Steelers pick up Morgan to play No. 3 receiver

Updated: September 6, 2005, 5:32 PM ET

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By Len Pasquarelli
ESPN.com

Still trying to upgrade a wide receiver corps that was inconsistent through the preseason, the Pittsburgh Steelers on Tuesday signed free agent wide receiver Quincy Morgan, who was released Monday by the Dallas Cowboys.

Details of the one-year contract Morgan signed were not immediately available. To create a roster spot for Morgan, the Steelers released fourth-year wide receiver Lee Mays.

His struggles in Dallas aside, Morgan could provide the Steelers a quality No. 3 receiver, once he is able to assimilate the offense. The Steelers' starting wideouts are Hines Ward and Antwaan Randle El, but no one has yet stepped up and solidified the No. 3 spot.

Fifth-year veteran Cedrick Wilson, the team's only high-profile addition as a veteran free agent in the spring, struggled with drops in the preseason. The Pittsburgh coaches still feel the former San Francisco starter will come around, but were seeking an alternative. Fourth-round draft choice Fred Gibson, who many felt would replace Plaxico Burress as a deep threat, was released.

Morgan, 27, was a second-round draft choice of the Cleveland Browns in 2001, the 33rd player chosen overall that year. He was traded to Dallas in October for Antonio Bryant in a deal featuring two young but enigmatic wideouts. Bryant has flourished with the Browns, seemingly overcoming the immaturity that had marked the early years of his career, and is a starter in Cleveland now.

In camp this summer, Morgan plummeted to fourth on the Dallas depth chart, and when the club signed Peerless Price over the weekend, he became extraneous. Even before the release, Morgan had intimated he might be better served with a change of scenery.

In four NFL seasons, Morgan has 155 receptions for 2,316 yards and 15 touchdowns. His best season was in 2002, when the former Kansas State star posted 56 receptions for 964 yards and seven touchdowns. In nine games with the Cowboys in 2004, he caught just 22 passes for 260 yards and no touchdowns.

At 6-feet-1 and 215 pounds, Morgan has excellent size and very good speed. The pricey contract extension to which the Steelers signed Ward on Monday might preclude the club from being able to retain Randle El when his contract expires after this year. Although he signed just a one-year deal, Morgan might have an opportunity now in Pittsburgh to play himself into the team's long-term plans.

Len Pasquarelli is a senior NFL writer for ESPN.com. To check out Len's chat archive, click here .