft pick.

``There are some things he needs to work on,'' running backs coach Kirby Wilson said.

Getting into the end zone isn't one of them. The 5-foot-11, 229-pound Dwyer rushed for 3,329 yards, a 6.4 yards per carry average and 35 touchdowns in Georgia Tech's triple-option offense.

``I was surprised I lasted that long, but I'm glad the Steelers believed in me,'' Dwyer said.

If nothing else, the Steelers believed in linebackers, too.

They repeatedly passed up obvious needs at cornerback and the defensive line to keep taking linebackers. So many that linebackers coach Keith Butler joked, ``Contrary to public opinion, I don't have photos of coach Tomlin.''

The Steelers chose Jason Worilds of Virginia Tech in the second round, Thaddeus Gibson of Ohio State in the fourth and Stevenson Sylvester of Utah in the sixth. Sylvester, the only projected inside linebacker of the group, met briefly with the Steelers at the scouting combine and had no idea they might draft him.

``I just filled out a card with my information and sent them a highlight tape, and I guess they liked me,'' Sylvester said.

With no proven backups behind starters James Harrison and LaMarr Woodley, the Steelers felt more urgency to draft outside linebackers that they did inside linebackers. That's one reason why they passed up Penn State linebacker Sean Lee in the second round to choose Worilds.

They also added two wide receivers who thrived in pass-heavy offenses, third-rounder Emmanuel Sanders of SMU and Brown, who caught a school-record 110 passes last season in the Mid-American Conference.

Goodbye Santonio Holmes, who was cast off to the Jets for a fifth-round pick. Hello, Antonio Brown.

The Steelers also emphasized special teams, picking Worilds, Gibson, Sanders, Brown in part because they can cover kicks. They allowed a league-high four kickoff return touchdowns last season.

``We hope they're capable kick-coverage men,'' Tomlin said of the new linebackers. ``Then we'll get to see if they're capable of rushing the passer.''

They also chose Tennessee offensive tackle Chris Scott and Clemson cornerback Crezdon Butler on the fifth round and a second Ohio State player, defensive lineman Doug Worthington, on the seventh. Director of football operations Kevin Colbert said the Buckeyes' defense is most like the Steelers' of any major college team.

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