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The Steelers take their first steps to try to replace Joey Porter when they have a look at the guy who was displaced in New England by Adalius Thomas.

Tully Banta-Cain, a 26-year-old outside linebacker with the Patriots, will visit the Steelers tomorrow. He played four years with New England and had 5.5 sacks last season, his first as a starter.

The Patriots signed Thomas over the weekend. He was considered the top free agent outside linebacker after his contract expired with Baltimore.

The Steelers yesterday entertained their first player in free agency when former Pitt punter Andy Lee visited their facility on the South Side. Lee is a restricted free agent with the San Francisco 49ers. If the Steelers sign him, the 49ers would have the right to match the contract. If they declined to match, the Steelers would have to give them a sixth-round draft choice in return.

The Steelers released Porter, who had seven sacks last season, Thursday before a $1 million roster bonus was due him. He had seven sacks.

Banta-Cain, a special teams standout with the Patriots, started five games at outside linebacker in the regular season and recorded 40 tackles in addition to his 5.5 sacks, which were fourth on the team. He had two sacks in New England's playoff win against the Jets, along with three hits on the quarterback.

Steelers football operations director Kevin Colbert acknowledged that the team is thin at outside linebacker after releasing Porter. If the Steelers' want to sign Banta-Cain, they apparently will have competition. Banta-Cain has visited St. Louis and has received a large amount of interest as a free agent.

Banta-Cain, who played at California, was a seventh-round pick by New England in 2003. He is 6 feet 2, 250 pounds.

Lee averaged 44.8 yards on punts last season, sixth in the NFC, kicking half his games in the notorious wind in San Francisco's Monster Park at Candlestick Point. It was his best of three seasons with the 49ers. His 36.8 net average was ninth in the NFC, coincidentally the same position where Steelers punter Chris Gardocki ranked in the AFC with a 36.7 net.

But Gardocki is 37 and is due a $1 million salary. The Steelers also re-signed Mike Barr, who spent the past two training camps with them.

Lee, 24, became Pitt's punter as a true freshman in 2000 and is the only player to win the Big East special teams player of the year award twice. His 244 punts are a school record. The 49ers drafted him in the sixth round in 2004. They gave him a one-year, $850,000 qualifying offer as a restricted free agent.