Jerame Tuman came to terms yesterday on a three-year, $4.25 million contract to remain the Steelers' No. 2 tight end behind Heath Miller.

Tuman, who turns 30 a week from tomorrow, received a $900,000 signing bonus and annual salaries of $750,000, $1.2 million and $1.4 million.

He has started 50 games and played in 100 in seven years, all with the Steelers, who drafted him in 1999. He caught three passes last season but plays often as a blocker when they use two tight ends.

They also came to terms with their veteran backup offensive tackle Barrett Brooks, an unrestricted free agent, and signed first-year fullback Brandon Joe.

In one more move, they claimed veteran fullback Doug Easlick off waivers from San Francisco.

Bailey to back up Keisel

The Steelers expect to sign one of their former players, defensive end Rodney Bailey, to a contract this week. Bailey, who paid them a visit yesterday, is an unrestricted free agent from the Seattle Seahawks.

Drafted by the Steelers in 2001, Bailey signed as a restricted free agent with New England in 2004. The Patriots released him, and he played in Seattle last season. He will back up new starter Brett Keisel on the right side.

Hope becomes a Titan

One day after the Steelers signed Ryan Clark of the Washington Redskins to replace him, Chris Hope signed a six-year contract with the Tennessee Titans.

Hope started the past two years at free safety for the Steelers.

"They said that I was their main priority and I know that they would've liked to have me back," Hope said at a news conference in Nashville. "I have a lot of great friends over there. It's kind of sad leaving, but this is a new opportunity for me, and I'm going to try to do the same thing I did there and try to turn this program around, especially in the secondary."

Salary-cap shuffle

The Steelers were $8 million under the salary cap yesterday morning before several transactions were recorded in the league office.

Among those not yet counted (and their salary cap numbers for 2006 when available) are Jerame Tuman ($1.05 million), Brett Keisel ($1.5 million), Barrett Brooks, Rodney Bailey, Ryan Clark and Jeff Hartings.

All will lower the club's available salary-cap room except for Hartings, who took a pay cut from his $4.75 million compensation due this year and had his contract extended by one year to 2007. Hartings' new contract reduced his salary and roster bonus from $4.75 million to $2.2 million; he also received a signing bonus of $1.75 million. His salary in 2007 is $3.6 million.

Director of football operations Kevin Colbert said he did not think the Steelers would have to restructure any more contracts merely to save salary-cap room.

"We restructured and extended Chukky [Okobi] and Jeff. We're good."

Only 51 of the highest contracts count against the salary cap at this time of year. That means every higher contract added replaces a lower one, usually a $275,000 minimum-wage first-year player. Thus, while Tuman, for example, will count $1.05 million against the cap in 2006, the cap room would change by $775,000 (his cap number less $275,000).

Duce's deal

While Duce Staley's salary was reduced this season by $1 million to $1.5 million, he can make some of that back in performance bonuses.

Staley would receive $500,000 if he rushed for 1,250 yards, or $250,000 if he rushed for 1,000 yards or $100,000 if he rushed for 900 yards. He would receive $100,000 if he scored nine touchdowns, another $100,000 if he rushed for 500 yards and also caught 35 passes, and another $100,000 if he made the Pro Bowl.

Staley's salaries of $2.69 million in 2007 and $2 million in 2008 were untouched by the restructured deal.

Adding draft picks

Kevin Colbert thinks the Steelers will pick up three compensatory draft picks when they are issued by the league later this month. Compensatory picks are doled out to teams based on a complicated formula that counts players lost in free agency vs. gains in free agency, the money paid those players and their performance in 2005.

The Steelers have all seven of their draft picks, one in each round.

"We're probably going to have, we hope, 10 draft picks," said Colbert. "We don't know that for sure, but that's kind of our guesstimate. We have a chance to get the extra picks, we don't know where."

Teams cannot use compensatory picks in trades, but they can use their own. Colbert said they will consider doing that to get better draft choices. They have the 32nd and last pick in each round, before the compensatory picks are issued.

"Always. The lower you are the harder it is, but we went from 26 to 16, so we'll always, always investigate that. We'll always investigate the other way, too."

The Steelers traded a third-round pick in 2003 to move 10 spots higher to draft safety Troy Polamalu.

Quick hits

First in line for Antwaan Randle El's job of returning punts will be Ricardo Colclough, Colbert said . ... The Steelers have no interest in Terrell Owens or Keyshwan Johnson.