Peter Diana, Post-Gazette Defensive end Rodney Bailey stops Baltimore Ravens running back Jamal Lewis in the fourth quarter of a game during Bailey's first stint with the Steelers in 2002. Click photo for larger image. Related article Steelers adding 700 Heinz Field club seats

The Steelers dug into their past to add depth to their defensive line when they signed defensive end Rodney Bailey to a one-year contract yesterday.

They also are trying to keep starting cornerback Deshea Townsend, who spent yesterday visiting the New England Patriots. He is the only Steelers starter left who is an unrestricted free agent.

Next week they might turn their attention to adding veteran depth at wide receiver. The Steelers have talked to the agent for Tim Dwight, an unrestricted free agent from the New England Patriots, about making a visit next week.

The Steelers will have to compete with the Patriots for Townsend. New England has tried to improve its cornerback play the past few years. They released cornerback Tyrone Poole yesterday rather than pay him a $500,000 bonus, and saved about $2 million in salary cap space.

"We're getting down to nut-crunching time,'' said Towsend's agent, Peter Schaffer. "There are a lot of great opportunities out there. He will make the best decision for him and his family.''

Townsend, 30, started the past 1 1/2 seasons at cornerback and has been with the Steelers since they drafted him in 1998.

Dwight, 30, averaged 17.5 yards on 19 catches with the Patriots last season (16.0 average for his career) and scored three touchdowns. He is a versatile player, although not in Antwaan Randle El's category. He averaged 8.5 yards on 32 punt returns for the Patriots last season and 9.7 yards in his eight-year career. He spent his the first three season in Atlanta and the next four in San Diego.

If he joined the Steelers, he could play in the slot, which is where Randle El played when three receivers were on the field. He also was used on reverses during his career.

"We've talked about it; it will happen but there's nothing definite yet," agent Jack Becht said of Dwight visiting the Steelers.

Bailey (6-3, 305) spent his first three seasons with the Steelers after they drafted him in the sixth round in 2001 from Ohio State. New England signed him as a restricted free agent in 2004 and the Steelers declined to match the contract, receiving the Patriots sixth-round pick that year instead.

He never played for the Patriots, who placed him on injured reserve that August with an Achilles' tendon injury. They released him in August and he signed with Seattle in September.

Bailey will compete to back up Brett Keisel at right defensive end, a job Keisel held behind Kimo von Oelhoffen before he left.

NOTES -- Now that he's retired, Jerome Bettis is free to do beer commercials and yesterday he was in Los Angeles filming one for Miller Lite. He follows a long line of former football players who did TV commercials for Lite Beer from Miller, starting in 1973. Steelers Hall of Famer Ernie Stautner and Steel Curtain defensive end L.C. Greenwood were among them.