Steelers director of football operations Kevin Colbert confirms that the Steelers are discussing a new contract with cornerback Ike Taylor:
↵↵↵After getting outside linebacker LaMarr Woodley to sign a franchise tender that would pay him the average of the top five linebackers in the league, the Steelers have turned their attention to re-sign Taylor, their best cornerback. Taylor will be 31 in May.
↵"We're really approaching this one guy at a time," Colbert said.
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Getting Taylor under contract for next year is crucial, as the Steelers have little talent behind him at cornerback. Bryant McFadden struggled through the 2010 season and hardly seems like a long-term answer, and none of the other options (William Gay, Keenan Lewis, Anthony Madison) look especially reliable, either. Taylor is by far their best player there, and even if they're able to retain him, there's still a good chance they could take a cornerback in one of the first two rounds of this year's draft. Signing Taylor would be a big relief for Steelers fans.