Matt Freed, Post-Gazette Marvel Smith (77) is the latest to restructure his contract for the Steelers. Click photo for larger image.

The Steelers have restructured the contract of another player -- Pro Bowl offensive tackle Marvel Smith -- in an attempt to create more room under the salary cap, even though they have no immediate plans to sign anyone in free agency.

Smith, 26, who made the Pro Bowl in his first full season as a starter at left tackle, restructured his deal to free nearly $2.55 million in salary-cap money. Smith was due to earn $3.95 million in salary in 2005, but he will be paid the minimum $540,000 in salary and receive the remaining $3.4 million in signing bonus.

Counting the past three seasons, Smith has received slightly more than $11 million in bonus money -- $6 million when he signed a six-year contract in 2003, $1.7 million last year when he agreed to restructure his deal and $3.4 million in 2005.

Smith becomes the fifth player since the end of the 2004 season to restucture his contract to create more spending money for the Steelers. The others were running back Duce Staley, center Jeff Hartings, and linebackers James Farrior and Clark Haggans.

Those moves have allowed the Steelers to save more than $7.5 million in salary cap money since the end of the season.

Of course, the Steelers need to create some extra room because they want to sign Hines Ward, their four-time Pro Bowl receiver, to a contract extension.

Ward, who has a year remaining on his contract, has been told his contract will be a "priority" for Steelers management before the 2005 season.

The Steelers considered signing another free agent during the week -- former Detroit Lions offensive tackle Stockar McDougle -- but he signed with the Miami Dolphins. They exchanged contract offers with New England Patriots tackle/guard Adrian Klemm but did not actively seek to sign him because of concerns the team had over Klemm's repeated injury problems.

Klemm signed Thursday with the Green Bay Packers.

The Steelers are seeking a backup lineman after losing guard Keydrick Vincent (Baltimore) and tackle Oliver Ross (Arizona) in free agency. Vincent and Ross started all 18 games in 2004.

The Steelers have signed one player in free agency -- receiver Cedrick Wilson from the San Francisco 49ers, who was brought in to replace Plaxico Burress.

Wilson, though, was signed nearly two weeks before Burress, an unrestricted free agent, agreed to a six-year, $25 million contract Thursday with the New York Giants. The Steelers would have considered re-signing Burress to a lesser contract if he failed to sign with another team, but they were not going to make a financial commitment to ensure keeping him.

The Steelers also brought in two tight ends this week -- Marcellus Rivers of the Giants and Marco Battaglia, who played briefly with the Steelers in 2002 -- but they did not offer either player a contract. They are looking for a tight end to replace Jay Riemersma, who was released earlier this month along with cornerback Chad Scott.