The Steelers welcomed a prospective draft pick and the NFL Defensive Player of the Year to the South Side on Monday.
Penn State center A.Q. Shipley visited the team's practice facility for a chat with director of football operations Kevin Colbert. And linebacker James Harrison participated in the first day of offseason workouts.
Yesterday was the first day players were permitted to work out at their team's headquarters and receive compensation per the NFL's collective bargaining agreement.
"That's him," Colbert said of Harrison. "It's not surprising because that's his work ethic. He was here as much as anyone last year. It says a lot about who he is."
The Steelers remain optimistic they'll be able to agree on a long-term contract extension with Harrison, although ongoing talks continue to proceed at a deliberate pace.
Shipley (6-foot-1, 304 pounds) won the Rimington Trophy in 2008, which is given annually to the nation's top center.
The Steelers also met with Shipley, a Moon Area High School graduate, at the scouting combine in February in Indianapolis.
His visit does not count against the 30 the Steelers are permitted in advance of the NFL Draft because Shipley is a Coraopolis native. A local exemption to that number likewise applied to visits made last week by linebacker Scott McKillop and offensive lineman C.J. Davis because they attended Pitt.
Two players who apparently won't be returning to the South Side anytime soon are wide receiver Joey Galloway and cornerback/return man Chris Carr.
The Boston Globe reported Monday that the Patriots and Galloway have agreed on a one-year deal, and The Baltimore Sun reported that the Ravens and Carr have agreed in principle on a two-year, $5 million contract.
The Steelers hosted both free agents last week and had engaged in negotiations with both.
While the Steelers haven't added any players from outside the organization, they re-signed linebacker Arnold Harrison to a one-year contract yesterday.
Harrison spent the 2008 season on the injured-reserve list (knee) after appearing in a combined 20 games in the 2006 and 2007 seasons.
Harrison (6-3, 241) initially was signed as a free-agent rookie from Georgia in 2005. He was released prior to the regular season and signed to the practice squad, and finally was added to the 53-man roster Jan. 24, 2006. He was inactive for Super Bowl XL.
