John Heller, Post-Gazette Cedrick Wilson -- "I can do it all." Click photo for larger image.

The doors to the Steelers' UPMC complex swing out to open. Yesterday, they took on the form of revolving doors as Cedrick Wilson entered and Kendrell Bell and Plaxico Burress left.

Wilson, a small but speedy receiver, signed a four-year, $8 million contract with a $2 million signing bonus to join the Steelers as a free agent from the San Francisco 49ers.

Bell, the Steelers' dynamic and enigmatic inside linebacker, signed a seven-year contract to become the middle linebacker in the Kansas City Chiefs' 4-3 defense. He received a reported $3.5 million signing bonus with $10 million guaranteed.

Burress hasn't officially left the Steelers, but Wilson's signing guaranteed it. Burress is scheduled to visit the New York Giants today, two days after he failed to show because his agent said he was ill.

Wilson, at 5 feet 10, is 7 1/2 inches shorter than Burress, but his total contract is less than what Burress was demanding in a signing bonus, and the Steelers believe his speed will make up for his size.

"He adds an element of speed, and that's something we want to upgrade," said Kevin Colbert, the Steelers' director of football operations. "And it gives us another threat. Another thing is, getting a guy like Cedrick, he's only 26 years old. So you're getting an experienced guy but an experienced guy with an upside, and that's always a good way to do it."

Wilson and Antwaan Randle El are expected to compete for Burress' old starting job at split end, and the other will move into the slot, which has been Randle El's job the past three seasons.

"Everybody has to fight for a job, and I'm definitely going to fight to start," Wilson said. "That's my goal. I could play outside; I could play inside. It really doesn't matter to me. I can do it all."

Wilson came into his own in his fourth season after the 49ers drafted him in the sixth round from Tennessee in 2001. He caught 47 passes for 641 yards in 15 games last year before his left fibula was broken. It has healed, and the Steelers passed him medically. He also returned kickoffs and punts for the 49ers, mostly in 2003.

Wilson was not bashful about his abilities, either.

"My strength is my quickness and my speed. My stop and start, I think, is better than any receiver's in the National Football League. It's something that I'll definitely be able to show the league, by having a good quarterback with a great running game and a darn good offensive line. And our defense here is awesome and our special teams are awesome. We were only one game away, and we're definitely going to get there."

The Steelers were the only team Wilson visited and, while he met the owners, the coaches and members of the front office, he can't wait to meet his delivery man, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.

"He has a big arm," Wilson said, "and that's something that I think that, with my talent and his arm, we can really make some things happen."

The Steelers wanted a speedy receiver to replace Burress, whose early demands for a contract and his inconsistencies on the field prompted them to look elsewhere.

"That's one of the reasons why I was brought here, to stretch the field," said Wilson, who estimated his 40 speed at 4.3 to 4.4. "That's my deal. I'm a 5-10 receiver and I'm built on speed, and that's what I'm looking to do.

"It allows me to create tons of separation from defensive backs. Definitely with the new rule, those guys can't hold on as much. And fast receivers are becoming lethal weapons in this league."

NOTES -- By signing offensive guard Cosey Coleman of Tampa Bay, the Cleveland Browns no longer are interested in Steelers free-agent guard Keydrick Vincent. Baltimore and Atlanta remain in the market for Vincent, and so are the Steelers, who are trying to convince him to return and compete at right tackle with Max Starks. .... Colbert said while the Steelers might take a step back and look over the field, they are not done in free agency. He said they did not have to restructure any more contracts to fit Wilson under the salary cap but would do something to create more room if they need to. "We're never going to lock ourselves out from a salary-cap standpoint," Colbert said. "You can always make it work."

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