Santonio Holmes was talking after practice about how tough it is being a rookie in the NFL. For a brief moment yesterday, his life became a little easier.

	Peter Diana, Post-Gazette Chidi Iwuoma, right, breaks up pass intended for Santonio Holmes yesterday. Click photo for larger image.

Holmes, the Steelers' No. 1 draft choice, had a charge of disorderly conduct in Miami Beach, Fla., dropped in exchange for a $250 donation to the Police Officers Assistance Trust Fund. Holmes had pleaded not guilty to charges he blocked traffic and refused to obey a police order at 3:30 a.m. May 27 in the South Beach section of Miami Beach.

Holmes, from Belle Glade, Fla., did not appear in court.

"I'm happy that it's over with," he said. "Now I can look forward to just playing football."

Holmes' legal problems are not over. He is scheduled to stand trial Aug. 15 in Columbus, Ohio, on charges of domestic violence and assault against the mother of his third child. Both charges are first-degree misdemeanors.

Holmes refused to answer questions about his upcoming case or whether he will have to miss practice to attend the trial, referring queries to his attorney, John Thornton Jr.

An unhappy Cowher

There was no explosion, no tirade, no spittle-flying vitriol against his team.

But when he walked off the field yesterday afternoon, Coach Bill Cowher was irked about what he saw in practice -- the first time since training camp began that he was not pleased with his players' performance.

"They've been up here a week," Cowher said. "It's about time we start raising our standards and holding everybody accountable from this day forward. You can't make the same mistakes. We got to start picking it up a notch."

Farrior did the deed

After further review, tapes of the goal-line drill Wednesday night at Latrobe Stadium showed that inside linebacker James Farrior was the player who hit running back Verron Haynes on fourth down when the first-team offense went against the first-team defense.

"I hit him first, then the bees came swarming after that," Farrior said. "I knew it [Wednesday] night. I was just messing with y'all."

Injury updates

Wide receiver Cedrick Wilson returned to practice yesterday, less than 24 hours after Cowher said he wanted to be cautious with Wilson's Achilles' tendon injury.

"It's hard to sit out and watch guys go through pain," Wilson said. "Everybody has some kind of nick or bruise. It's something I got to push through."

Cornerback Deshea Townsend injured his groin in practice and did not return. Cowher said he will be day to day.

Contract updates

Scott Smith, the agent for cornerback Ike Taylor, visited training camp yesterday but not speak with the Steelers about a new contract for his client.

Taylor, who was second in the NFL in passes defensed (25) last season, said he is confident a deal will be completed before the end of training camp, even though the two sides haven't spoken in several weeks.

Taylor signed a one-year tender in the offseason as a restricted free agent, but he becomes an unrestricted free agent at the end of the 2006 season.

Taylor and running back Willie Parker, who will become a restricted free agent at the end of the season, are the only players the Steelers would like to sign before the end of camp. But the team has had few contract discussions with either player. The club has a policy of not negotiating contracts once the regular season begins unless it is close to a deal with a player.